The Jan Mayen collection is the second model family released by Norwegian brand Straum. Straum’s debut collection, the Opphav, was inspired by the striking colors and textures of Norway’s natural landscape. To define the characteristics of the follow-up, co-founders Lasse Roxrud Farstad and Øystein Husby looked further afield, to a rarely visited corner of their home country, the mysterious arctic Island of Jan Mayen.

It is thanks to Beerenberg Volcano that the island exists at all. Dominating the northern part of Jan Mayen, the world’s northernmost active stratovolcano bursts straight up from the Arctic Ocean, culminating in its fearsome peak, 2,277m above the sea level. Inspired by this foreboding mountain, Straum’s founders assembled an expedition unit and set off in search of the summit. And all in the name of watch design.

The goal of the mission was clear: To study the rarely disturbed nature of the island, its geology, and the volatile weather systems that frequently batter its shores. Straum was able to distill these firsthand experiences into a series of dials that recalled the curious color palette and remarkable rock formations of Jan Mayen, and fit them into a case that was designed to withstand the harsh conditions of this remote location.

The Jan Mayen collection comprises four core models and one limited edition, created in partnership with Dutch media outlet Fratello.com. The four core models, with dials in shades of white, black, green, and blue, will be unlimited mainstays of the catalog going forward, while the Fratello edition, whose red dial was inspired by the lava brewing in the belly of Beerenberg and the volcano’s coruscated crater rim, will be available for one week of pre-orders via the Fratello shop.

Building on the success of the Opphav, Straum challenged itself to improve and refine every aspect of the watch to make it more suitable for a life of adventure. The new, smaller case measures a comfortable 39mm in diameter, boasting a double domed sapphire crystal chosen to deflect glancing blows a watch in the wild is wont to endure.

To further secure the water resistance rating of 100 meters, a grippy screw-down crown and a threaded caseback have been employed. The case back crystal has also changed, with a more traditional round window replacing the form-cut crystals of the Opphav, allowing for a thicker and more durable gasket to be used.

The movement itself has been upgraded from the Sellita SW-200-1 used previously, to the La Joux Perret G101, primarily to take advantage of the G101’s increased power reserve, which stands at 68 hours.