Halloween may have come and gone but skulls and other dark symbols aren’t always contained to a season. In his latest design Memento Mori, Carpe Noctem, watchmaker Daniel Strom plays with the classic idea of a skull as a reminder to seize the moment because life is short. This newest addition to Strom’s Agonium collection replaces the ivory of bone with vivid red.
The richly ornamented watch is detailed with skulls and blood red accents. The red dial was created through the ancestral Japanese lacquering technique of Urushi. The intense vermilion hue is achieved by cinnabar pigments. The red of the dial is echoed by the rubies encrusted in the eyes of the skulls on the crown and lugs, as well as the overstitching on the bright red strap. For a full three weeks, the master lacquer artist applies around twenty successive ultra-fine layers to form a result that is both artistic and sturdy. The watch movement is a mechanical self-winding, ETA Calibre 2824. The case is black rhodium-coated solid 925 silver with a stainless steel inner case. The watch sells for over $15,000.
