I have long been a fan of the creations coming from Gustafsson and Sjögren (aka GoS) Watches, with the inclusion of damascus-process steel. They pair the amazing patterns they fold into the steel with treatments that introduce colors evocative of different scenes, to great effect. While many dress watches tend to go for a look that will not attract undue attention, the GoS Bifrost instead has a stunning dial that invites commentary.
For this new dress watch, GoS developed a new method of creating the steel used in their watches, which allows for tighter control over the patterns being created. They also came up with a new case design (slightly smaller at 42.5mm by 9.5mm thick), with a sunburst-patterned bezel that draws the eye in to the blue dial of the Isblå, the first watch in the Bifrost lineup. To further emphasize the dial, they redesigned the index ring to give more real estate back.
Spinning over that dial is the familiar white gold handset that we first saw from the brand on their Stockholm model. Flip the watch over, however, and we see something new. Through the exhibition caseback, there’s a new rotor design that is the GoS logo, also in the same patterned steel. While it does obscure large parts of the movement, I think this is a natural evolution of what the brand has been doing. Rather than needing to fit damascus plates to a movement, they can instead place this new rotor onto an existing movement (a Soprod A10 in this case), and still give things ta sort of GoS look.
As with all watches from them, the GoS Bifrost Isblå is a limited edition of 25 pieces. While this first edition comes only in the sharp blue we’ve pictured here, there are other colors that will be coming in the line, including a bi-color rose gold / damascus steel case. Given the origins of Bifrost (you know, the rainbow bridge connecting Earth to the realm of the Gods), I asked about a rainbow-colored dial. As the colors are achieved via heat treating, it simply wouldn’t be possible (though, a tri-color dial isn’t out of the question one day). That’s neither here nor there, though. What you can pick up today is the GoS Bifrost Isblå, for a price of $13,500. I think it’s a sharp addition to their lineup, and I’m curious to see the upcoming editions as well. goswatches.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: GoS Bifrost Isblå
- Price: $13,500
- Who we think it might be for: This is for the fan of damascus steel treatments, there’s no doubt about this
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen?: Bank account constraints aside, this is a stunning watch, and would indeed be a welcome addition to my watch box
- If I could make one design suggestion, it would be: I’m not sure what I’d even suggest here. Perhaps a bracelet that featured the same damascus steel? That would be something else!
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: As with all of the GoS watches, it’s the patterns found in the steel, paired with the vividly colored dials
