Meet Gustafsson and Sjogren Blizzard and Aurora Watches

Gustafsson & Sjogren watches represent a collaborative project between Swedish knifesmith Johan Gustafsson and Swedish watchmaker Patrik Sjogren. It is Damascus steel that brings together two different objects, a watch and a knife, which at the first sight seem to have nothing in common.

Developed more than thousand years ago, the Damascus steel technique was originally utilized to produce blades for swords, which demonstrated the exemplary sharpness and strength. Johan and Patrik have teamed up to discover another field of use for this remarkable material: they have agreed to apply this forging technique for manufacturing alluring hand-crafted dials.

The Blizzard watch proudly exposes a Damascus steel dial, embellished with a twisted explosion pattern. The hand-crafted chapter ring is rendered in grade-5 titanium.

When it comes to finishing, the case reveals a combination of different techniques. The special eye-catchers of the case are represented by an oversized bezel, as well as the case-back. Assembled with a sapphire crystal, the watch case features the dimensions of 42mm x12mm.Ticking inside this marvelous timepiece is a Unitas/ETA 6498 movement. It demonstrates the finishing, performed by Soprod.

The Aurora watch reveals a glistening green dial, suggestive of northern lights. Completed with titanium indexes, it is housed in a case, which boasts different finishing techniques. This model also stands out due to its oversized bezel and its case-back. Similar to the Blizzard watch, Aurora accommodates an attractively finished Unitas/ETA 6498 movement. Fitting this enchanting timepiece is a reindeer strap, hand-crafted in conventional sapmi technique with non-chemical tanning of the leather and tin ornaments.

As Watches.InfoNIAC.com found out, there exist different opinions about the place of origin of the century-old Damascus steel technique: some people say, it was conceived in Asia, some consider, it came from Middle East (Damascus), others are sure that it was inherited from the Scandinavians and the Vikings. In ancient times, this technique was utilized for manufacturing swords, which boasted their unrivalled strength, leaving behind those of enemies. Qualified specialists of today are still trying to reveal the secret of this subtle technique.