The Straum Frozen Metal Titanium model offers a new dial design based on the Jan Mayen platform.
A white border smoothly transitions into a bright silvery center, creating an effect the brand calls reverse fumé. Visually, the dial appears to freeze from the outside in, conveying the sensation of real ice.
This is a rather literal interpretation of frost spreading across metal, but the result looks far from a simple gradient. The uneven, grainy transition gives the dial depth and texture. The watch is available with several integrated rubber straps, but a titanium bracelet seems a natural choice for a model built around the frozen metal theme. Pre-orders are already open, with deliveries of the bracelet version scheduled for December 2026. Let’s take a closer look at the new release.
Design and Construction of Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
The case of the model is built on the Jan Mayen architecture. A round bezel is located within a wide, angular outer part, and the bracelet or strap smoothly transitions into the case. This integrated construction sets a unique style for the watch. The light dial and blue appliqués emphasize the cold, winter character of the design.
The dial is the central element. The base is made of stamped brass with a galvanic coating that creates a frost effect. Around the edge, a grainy white ring forms, gradually transitioning into exposed metal with a bright silver center. Most fumé dials darken towards the edges; here, the effect is reversed, explaining the term "reverse fumé." The dial doesn’t resemble a vignette but truly seems frozen in the moment.
The indices and diamond-cut hands are coated with PVD in Frostbite Blue. They use Swiss Super-LumiNova class A luminous paint. The blue contours stand out clearly against the predominantly white and silver background. The absence of a date window allows the texture’s uniformity to be preserved.
Technical Specifications of Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
The Grade 5 titanium case has a diameter of 38.7 mm, a lug-to-lug distance of 45.7 mm, and a thickness of 11.5 mm including the double-layer sapphire crystal. Without the glass, the case thickness is 9.7 mm. The overall width with the crown is 40.7 mm. The surfaces are predominantly matte, executed by sandblasting, with polished accents on the bezel and case edges. The screw-down crown provides manual winding, and the screw-down case back ensures water resistance up to 10 atmospheres. The watch is made in accordance with Swiss Made requirements.
The tested version is equipped with an integrated Grade 5 titanium bracelet. Additionally, FKM rubber straps are available in white, black, purple, gray, dark green, dark blue, yellow, and beige. They attach via the proprietary Straum Coupling - a titanium element with a quick-release button mechanism. The straps taper from 24.8 mm at the case to 18 mm at the titanium clasp and fit wrists up to 21 cm. The bracelet features a two-sided micro-adjustment with button control for quick fitting.
Inside is the La Joux-Perret G101 automatic movement without a date function. The Soigné model is adjusted in four positions. The movement contains 24 jewels and provides a power reserve of up to 68 hours. The average accuracy is +7 ±7 seconds per day, with a maximum deviation of 20 seconds. The movement is visible through the sapphire crystal on the case back.
Comfort and Wearability of Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
The Jan Mayen form factor in a 38.7 mm size is comfortable to wear. The watch looks sporty yet fits well on an 18 cm wrist. The titanium case becomes the main advantage. The lightness and warm shade of the metal create a sense of comfort - the watch is almost forgotten after a few minutes of wearing.
Although I personally prefer Grade 2 titanium for its dark tone and softness, Straum’s choice of Grade 5 is justified. The light color of the case emphasizes the "frozen" theme, and polished details would look less impressive on Grade 2.
I particularly like the sandblasted finish on the surfaces. It gives the watch an icy look and a velvety feel to the touch. This approach makes the model stand out among offerings from independent brands.
Features and Details Worth Attention
The dial is undeniably Straum’s success. The freezing effect is conveyed so convincingly that you can almost hear the crackling of ice spreading to the hands. The blue accents are a bit brighter than desired, but they effectively separate the hands and indices from the background, ensuring excellent readability even on a complex background. The model could have looked gaudy, but it didn’t - deserved praise for Straum for originality without excessive flamboyance.
The bracelet deserves special attention. It is made with higher quality than most microbrands and clearly received a lot of attention during the design stage. The feel and finish are reminiscent of more expensive models. The construction with visible pins is different from traditional solutions, and it will be interesting to see how the bracelet behaves over time. It is known that microbrands often skimp on bracelets, but that is clearly not the case here - the price of €700 confirms it.
The clasp is equipped with a quick-release button - the best mechanism in its class. A big plus. The tool-free micro-adjustment works with a pair of small buttons, allowing a slight size increase on each side of the butterfly clasp. However, this type of adjustment always creates visible gaps, which is personally unacceptable for me. It’s more of an emergency measure. The gap here is fairly inconspicuous, and the buttons seem less reliable than the rest of the construction. Nonetheless, most brands struggle with micro-adjustment on butterfly clasps, and this version works better than most.
Final Impressions of Straum Frozen Metal Titanium
Straum’s work with the dial does not disappoint once again. The surface freezing effect is extremely convincing and does not look gaudy.
The fully titanium construction logically aligns with the dial design. The sandblasted finish of the case and bracelet supports the cool gray tone, and the polished details prevent the watch from looking flat. After getting acquainted with the Jan Mayen models in both steel and titanium, I definitely prefer the titanium version. It better matches the design and brand character.
The cost of the Straum Frozen Metal Titanium is €2,260 with the Grade 5 titanium bracelet and €2,000 with the FKM rubber strap. The bracelet provides the cleanest visual continuation of the concept, and the quick-release system makes rubber straps convenient for regular changes. This model is an interesting variation of the Jan Mayen formula, and the reverse fumé finish gives the familiar case a truly new character.
What do you think about the new Straum Frozen Metal Titanium model? Share your opinion in the comments!