The GoS Skadi and a Scandinavian Vision of Watchmaking
Winter is finally starting to fade across much of the U.S., and as temperatures rise into the low 50s, lawns previously suffocated by heavy snowbanks are exhaling the distinctive fragrance that heralds spring. Yet as much as the warmer weather is a welcome arrival, there is something about winter’s particular magic that makes it hard to relinquish. In the world of horology, independent luxury watchmaker GoS (formerly Gustafsson & Sjogren) has managed to capture more than a little of that magic. Named after its founders, bladesmith Johan Gustafsson and watchmaker Patrik Sjögren, it has built its reputation for excellence on designs that reference Norse and Viking mythology as an ode to cold winters and dark nights—and on its distinctive use of hand-forged Damascus steel. Indeed, it has carved out one of the most unique brand identities present on the market today, and discerning watch collectors find GoS’s catalog uniquely irresistible.
One of the finest timepieces in its lineup is the superb GoS Skadi, named for the Norse goddess of winter. Crafted in an ultra-limited run of just five, the Skadi’s dial is a rarefied landscape of rich whites and glacial blues—an effect accomplished with luminous Mother of Pearl designed to represent the banks of snow that blanket every surface throughout the Scandinavian winter. But there’s another layer at play under the surface: a bank of Swiss Super-Luminova captures light during the day and radiates in the dark, with a luminosity that resembles the brilliance of moonlight on snow. Floating above are a pair of GoS’s trademark Viking-spear hands; below them, a triskelion running-seconds indicator cements this timepiece’s refined Norse appeal. Framing it all is an 18-karat gold rehaut cast by master goldsmith Peter deWit and studded with blue sapphires to mark the indexes.
A dial of this quality demands an excellent case, and here GoS returns to its roots by reintroducing Gustafsson’s Damascus raven-dark steel, which is paired with lustrous red gold. The brand pioneered the technique for making black Damascus steel in 2018, creating a PVD finish that enhanced the natural contrasting patterns in the steel while darkening the metal. The natural patterning of the layered steel (also found here on the hands, the bezel and the hand-sculpted crown) evokes wood, which, when paired with precision engravings by award-winning knifemaker Anders Hedlund, evokes images of Viking shields.
The quality of a watch is determined above all by its movement and, as is to be expected, Sjögren has done a superb job with the Skadi. Reworked from a Soprod Chronomètre Grade 6498, it represents perhaps the Skadi’s only link to Switzerland—albeit certainly a respectable one. Soprod is one of the smaller Swiss movement makers, and Sjögren’s choice of this movement over a more common selection, such as an ETA or Sellita, represents an intentional decision to part with the mainstream Swiss tradition. He didn’t stop there, however. The movement’s bridges have been entirely remade using a single piece of Gustafsson’s Damascus steel, which was then engraved and set with more gold inlay by Hedlund, all surrounded by Sjögren’s anglage and perlage—another hallmark of true high-art watchmaking.
There are very few schools of tradition in the world of horology. The primary one, of course, is the Swiss school, which introduced the most common techniques and finishes in modern luxury watches. Then there is the British school, which historically focused on different movement finishes, such as hand-engraving; the French school, best seen in the historical work of Leroy; the German school, with its endless seas of German silver; and now here we are. The argument that GoS is developing an entirely new school of watchmaking unique to Scandinavia is, frankly, a staggering one. The others are long-established and draw on centuries of mechanical and aesthetic innovation. In that light, the Skadi is an exceptionally young buck.
But GoS’s connection to a broader historical past—to Norse myth and legend—makes this timepiece something more than just an exceptionally good-looking watch. It becomes, in that sense, a true cultural beacon of Northern identity and a celebration of heritage in horological form.
The GoS Skadi, which retailed for $42,000, has since sold out. Skadi No.1 was delivered in early March 2020 to a U.S. collector; No.3 will be delivered later this year. According to GoS, collectors who missed out on the ultra-limited run can pre-order a similar timepiece here.