Arnold & Son reinterprets one of its most personal collections, DSTB 42 – the ‘Dial-Side True Beat’, which reveals its true-beat seconds mechanism on the dial side. Under its openwork and finely chamfered gold bridges, its characteristic anchor powers a seconds hand at a broad rhythm. Meanwhile the Perpetual Moon 38 Mintnight presents a view of the moon from Earth. Diamonds, mother-of-pearl, and ruthenium crystals comprise this latest instalment in a graceful line
DSTB 42 Platinum & DSTB 42 Red Gold.
The case and movement of this essential timepiece have been entirely revised, refined, and improved and offered in two inaugural limited series – one in platinum, the other in red gold. The true-beat seconds function is characteristic of the instruments that John Arnold supplied to the Royal Navy. Their escapement used to beat at one oscillation per second, naturally indicated by a sweep-seconds hand. This explicit function inspired Arnold & Son to create one of its most iconic complications: ‘True Beat’, also known as deadbeat seconds.
All true-beat seconds require a dedicated mechanism. No escapement in a compact watch, especially one worn on the wrist, functions at a native frequency of one oscillation per second. Here, the sweep-seconds hand on the DSTB 42 jumps from second to second, powered by a mechanism similar to an escapement, developed by Arnold & Son’s watchmakers.
This true-beat seconds needed to be displayed in a way that reflects its historic importance for Arnold & Son. The choice to place it on the dial side creates an additional level in the calibre. This, in turn, required three dedicated bridges, fashioned in line with the Arnold & Son aesthetic, whose graphic design and finishes give the dial its truly unique appearance. They are openworked, three-dimensional and carefully crafted from red or white gold, depending on the DSTB 42 version. This true-beat seconds mechanism fills the space with its presence, balanced out by the off-centred hours dial in white opal.
The DSTB collection was one of the founding pieces in the Arnold & Son catalogue. Its first version measured 44 mm in diameter. It featured a calibre that was 7.40 mm thick, allowing a 45-hour power reserve. The DSTB 42 improves on each of these points. The exclusive Manufacture calibre A&S6203 is 5.54 mm thick and offers 55 hours of autonomy. The case drops to 42 mm in diameter and settles for a total thickness of 12.95 mm.
The DSTB 42 Platinum offers contrast, with its combination of 950 platinum and a dial featuring a rose-gold PVD treatment known as ‘salmon’. The DSTB 42 Red Gold comes in a 5N gold case, whose copper content gives it the name red gold. This warm colour is paired with a blue PVD-treated dial for a soothing overall effect. In both versions, the dial is sunray-brushed before being tinted, the starting point of the finish coinciding with the centre of the true-beat seconds.
Both editions are powered by the calibre A&S6203, entirely developed and created in the Arnold & Son Manufacture. Designed to work in harmony with the true-beat seconds mechanism, this calibre is self-winding thanks to an oscillating weight in 22-carat gold.
Perpetual Moon 38 Mintnight
Perpetual Moon 38 Mintnight showcases the night in shades of mint green, turquoise, teal and sky blue. A gentle graduation of coloured mother-of-pearl adorns this limited edition of 18 timepieces. The mother-of-pearl’s opalescent sheen is complemented by the shimmer of the ruthenium moon and dial foreground, together with the diamonds that sparkle on the bezel, horns, and hour-markers of this poetic creation.
The Perpetual Moon 38 range is distinct from the larger, more deliberately masculine Perpetual Moon 41.5 collection. Measuring 38 mm in diameter and 10.44 mm thick, the case of the timepiece is fashioned from a block of white gold. Its bezel, four horns and crown host a total of 80 brilliant-cut diamonds. When added to the 22 diamonds adorning its buckle, they amount to a total weight of 2.57 carats.
Behind a wave of ruthenium crystals, a maze of blue, mint-green, and turquoise hills recedes towards the horizon. The sky above this scene, scattered with hand-painted stars, is filled with an immense moon. Its surface, also made from ruthenium crystals, illuminates the sky. The use of this rare material has become a special signature of Arnold & Son, adding preciousness, light and texture. Five marquise-cut diamonds indicating the hours provide the finishing touch on this work of art.
The Swiss manufacture has created a specific calibre, the smallest in its collection, especially for the Perpetual Moon 38. The proportions of the A&S1612 calibre, measuring 29.4 mm, were designed with the case in mind. This manually wound movement with an autonomy of 90 hours perpetuates the range of Arnold & Son calibres with impressive power reserves.
The emblematic complication of the A&S1612 calibre is its moon phase. The Perpetual Moon 38 Mintnight houses a large moon disc with its various crescents occupying the wide window situated between 10 and 2 o’clock, cut out to faithfully depict the appearance of the Earth’s natural satellite. This moon-phase timepiece will remain accurate for 122 years, meaning that, if kept constantly wound, it would take more than a century for the moon on the timepiece to experience a one-day time lag with its real-life counterpart in the sky.
