Arnold & Son power into 2015

Currently regarded one of the most dynamic manufacturers of fine timepieces, Arnold & Son owes its renown to a rich and storied history, and a quintessentially regal British legacy. The Fine Watchmaking company’s namesake, Englishman John Arnold, founded the brand in 1764

The young clockmaker gained notoriety when his talents were recognised by King George III, who asked Arnold to join his courts, where his inventions were widely-lauded and he garnered a following of wealthy clientele and achieved numerous notable patents. Today, Arnold & Son, with its state-of-the-art development and production facilities in La Chaux-de-Fonds, continues its founder’s illustrious heritage by crafting the finest complicated movements and exquisite timepieces in-house. A new movement is uniquely developed for each Arnold & Son model, with at least two new movements launched each year. In 2015, Arnold & Son has unveiled three innovative new creations.

Constant Force Tourbillon
Enhancing its prestigious Royal Collection, and paying tribute to its historic marine chronometers, Arnold & Son pushes precision chronometry a step further with the Constant Force Tourbillon, which includes a patented constant force device with 60-second tourbillon and true beat seconds. The symmetrical movement architecture of this timepiece’s mechanical hand-crafted in-house calibre ensures consistent output, and therefore, higher precision. Two mainspring barrels ensure almost constant flow of power to the regulator. The watch’s patented constant force mechanism sees the power from the mainspring charge a small hairspring, which releases a consistent amount of power to the escapement/tourbillon once each second. This device also drives the true-beat seconds hand. The 60-second tourbillon, on the other hand, averages out gravitational errors on the escapement by constantly rotating it through 360°. 

TBTE
The Royal Collection also welcomes the new TBTE Tourbillon, with its hand-finished A&S8503 calibre featuring True Beat Seconds, an idiosyncratic complication of Arnold & Son. True beat seconds is a complication that alludes to the precision timekeeping required for navigation at sea, and pays tribute to John Arnold and his son, who were the first to develop marine chronometers that could be produced in quantity at reasonable prices. On the TBTE, the true beat seconds are displayed by a large central hand on the dial side, while the mechanism itself is poised on the reverse of the movement. The tourbillon is therefore located dial side, ensuring that the movement exhibits a feast for the eyes on each side of the timepiece. The distinctive appearance of the movement is a modern take on distinguished “English” movement design.

TEC1
A new reference of Arnold & Son’s iconic Royal TEC1 was also revealed as part of its 2014 novelties. The latest incarnation is presented with a palladium case and a black guillochédial, and masterfully integrates three complexities that have been combined, for the very first time, by the brand in such an elegant rendition. A tourbillon, a column wheel chronograph and an automatic winding system neatly amalgamate in this superb avant-garde yet classic timepiece. The TEC1 is the brand’s first high-frequency tourbillon, the escapement dominates the entire top portion of the dial. The lower part of the dial exhibits the chronograph function. Adding to the timepiece’s ingenuity is a built-in column wheel chronograph and an integrated automatic winding system that winds in both directions.

HM Goats
This year’s final new addition to the Royal Collection pays homage to the Chinese Year of the Goat, and is a special limited edition which combines inspiration from traditional Chinese artistry with traditional Haute Horlogerie. The HM Goats Special Edition boasts a mother-of-pearl dial on which an exquisite, hand-painted miniature of a family of goats feeding on leaves is depicted. Inspired by a traditional Chinese ink wash painting, the image is interpreted using the technique of miniature painting by hand. This intricate technique, which requires extreme dexterity and expertise, involves delicate nuances of tone and shading, which is achieved using tiny brushstrokes and texturing that ultimately blends into an image with breathtaking richness of detail.

Golden Wheel
Part of its Instrument Collection, Arnold & Son created a unique three-dimensional interpretation of the ancient wandering hours complication that has origins in table clocks of the mid-17th century. Combining the first-ever wandering hours function with the true beat seconds complication, the manufacture movement of the Golden Wheel took a challenging three years to design and develop. The central focus of the timepiece is the 18-carat solid red gold time carousel. The wandering hours function (a.k.a: jumping digital hours indication), occupies the top arc of the watch dial, while the time-carousel beneath it features a true beat seconds hand from the central axis. Aesthetically, three separate transparent sapphire disks on the dial side for are inserted for the time indication, while many other movement parts are elevated, providing an incredible three-dimensional allure.

DSTB
The Instrument Collection also welcomes a new reference of the DSTB (Dial Side True Beat) this year. The newly developed automatic movement of the timepiece displays the true beat seconds' mechanism, in its entirety, on the dial side. This incudes, not only the hands, but also the lever, wheels and three palladium treated true beat seconds bridges showcased in all their glory on the dial side. The three-dimensional effect of the dial is brought to life by the well-proportioned, overlapping indications: the true beat seconds are spectacularly indicated via a large sapphire dial located at the top left portion of the dial at 11 o’clock. At the 4 o’clock position, a silvery opaline sub-dial indicates the hours and the minutes with blued hands.