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Arnold & Son Explores Titanium 

Arnold & Son sails into new horological territory with Longitude Titanium, the watchmaker’s first luxury sport watch and its first all-titanium collection.

One of three Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium debuts.

The nautically themed watch is a COSC-certified chronometer with a 42.5 mm titanium case and a matching titanium bracelet. Its vertical dial layout honors marine chronometers, which the famed British watchmaker and company namesake John Arnold pioneered.

Nautical references and rounded edges abound on the collection. While the middle of the case echoes the waterline of a ship, the bezel’s base has been notched sixty times to mimic the typical fluted ring John Arnold used on his historic marine chronometers. Satin finishes dominate all flat surfaces, which allows the few polish edges to stand out.

This relatively unadorned dial sets it apart from the typically complex Arnold & Son layouts, which typically feature skeletonized, moon phase and busier artisanal designs.

Particularly large, satin-finished, polished and luminescent hour-markers echo the shape of the hands and the bracelet links.

The vertically aligned layout features a mirror-polished power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a prominent sub-seconds display at 6 o’clock.

Inside the Longitude Titanium Arnold & Son fits the new, COSC-certified in-house A&S6302 caliber, an automatic movement with a gold rotor carved to recall both a sextant and the prow of an 18th-century English frigate. As with all Arnold & Son movements, the power reserve here is long, offering a full sixty hours of autonomy on a full wind.

Arnold & Son again reaches back to its namesake with the dial options for the Longitude Titanium. To recall the coast of Cornwall, John Arnold’s birthplace, Arnold & Son offers the first collections in a sandy golden shade called Kingsand (a local beach), ocean blue and fern green.

The Kingsand model is a limited edition of 88 pieces. Each watch arrives with an additional rubber strap that is interchangeable with the titanium bracelet. 

Prices: CHF 22,600 (Kingsand) and CHF 21,500 (blue and green).

 

Specifications: Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium 

Movement: Calibre A&S6302, self-winding mechanical, COSC-certified, 36 jewels 36, Power reserve 60 hours, frequency 4 Hz/28,000 vph. Finishes mainplate: palladium finish, circular-grained bridges: palladium finish, polished and chamfered, ‘Rayons de la Gloire’ motif wheels: golden finish, circular satin-finished screws: blued and chamfered, mirror-polished heads, oscillating weight: 22-carat red gold (5N), skeletonized, chamfered, engraved.

Dial: Kingsand gold, ocean blue or fern green PVD treatment,  vertical satin finish power reserve: blue PVD treatment, golden finish or rhodium-plating, mirror-polished small seconds, snailed hour-markers: rhodium-plated or golden finish, coated with Super-LumiNova hands: rhodium-plated or golden finish, skeletonized, coated with Super-LumiNova.

Case: 42.5mm by 12.25mm titanium, Crystal: sapphire, anti-reflective coating on both sides, case back: sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating, water-resistance: 100 m/330 ft.

Interchangeable bracelet: Titanium, folding clasp. Additional strap: blue or green rubber, titanium pin buckle.

Limited edition: Kingsand gold: 88 timepieces, ocean blue: not limited, fern green: not limited.

Prices: CHF 22,600 (Kingsand) and CHF 21,500 (blue and green).

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Arnold & Son Stays Thin in Gold & Platinum 

Arnold & Son continues to debut new editions within its impressive Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton collection. Two new models display the model’s architectural finesse in new case metals: 5N ‘red’ gold and platinum.

The new Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton Red Gold.

Still built within the same 41.5mm diameter by 8.4mm case size, the new models display this independent maker’s contemporary one-minute tourbillon prominently at the 6 o’clock position, flanked by rose-gold PVD bridges and nicely decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève stripes.

The new Arnold & Son Ultra Thin Tourbillon Skeleton Platinum.

On both models, a white opal dial displays the minutes and hours. The arrowhead on the staff of the tourbillon’s escape wheel serves as the watch’s seconds pointer.

The watchmaker’s 3.3mm-thick A&S8320 caliber movement is one of the thinnest skeleton tourbillons around. Its thinness is enhanced thanks to its lack of an upper bridge, which means the tourbillon is of the ‘flying’ variety. (See additional specifications below).

As with most Arnold & Son calibers, the power reserve of the Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton Red Gold and the UltraThin Tourbillon Skeleton Platinum is a spectacular 100 hours. Each model is a limited edition of twenty-eight pieces. 

Prices: Red gold: CHF 74,400, and platinum: CHF 86,200.

 

Specifications: Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton Red Gold and UltraThin Tourbillon Skeleton Platinum

(Red gold: 1UTBR.Z01A.C246R; Platinum: 1UTBX.Z01A.C245X)

Movement: 

Caliber A&S8320, 1-minute flying tourbillon, manual winding, mainplate is skeletonized, rose-gold PVD treatment (4N), Côtes de Genève stripes radiating from the center. Bridges are skeletonized, rose-gold PVD treatment (4N), polished and chamfered by hand, Côtes de Genève stripes radiating from the center. Tourbillon carriage has ‘Arnold & Son’ signature, polished, satin-finished and chamfered by hand. Wheels are circular satin-finished and screws are blued and chamfered with mirror-polished heads. Power reserve is 100 hours. Frequency is 21,600 vph.

Dial: White opal.

Case: 5N red gold or platinum (PT 950) measuring 41.50mm by 8.40mm (with domed sapphire crystal).Case back sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. Water-resistance to 30 meters.

Strap: Red gold: blue alligator leather, black alligator leather lining, hand-stitched. Platinum: brown alligator leather, black alligator leather lining, hand-stitched. Folding clasp in titanium with cover in red gold or platinum.

Prices: Red gold: CHF 74,400, and platinum: CHF 86,200.

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New Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon Glows in Celestial Blue 

Arnold & Son expands its Perpetual Moon collection (a favorite here at iW) with the new Perpetual Moon 41.5 Platinum Celestial Blue, a stunning platinum-cased watch that glows with a ‘Stellar Rays” engraved dial and a large white mother-of-pearl moon.

The new Arnold & Son the new Perpetual Moon 41.5 Platinum Celestial Blue.

The watchmaker creates the ray-shaped dial decor by applying irregular engraving to various depths and widths to produce a fluctuating sequence that allows light to reflect and refract. Artisans then add a several layers of transparent lacquer to accentuate the effect.

Arnold & Son renders its ultra-large moon in white mother-of-pearl with hand-painted shadows, all liberally coated with Super-LumiNova. This is placed amid a grained sky comprised of midnight-blue PVD. And as with all models in the Perpetual Moon collection, the moon is surrounded by the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia constellations, which are also hand-painted and coated with luminescent material.

This new model measures 41.5mm in diameter, the new size of the recently redesigned Perpetual Moon series. In addition to refining the case size with the revision, Arnold & Son also re-shaped the lugs, creating a more elegant form with beveled ends.

The back of the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Platinum Celestial Blue also provides both information and eye candy. There, Arnold & Son places a secondary, easily adjustable moon phase indicator. Artisans finish the manually wound A&S1512 Caliber with beautiful polished and chamfered bridges and circular satin-finished wheels. All screws are blued, chamfered and polished.

The caliber easily performs up to the high level of its finish. The movement’s two barrels and oscillating frequency of 3 Hz contribute to a whopping 90-hour power reserve. 

With only thirty-eight Perpetual Moon 41.5 Platinum Celestial Blue watches being made, I’d expect Arnold & Son to sell all examples of this model fairly quickly. 

Price: $48,300.

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Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon Shines With Diamonds

Arnold & Son expands its much-heralded Perpetual Moon collection with a new edition that features a brilliant blue mother-of-pearl dial shimmering within a new, diamond-set 38mm red gold case. And while this addition to the collection features the Swiss watchmaker’s smallest caliber, it powers one of the larger moonphase displays available.

The new Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Gold Moonlight.

The new Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Gold Moonlight features a richly decorated evening sky dial framed with a diamond-set bezel that echoes more diamonds used as hour-markers and on the crown and lugs.

All told, you’ll find 138 diamonds (2.61 carats) glittering on the watch, reflecting light that complements the SuperLuminova-set moon, made more realistic with hand-painted shadows. The Ursa Major and Cassiopeia constellations complete the scene nearby.

The Arnold & Son manual-wind caliber A&S1612 inside the collection is the watchmaker’s smallest, measuring 29.4 mm in diameter so that it perfectly fits the watch’s new 38mm by 10.44mm case.

The beautifully finished manually wound movement, smaller than the A&S1512 found inside the 42mm Perpetual Moon series, still packs a impressive technical punch with a power reserve of ninety hours. And like those larger movements, the new model also boasts accuracy for 122 years – if the watch is kept wound.

Price: $50,300.

 

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Commoditization Versus Collecting

By Gary Girdvainis

I think it was just after the 2008 crash that the calls started coming in.

Complete strangers were calling our offices and inquiring about watches as potential instruments for investment. From their perspective it seemed to make sense. Fine timepieces have perpetual and intrinsic value, are liquid and easy to convert to cash and small enough to secret away in a bank deposit box or home safe. Some will even appreciate over time.

Bernhard Lederer’s stunning Central Impulse Chronometer.

To these speculators and investors, the watch was simply a widget and could be anything (think NFTs), a device in which to insert capital and to be added to the other elements of a portfolio.

This cold, calculating valuation of wristwatches has gained momentum over the last decade-plus and is fueling rampant and runaway pricing on several preferred models. Some of which have seen values soar to ten, fifteen or even twenty times the original retail price.

The Jacob & Co. Jean Bugatti in a rose gold case.

This explosive surge has been brought on by a kind of perfect storm. First-off it could not happen without the internet. In the pre-internet era values would still climb on preferred pieces, but the forces pushing the growth were operating at a statelier pace. Watches would see price growth at auction, or via secondary sales at retail shops. The growth was not as immediately visible and volatile as the current state of viral information pathways.

The RGM Model 222-RR is a modern wristwatch with a vintage heart, featuring a Hamilton pocket watch movement and a ‘grand feu’ enamel dial.

Another factor is the fear of missing out. Buyers (note I did not say collectors) want to hop on board before the train leaves the station and are fueling the fires of desire and driving costs through the roof.

Forgive me if I feel that buying a watch purely as an investment is a sterile event without any real enthusiasm for the product, or any chance that the “investment” watches will ever see the light of day. Chances are the commoditized timepieces will sit in the dark until the next transaction, never to be enjoyed, shared, or shown-off except to confirm authenticity.

The Chopard Alpine Eagle Cadence 8 HF.

I’m a watch guy and have been for a long time. I appreciate the look, feel, sounds, and even smells (that vanilla scent on a nice rubber strap) that evoke pride of ownership and real enjoyment. Whether an affordable field watch with great lume, or a repeater softly chiming the time, watches are meant to be worn just like cars are meant to be driven.

I have a friend that has had amazing financial success in life. He recently invited me to his home and knowing I’m a car enthusiast was happy to show me some of the exceptional cars he had acquired over the years. One of which was the famous 1955 Jaguar D-Type. Designed for racing at LeMans and other venues, the D Type also happens to be street legal.

The Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon, now in two new designs, feature a new type of dial with tinted gold and aluminum sparkles to match either a platinum or gold case.

So as my friend sees me gaping at his exquisite machine, he tells me to look under the wheel well. I bend over, careful not to touch the coachworks, and look underneath. What I see is a spattering of mud on the wheel well liner. Not only does he drive this seven-million-dollar car, he drives it around town and even drives it to the track on vintage race days!

This post first appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of iW Magazine.

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