Arnold Son

Arnold & Son Catalogue 2013 / 2014

CONTENT 1

Content

INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 3

HISTORY .......................................................................... 4 John Arnold ................................................................ 6 At the court of King George III ....................................... 8To the “applause of his fellow-citizens” ............................ 10Arnold and Breguet ........................................................... 12The East India Company ................................................. 14History timeline ......................................................... 16

MANUFACTURE ............................................................. 20

MÉTIERS D’ART ............................................................. 26

ARNOLD & SON COLLECTIONS ............................... 32

ROYAL COLLECTION ................................................ 36TB88 ........................................................................... 42TE8 ............................................................................. 52

TE8 Métiers d'Art I ...................................................... 60HM Perpetual Moon .................................................... 66HMS1 .......................................................................... 76HMS1 Royal Blue ......................................................... 86HMS1 Dragon .............................................................. 88HMS Victory Set ........................................................... 90HMS Lady .................................................................... 92Hornet World Timer Skeleton ....................................... 98

INSTRUMENT COLLECTION .................................... 102DBS ............................................................................. 108DBG ............................................................................ 114UTTE .......................................................................... 120Time Pyramid .............................................................. 128TBR ............................................................................. 134TB Victory ................................................................... 140East India Company Set ............................................. 144

CALIBRES OVERVIEW ............................................. 150

2

INTRODUCTION 3

Arnold & Son’s will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2014 and launch different special editions to commemorate this important event and pay tribute to the achievements of John Arnold and his son.

In retrospect, it is clear that John Arnold was one of the greatest watchmakers who ever lived and that he, together with Abraham-Louis Breguet, largely invented the modern mechanical watch. From the outset, the brand combined traditional watchmaking skills with innovative flair. Today, our watchmakers uphold that heritage, creating complicated, original movements with state-of-the-art technologies and materials to produce exquisitely crafted timepieces.

Based on the history of Arnold & Son our range is divided into two distinct segments: the Royal Collection and the Instrument Collection. The Royal Collection is a reflection of elegance and sophistication in the inimitable English style, and has been extended to include several new mod-els. It was inspired by and pays tribute to the timepieces made by John Arnold for King George III and members of the royal court.

The Instrument Collection, on the other hand, was inspired by the timepieces developed when John Arnold and his son Roger focused on chronometry and helped solve the problem of determining longitude at sea. So successful were they that Arnold & Son became principal suppliers of marine chronometers to the British Royal Navy. All these achievements are reflected in our unending quest to create exceptional timepieces that are true to the brand’s heritage and meet the needs and expectations of discerning watch lovers the world over.

For this reason we are delighted to welcome you to the world of Arnold & Son and proudly invite you to browse this latest edition of our annual catalogue.

Philippe BovenArnold & Son SA

Dear Reader

4

5

H I S T O R Y

6

John ArnoldA finger on the pulse of his time

John Arnold was born in Cornwall in 1736. His father was a watchmaker and his uncle a gunsmith, which probably explains his early interest in precision engineering and metalwork. A talented craftsman and scholar, he left England for the Netherlands at the age of 19 after completing his apprenticeship to hone his watchmaking skills. He returned two years later speaking excellent German, which stood him in good stead later at the court of King George III, and had established himself as a watch - maker of repute in London’s Strand by his mid-twenties. After Arnold presented the smallest repeating watch ever made to King George III and to the court, he rapidly acquired a wealthy clientele. He was one of the most

John Arnold

HISTORY 7

inventive watchmakers of his day and held patents for a detent escapement, bimetallic balance, helical balance spring and overcoil balance spring. Arnold’s No. 36 was the first timepiece to be called a chronometer, a term reserved for unusually precise watches to this day. Arnold also played a central role in the events of his day. Along with other watchmakers, he addressed the problem of determining longitude, and won several grants and awards offered by the British Parliament. He enjoyed such respect in his profession that he became a close friend of Abraham-Louis Breguet. They exchanged ideas and even entrusted their sons to each other for their apprenticeships.

This is a story worth telling. Starting with this catalogue, we shall look at some of the achievements that assured John Arnold and his son of their place in watchmaking history. Following with the stories, we shall read how his timepieces accompanied famous explorers on their voyages of discovery, helped the East India Company establish its empire and how Napoleon Bonaparte himself presented an Arnold clock to the Observatory of Milan in 1802. For more about Arnold and his son, a complete col-lection of these stories can be found on our website at www.arnoldandson.com.

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK © Christies Bridgeman Giraudon© The Trustees of the British Museum

John Arnold, pocket chronometer, No. 1/36, London, 1778

John Roger Arnold, spring detent pocket chronometer, No. 1818, London, 1801

John Arnold, half-quarter repeater, gold and enamel cased cylinder pocket watch, No. 253, London, 1775

8

At the court of King George III

King George III

Anne, Queen of Great Britain, who died in 1714, left no Protestant heir apparent to the throne, as stipulated in the English Act of Settlement of 1701. As a result, advisers resorted to the Queen’s family tree and George, prince-elector of Hanover, succeeded her as monarch. George I and his wife spoke only German. Their son, George Augustus, who became George II of Great Britain in 1727, was raised and married in Germany. In other words, when he died in 1760 and his grandson, George III, ascended the throne, German was the chief language spoken at the English court. George III, no doubt aware that a monarch should respect the customs of his country, began to learn English. Never-theless, in 1761 he married Duchess Charlotte of Mecklen-burg-Strelitz, who had been born and spent her life in Germany. Fortunately, John Arnold spoke German, a skill acquired when he moved to the Netherlands for two years at the age of 19. It certainly helped him in 1764, when he was summoned to meet the King and present him with an

HISTORY 9

(1) Religious Tract Society (Great Britain), The Visitor or Monthly Instructor (London, 1847)

exceptional timepiece. The meeting was a great success, as documented by this account: “Arnold is also celebrated for the manufacture of the smallest repeating-watch ever known; it was made for his majesty George III, to whom it was presented on his birth-day, the 4th of June 1764. Although less than six-tenths of an inch in diameter, it was perfect in all its parts, repeated the hours, quarters and half-quarters, and contained the first ruby cylinder ever made. [...] The king was so much pleased with this rare specimen of mechanical skill, that he presented Mr. Arnold with 500 guineas; and the em - per or of Russia afterwards offered Mr. Arnold 1000 guin-eas for a duplicate of it, which he declined.” (1) The ruby cylinder found in this repeating watch was so remarkable that the King, himself a connoisseur of horol-ogy, asked Arnold to make him another so that he could admire it. After this favourable reception, John Arnold’s career took off. He was renowned for his complicated watches, includ-ing minute repeaters and calendar watches, and a clientele

of rich European aristocrats thronged to his workshop on St. James’s Street in London. He employed the city’s best craftspeople: James and Mary Reasey of Soho supplied sumptuously decorated watch cases of enamel and gold guilloché, and James Drury of Islington made him gongs in the best alloys for his repeating watches. Despite this success, John Arnold was not content to man-ufacture beautiful watches alone. Encouraged by George III himself, he set about solving the problem of calculating longitude using a chronometer and, from 1770 onwards, dedicated himself to this task entirely.

10

To the “applause of his fellow-citizens”

John Arnold rapidly established a reputation for out-standing mechanical expertise and was the first watch-maker to produce a jewelled ruby cylinder escapement. He showcased this in an exceptionally small half-quarter repeating watch mounted in a ring, which he offered to King George III. His growing fame attracted an afflu-ent clientele. He could easily have lived comfortably, making exquisite repeating watches and calendar watches. But John Arnold was relentlessly driven by the greatest watchmaking challenge of his age: to build a timepiece that would enable ships to navigate safely, transform science and roll back the boundaries in astronomy. That challenge was precision, and Arnold made it his passion. Between 1770 and 1790, he painstakingly refined the art of watchmaking, introducing decisive improvements that heralded the arrival of chronometry. It is to him we owe a series of trailblazing inventions that included a detent escapement, a helical balance spring, terminal curves that make the helical balance spring isochronous, the first-ever use of gold for balance springs, and a range of bimetallic balances that offset errors caused by temper-ature fluctuations.John Arnold, marine chronometer No. 12,

London, 1778–1779

© The Trustees of the British Museum

HISTORY 11

(2) The Monthly Review or Literary Journal, vol. 58 (London, 1780)

Arnold’s chronometers were used by some of the great-est explorers and navigators of his time on their epic voyages. His regulators and their continual refinement bear witness to the colossal progress of science and astronomy across Europe. Arnold was also heir to a series of exceptional English watch-makers, each of whom advanced the art of watchmaking in his own way: George Graham, Thomas Tompion, Thomas Mudge and John Harrison. Arnold, however, was the first to usher watchmaking into the modern era by designing high-precision, reliable watches that were also relatively easy to manufacture. In its report on Arnold’s pocket chronometer No. 2 in 1780, the Board of Longitude had this to say:

“So far as this watch has been tried, it must be acknowledged by all, that it is superior to every one that had been made before it. Nothing therefore seems to remain but for … Mr. Arnold … to make other watches … to entitle him to the second reward offered by Parliament for improvements in this branch of mechanics, and also to the universal appro- bation and applause of his fellow-citizens.” (2)


12

Arnold and BreguetA tale of two watchmakers

Abraham-Louis Breguet left his native Switzerland for Paris at the age of 15 to pursue his dream of becoming a watchmaker. Unlike Arnold, whose only real teacher had been his father, Breguet was trained by two watchmak-ers who were exceptional in their own right: Ferdinand Berthoud and Jean-Antoine Lépine. When Breguet arrived in Paris in 1775 he, like Arnold in London, quickly attracted a wealthy clientele from all over Europe. His success was due mainly to his self-winding “perpetual” watches. One of his first customers was the King’s cousin, the Duke of Orléans, a great connoisseur of horology and friend of John Arnold. It was he who arranged for the two great inventors to meet: “The Duke of Orléans had given Arnold a watch designed by Breguet. Arnold was so stunned by its perfection that he made the spontaneous decision to travel to Paris to see the craftsman who had created it. Arnold arrived in Paris, where he received a fitting welcome from our famous watchmaker. The art of watchmaking became all the richer for this relationship between two men whose meeting could be described as destiny.” (3)

John Arnold and A.-L. Breguet, silver cased chrono-meter with tourbillon and spring-detent escapement, London, England, 1774 and Paris, France, 1808


HISTORY 13

So deep was their mutual respect that they entrusted the training of their sons to each other, John Roger spending two years as an apprentice in Paris and Breguet’s son, Antoine-Louis, doing his training in London under Arnold. The friendship between the two never waned. In 1789, Breguet went to London to visit Arnold. He wrote to his partner, Xavier Gide, telling him how much he enjoyed his discussions with the inventor of the helical balance spring. They even exchanged trade secrets, as this letter from Arnold’s son, John Roger, to Breguet in 1796 reveals:

“If you want to make the metal for expansion you must take two parts of silver and one of zinc. Melt the silver thoroughly, and when it is melted add the zinc and don’t forget to stir it with a stick. As to the hair-springs, it has been found that platinum is not satisfactory; there are impurities in it and it often breaks. Nowadays, only hair-springs made of gold are used.” (4) John Arnold’s death in 1799 affected Breguet profoundly. As a sign of his esteem, Breguet modified one of Arnold’s pocket chronometers by adding the first tourbillon escape-ment ever designed. Today, this exceptional watch, given

as a present to John Arnold’s son in 1808, is a highlight of the British Museum’s collection in London, and bears the following inscription on a tiny plate in the movement:

«1ER REGULATEUR A TOURBILLON DE BREGUET RÉUNI A UN DES PREMIERS OUVRAGES D’ARNOLD. HOMMAGE DE BREGUET, A LA MÉMOIRE RÉVÉRÉE D’ARNOLD, OFFERT A SON FILS AN 1808» – “The first tourbillon regulator by Breguet incorporated in one of the first works of Arnold. Breguet’s homage to the re-vered memory of Arnold. Presented to his son in 1808.” (5)

(3) Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet: Watchmakers since 1775 [English trans. of Breguet: Horloger depuis 1775], ed. Alain de Gourcuff (Paris, 1997)

(4) Le Globe, Journal littéraire, vol. 3/1 (Paris, 24 December 1825)(5) Mercer, Vaudrey, John Arnold & Son, supplement (London, 1975)

14

The East India Company Numerous commercial companies were founded in the 17th and 18th centuries in order to profit from trade expansion between Europe, the Americas, the Indian continent and China. However, none was as famous and as powerful as Great Britain’s Honourable East India Company. Established very early on, in 1600, it traded predominantly in spices, silk, cotton, tea and opium. Its power became so great that it eventually exercised military power and conquered vast territories, particularly in India, subsequently assuming administrative functions and organizing civil society. The strength of the East India Company lay, above all, in its fabulous ships, known as “Indiamen”. Officially, these exceptional boats were mighty trading ships, capable of transporting many passengers and large amounts of goods. However, they were also formidable, heavily armed war machines, able to resist attacks by pirates, so much so that the Royal Navy called on their services regularly. If the Indiamen had always enjoyed an edge over their com-petitors, it was also due to their having experienced sailors

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK

East Indiamen in the China seas. Oil on canvas, painting by William John Huggins, 1820-1830

HISTORY 15

and intrepid captains, who were keenly aware of the oppor-tunities offered by the marine chronometer. Here are two examples of such individuals:

“Possessed of a good chronometer made by Arnold (No. 64), having great dependence on my instrument, and losing no opportunity of ascertaining our precise situation each noon by meridional double altitudes and lunar observations, day and night, I am in hopes that navigators, failing in my track, will find in it but few errors.” Captain Thomas Butler of the Walpole, on the subject of his voyage from the Cape of Good Hope to China in 1794. “It is the most dangerous shoal I ever beheld, and the water is so very smooth, owing no doubt to its eastern extent, that a ship might be on the reef presently, and almost with the best look-out. I have ascertained the longitude of its north-west extreme by a very good Arnold’s time-keeper, whose rate agrees with our lunar observations as nearly as pos-sible.” Captain Hogan on the Marquis Cornwallis, during his voyage to the New Hebrides in 1796.

The East India Company was dissolved in 1874. However, the Indiamen continued to plough the seas with their precious chronometers on board until the beginning of the 20th century.

Bibliography:Huddart, Joseph, Captain, The Oriental Navigator (London, 1801)

16

Arnold & SonA timeline

1736 John Arnold is born in Cornwall. At the age of 19, after completing an apprenticeship as a watch-maker with his father, he leaves for the Netherlands, where he learns German.

1762 John Arnold opens his first workshop, in London’s Strand, and gains immediate recognition when he repairs a repeating watch owned by William McGuire, a renowned watch connoisseur.

1764 John Arnold makes a ring containing a half-quarter repeater, which he presents to King George III, and instantly creates a wealthy clientele. This watch con-tains the first ruby cylinder ever made and is, like the watch itself, unbelievably small.

1770 John Arnold presents his first marine chronometer to the Board of Longitude. Impressed by the watch’s quality, the Board promptly awards him a grant of £ 200, the first of many he is to receive.

1771 Admiral Harland uses the first Arnold chronometer on his voyage to Madagascar.John Arnold and his son. Oil on canvas,

painting by Robert Davy, 1775

© Science Museum, Science & Society Picture Library

HISTORY 17

1772 Arnold’s No. 3 chronometer is aboard when Captain Cook sets out on his second voyage to the Pacific.

1773 Following the invention of a detent escapement and other significant design improvements, John Arnold builds his first pocket chronometer (No. 8).

1773 Captain Phipps chooses an Arnold chronometer for his voyage towards the North.

1775 John Arnold is awarded patents for the helical spring and an improvement to the bimetallic balance.

1778 John Arnold creates a minor storm in precision timekeeping with the Arnold No. 36. The time -piece reviewed at Greenwich is applauded for its preci-sion. Following this success, Arnold adver- tises his achievement with a document in which he calls the timekeeper a “chronometer”, a term that subsequently became general currency and is still used to this day to denote a supremely accurate timepiece.

1780 An Arnold astronomical pendulum clock is installed at the Observatory of Mannheim, Germany.

1780 The Board of Longitude presents Arnold’s chro-nometer No. 2, declaring it superior to any watch produced previously.

1782 John Arnold is granted patents for helical spring ter-minal curves, a spring detent and epicycloidal teeth.

1788 An Arnold chronometer is used by George Robertson to chart the China Sea.

1792 John Roger Arnold studies in Paris for two years under his father’s friend, Abraham-Louis Breguet.

1792 Arnold’s No. 4 chronometer is the instrument of

choice for Captain George Vancouver’s voyage to America’s west coast.

18

1794 Arnold’s No. 64 chronometer accompanies Captain Thomas Butler on his voyage to China.

1796 John Roger Arnold joins his father’s firm. Arnold & Son quickly becomes the leading supplier of time-pieces to the Royal Navy.

1799 John Arnold dies.

1802 Napoléon Bonaparte offers an Arnold astronomical clock to the Milan Observatory.

1806 Baron Von Krusenstern takes two Arnold chro-nometers (Nos. 128 and 1856) with him for his circumnavigation of the world.

1808 In reverent memory of John Arnold, Breguet pre-sents his son, John Roger, with his first tourbillon escapement, mounted in one of Arnold’s first pocket chronometers. Today, this exceptional watch is a highlight of the British Museum’s collection in London, and bears a personal inscription.

1818 Two Arnold chronometers (Nos. 25 and 369) accom-pany Captain John Ross on his voyage to Baffin Bay.

1820 John Roger Arnold is awarded a patent for his keyless winding system.

1820 Arnold’s No. 2109 chronometer goes with Captain Edward Perry on his voyage toward the North Pole.

1821 John Roger Arnold receives a patent for the “U”-type balance.

1830 John Roger Arnold and Edward John Dent (another London clockmaker) finalize a 10-year partnership contract.

1843 John Roger Arnold dies and “Arnold & Son” is

repurchased by Charles Frodsham.

HISTORY 19

1845 Sir John Franklin sets out with a crew of 130 to chart the infamous Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. On board is an Arnold chrono-meter (No. 294). The expedition is a disaster and no one survives. Rediscovered over 150 years later, the chronometer has been disguised as a carriage clock to make it unrecognizable. How it found its way back to the UK remains one of the greatest mysteries of watchmaking.

1857 Arnold & Dent’s No. 4575 chronometer accom-panies Dr David Livingstone on his expedition to South Africa.

John Roger Arnold, mean and sidereal pocket chronometer with bimetallic “Z” balance, No. 2, London, 1796–1799

© Christies Bridgeman Giraudon

20

21

M A N U F A C T U R E

22

ManufacturePreserving a proud heritage

Arnold & Son belongs to a select group of watchmaking companies in Switzerland entitled to call themselves a manufacture, a French term reserved exclusively for watch manufacturers who develop and produce their own movements in-house. The brand’s prowess in the develop-ment and production of in-house movements is reflected by an impressive collection of Arnold & Son calibres with a complete range of sophisticated complications. Some measure of its achievement can be found in the fact that at least two new movements have been launched each year: an exceptional achievement that puts Arnold & Son on the same level as some of the most dynamic manufac-tures in the watch industry.

MANUFACTURE 23

Every Arnold & Son movement has its own story to tell and reflects the brand’s heritage. They range from the mi-nuscule repeating watch presented to King George III that cemented the founder’s reputation, to the precise marine chronometers that made travel at sea so much less haz-ardous and put the British Empire on course to expansion. Unlike other watch manufacturers, who often use the same calibre for different models, Arnold & Son develops a new movement for every single model. Today, the brand maintains a product philosophy established well over 200 years ago, combining traditional, hand-finished crafts manship with state-of-the-art technology.

CNC machinery delivers the microscopic precision needed to guarantee the accuracy and quality that were always one of John Arnold’s prime concerns.

24

Arnold & Son’s development and production facilities are located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, at the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry, for the simple reason that this is the ideal place to ensure that Arnold’s heritage lives on. It is home to the industry’s most talented and experienced watchmakers and engineers, individuals whose pride and raison d’être lie in the production of high-quality precision watches that are among the very best available.

MANUFACTURE 25

2626

27

M É T I E R S D ’ A R T

27

28

Decorative ArtsConsummate craftsman-ship at its creative best

John Arnold and, later, his son John Roger Arnold estab-lished towering reputations for the innovation and state-of-the-art technology that went into their timepieces. But from the start, the intricacy and exquisite workmanship of their movements was mirrored in the purely decorative elements of their timepieces. The foundations of John Arnold’s reputation were laid when he presented his elaborately ornamented half-quarter repeater ring to King George III. Among his work were pocket watches with handengraved movements and champlevé enamel cases. Even his marine chronometers had hand-engraved balance cocks with the floral motifs typical of the English style.

MÉTIERS D’ART 29

True to its founder, Arnold & Son today carefully pre-serves and cultivates the skilled creative craftsmanship in the form of hand-finished engravings and miniature paint-ings that have been characteristic of the brand through-out its history. Today, the company has its own qualified hand-engravers, who specialize in a traditional art form involving the use of hardened steel tools called burins in combination with other special tools. These create cuts, lines and texturing that build up entire images, often with a breathtaking richness of detail, and are featured in several watches in the Royal and Instrument collections, either on the dial or as exquisite details on the movement

itself. Examples include the HMS Victory set featuring three scenes of the renowned HMS Victory battleship, the TE8, which has a spectacular entirely hand-engraved movement with unique motif, the HMS Lady, which has also an entirely hand-engraved movement with English-style floral motifs and the UTTE in the Instrument collec-tion with its hand-engraved tourbillon bridge.

30

Further evidence of the brand’s commitment to traditional craftsmanship is furnished by the delicate hand-finished miniature paintings featured on the East India Company set, where the miniatures stand out almost transparently against the mother-of-pearl background.

MÉTIERS D’ART 31

3232

33

A R N O L D & S O N C O L L E C T I O N S

33

34

John Arnold’s professional life was divided into two distinct sections. But clearly defined as they were, several elements were common to both: a passion for sophistication and perfection in every timepiece he produced. These qualities are epitomized by a half-quarter repeater watch he pre-sented as a gift to King George III in 1764. A mere 16 mm in diameter, with 120 separate parts and weighing no more than 7.6 grams in total, it was set in a ring and was the smallest of its kind ever made.

The timepieces Arnold designed and manufactured during this phase of his life helped lay the foundations for the Golden Age of English watchmaking. Arnold established a style and tradition that have remained unique in the history of horology. That heritage is reflected in the present-day Arnold & Son Royal Collection.

The Royal Collection is a reference to the masterpieces with which Arnold initially made his name. These have evolved into a series of timepieces characterized by their unique English style: regal and sumptuous, boasting a discreet opulence offset by the elegance of a double-step bezel and lugs, gently flowing contours and soft curves.

The Royal and Instrument CollectionsFrom classical horology for kings to absolute precision

COLLECTIONS 35

The movements, often visible, have a multi-level design that adds an intriguing three-dimensional sensation of depth. Components are exquisitely decorated and hand-finished.

John Arnold’s reputation was such that he could have lived comfortably selling these unique, exceptional timepieces to a well-heeled clientele for the rest of his days. Contem-porary events, however, took him down a different path. As the world opened up to exploration, the need for mariners to calculate longitude accurately had become a pressing problem. The British government offered the Longitude Prize to anyone who could provide a means of determin-ing longitude reliably. It was clear that the answer lay in extremely precise and dependable chronometers. The stage was set for Arnold to put his expertise to the test and develop mechanisms that would satisfy this need.

After deciding to forgo the lucrative business to be had at court, Arnold devoted his life to chronometry and embarked upon a period that showcased his originality and ingenuity. He finally revolutionized precision time-keeping with breakthrough inventions in the form of several bimetallic, temperature-compensated balances,

the spring detent escapement, the helical spring and the terminal overcoil curve. His products and the technical refinements that came with each new model would have been as eagerly awaited by his customers in the 18th century as are those of the more iconic brands of our own day.

The results of his labours were chronometers of breath-taking precision that were found on the ships of the Royal Navy and many explorers, and are reflected today in the Instrument Collection from Arnold & Son. With their complex movements, refined dials and slim, elegant bezels, they reference the chronometers that helped roll back the boundaries in navigation, science and astronomy. The time display is off-centre and the greater part of the dial given over to a complication, such as a true beat seconds or retrograde date. Future models in this line will spotlight a variety of different complications and appeal to a discerning group of connoisseurs.

36

37

R O Y A L C O L L E C T I O N

38

Royal CollectionClassical timepieces in the great English tradition

Given the dominance of Swiss watchmaking in modern times, it is difficult to imagine an age when another horological culture and tradition held sway in Europe. The late 18th century, however, was an age when English watchmaking reigned supreme. The country’s watchmakers developed an aesthetic entirely of their own, dictated partly by contemporary taste but also by their desire to roll back the boundaries of a field that combined art, tradition and technology like no other. John Arnold and his son played an influential role in the directions taken by English watchmaking. They combined a finely developed aesthetic sense with an ability to find solutions to technological problems, crafting magnificent movements and designs with cutting-edge mechanical features that garnered several major patents, which changed the course of horology.

ROYAL COLLECTION 39

Historical Inspiration: John Arnold, marine chronom eter, signed Arnold

Historical Inspiration: Arnold & Dent, No. 4229, London, 1833, bridges cut straight, in classic English design

Royal Collection: TB88, detail of the manufacture calibre A&S5003, signed Arnold & Son

Royal Collection: TB88, detail of the manufacture calibre A&S5003, bridges design inspired by his-torical English design

40

Historical Inspiration: Arnold, Charles Frodsham, No. 8623, London, 1855. Classic three-quarter barrel bridge with large wave-shaped cut-out

Historical Inspiration: Arnold & Son, pocket- chronometer, detail of the classic pocket watch case design

Royal Collection: TE8 Tourbillon, detail of the manufacture calibre A&S8000 designed with the classic three-quarter barrel bridge with large wave-shaped cut-out

Royal Collection: TB88, detail of the baroque voluptuous case design which characterizes the Royal Collection, inspired from the Arnold & Son pocket watch case design

ROYAL COLLECTION 41

Today, Arnold & Son is proud to draw on and maintain that unique heritage. The models in the Royal Collection reflect many of the features that made the original company’s name. The TB88, for example, demonstrates Arnold & Son’s ongoing quest for state-of-the-art technology and clearly reflects the influence of English horological heritage. With its true beat (TB) complication and the symmetrical arrangement of twin barrels, balance wheel and seconds display, it is beautifully balanced and unites many of the technical and aesthetic qualities associated with the brand’s heritage.

The other members of the Royal Collection are just as impressive. The deceptively simple lines of the HMS1, for example, house an ultra-slim hand-wound movement with twin barrels that generate a power reserve of more than 90 hours. HMS Lady retains the same elegant proportions as the larger version because the movement is so precisely scaled down. Another member of the HMS Family, HMS Victory Set, a fabulous special edition set featuring three different beautifully sculpted three-dimensional views of the vessel, showcases the brand’s ability to replicate John and John Roger Arnold’s prowess in the decorative arts.

Other Royal models, like the TE8 – another example of trailblazing technology – are fitted with complications such as a tourbillon escapement (TE), or as in the case of the Hornet World Timer, a wealth of complex indications including equation of time and true solar time, together with big date, month and multiple time zone displays. With one of the biggest moonphase apertures on the market, the sophisticated HM Perpetual Moon is also a superb example of Arnold & Son’s technical and artistic excel-lence. It surprises and delights with its uniquely precise and three-dimensional representation of the moon. Com-mon to them all, however, is traditional craftsmanship, as evidenced by the hand-finished and embellished move-ments, combined with outstanding technical features and the opulent design of the Royal Collection.

42

ROYAL COLLECTION 43

T B 8 8

44

John Arnold was an exceptional watchmaker who had several major patents to his name and created a minor storm in precision timekeeping with the Arnold No. 36. This was the first-ever watch referred to as a “chronometer”, a term used to this day to denote a supremely accurate timepiece. The TB88 is compelling proof that the brand has lost none of its appetite for innovative technology or precision timekeeping, all encompassed in distinctive English design for the Royal Collection. The hand-wound, 32-jewel A&S5003 calibre unites all the technical and aesthetic characteristics of a classical Arnold chronometer. The letters “TB” stand for true beat, a complication that stands for superlative accuracy and permits the precision timekeeping required for navigation at sea. Unlike a conventional mechanical watch, a move-ment equipped with a true beat (or dead beat) seconds complication measures out time in complete one-second steps rather than the fractions determined by the balance frequency. This enables a navigator to determine the exact time and, consequently, his longitude.

TB88An English-style ship’s chronometer designed for the wrist

ROYAL COLLECTION 45

The TB88 is also a tribute to John Arnold’s earliest known pocket watch, of which the original case bears the number “88”. The number is replicated by the design of the move-ment in this latest model, with its perfectly symmetrical layout featuring the twin barrels at the top, the balance wheel between 4 and 5 o’clock and the true beat seconds indicator between 7 and 8 o'clock. The watch movement is partly “inverted”, which means that most of the intricate, technically interesting features are visible on the dial side of the movement instead of being hidden away on the reverse. This showcases the two barrels, which generate a power reserve of over 100 hours when fully wound, and the Breguet overcoil balance spring. Bending and fitting the spring by hand is a delicate and highly skilled opera-tion mastered by a precious few watchmakers. As for the complex true beat seconds mechanism, it is visible on the reverse of the movement, ensuring that both sides of the movement offer a unique technical view. But the feature that unquestionably sets Arnold & Son’s TB88 apart is its unique “English” design, as expressed through features like the straight-cut bridges. Each of the

pivoting elements in the movement is mounted on its own bridge, 16 in total. Further shining examples of watch-making at its finest are the hand-bevelled and polished edges of all bridges and all steel components. The TB88 from Arnold & Son is housed in either a stainless steel or rose gold case measuring 46 millimetres in dia-meter, with a hand-stitched alligator strap. Water-resistant to 30 metres, it features a cambered sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coatings and a see through sapphire case back. Manufactured entirely in-house, the TB88 is a scintillating combination of classical styling and leading-edge technology.

46

A&S5003

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 32 jewels ¦ Diameter: 37.8 mm ¦ Thickness: 5.9 mm ¦ Power reserve: 100 h, two barrels ¦ 18’000 vibrations/h ¦ Breguet spring ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, true beat seconds at 8 o’clock ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, black ruthenium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges and brushed surfaces, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

ROYAL COLLECTION 47

REF. 1TBAP.B01A.C113A

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black open dial ¦ Case diameter: 46 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

TB88

48

A&S5003

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 32 jewels ¦ Diameter: 37.8 mm ¦ Thickness: 5.9 mm ¦ Power reserve: 100 h, two barrels ¦ 18’000 vibrations/h ¦ Breguet spring ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, true beat seconds at 8 o’clock ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, palladium treated bridges and NAC grey treated main plate with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges and brushed surfaces, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

ROYAL COLLECTION 49

REF. 1TBAP.S01A.C113A

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black open dial ¦ Case diameter: 46 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

TB88

50

A&S5003

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 32 jewels ¦ Diameter: 37.8 mm ¦ Thickness: 5.9 mm ¦ Power reserve: 100 h, two barrels ¦ 18’000 vibrations/h ¦ Breguet spring ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, true beat seconds at 8 o’clock ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, NAC grey treated bridges and black ruthenium treated main plate with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges and brushed surfaces, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

ROYAL COLLECTION 51

REF. 1TBAS.B01A.C113S

Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: black open dial ¦ Case diameter: 46 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

TB88

52

ROYAL COLLECTION 53

T E 8

54

TE8 TourbillonAn inspired masterpiece fit for a king

The invention of the tourbillon in 1801 is attributed to John Arnold’s close friend and fellow watchmaker, Abraham-Louis Breguet, but there is evidence to suggest that Arnold played more than a small role in its development. Some indication of the close professional relationship that existed between them and of Arnold’s involvement in the mecha-nism can be found in the fact that Breguet’s first-ever tour-billon was mounted in John Arnold’s No. 11 movement, a watch which can be seen to this day in London’s British Museum and bears a dedication to Arnold from Breguet. The tourbillon is one of the most elegant and inspired complications in the history of watchmaking. As simple in principle as it is difficult to make, the mechanism was designed to eliminate the errors of rate caused by gravity on a pocket watch carried in a vertical position. Weigh-ing mere fractions of a gram, it consists of a mobile cage that contains all the parts of the escapement, with the balance at the centre. The cage completes one revolu-tion around its own axis every minute, thus ensuring that the balance wheel oscillates at different positions in the course of its 360° journey and that the rate remains as constant as possible.

ROYAL COLLECTION 55

The TE8 Tourbillon heralds the Royal Collection that com-bines classical styling with innovative, state-of-the-art technology. The letters “TE” stand for tourbillon escape-ment. Some of its more distinctive features are obvious at first glance. Compared with other more conventional tourbillons found today, the TE8’s movement is said to be “inverted”: in other words, most of the technical elements and visually interesting features can be seen on the dial side, when they would normally be hidden away on the reverse. The timepiece also boasts a number of typically English technical idiosyncrasies that will interest even the most discerning watch connoisseur. Take the symmetrical layout of the movement, for instance: the barrel spring and the tourbillon cage are centred along the watch’s longitudinal axis. The main jewels are hold by screwed gold chatons. They are a reminiscence of the finest Haute Horlogerie mechanical watches of the good old days and con-tribute to the beauty of the movement. In addition to their esthetical appeal, gold chatons also allow to replace damaged jewels without modifying the boreholes in the plates and bridges. A closer examination of the

winding system and the gear train reveals a traditional construction used in older watches that involves the use of “wolf-teeth”, an asymmetrical tooth system featuring both long and narrow spokes used primarily to improve the smoothness of the overall movement and to enhance its elegant design.

From an aesthetic point of view, however, the feature that sets Arnold & Son’s Tourbillon TE8 apart is its singu-larly English design. Some of the more obvious elements include the meticulously positioned three-quarter bar-rel bridge with its large wave-shaped cut-out and a lavish decoration unique to Arnold & Son, the triangular tourbillon and motion-work bridges, and the three-spoke design of the wheels, which are shaped with such distinc-tive flair. Needless to say, every detail of this striking piece, such as the black and brushed polishing, bevelling and movement decoration, is painstakingly hand-finished by Arnold & Son’s master watchmakers. This unique wristwatch will be available exclusively in limited editions.

56

A&S8000

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical tourbillon movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 19 jewels ¦ Diameter: 32.6 mm ¦ Thickness: 6.25 mm ¦ Power reserve: 80 h ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, black ruthenium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and A&S specific waves decoration, screwed gold chatons, mirror-polished tourbillon cage and bridge, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

ROYAL COLLECTION 57

REF. 1SJAP.B01A.C113A

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black open dial ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 8 pieces

TE8

58

A&S8000

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical tourbillon movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 19 jewels ¦ Diameter: 32.6 mm ¦ Thickness: 6.25 mm ¦ Power reserve: 80 h ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon ¦ Movement decoration: nickel silver movement, rose golden treated bridges and rhodium treated main plate with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and A&S specific waves decoration, screwed gold chatons, mirror-polished tourbillon cage and bridge, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

ROYAL COLLECTION 59

REF. 1SJAP.G01A.C21A

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: silver open dial ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 25 pieces

TE8

60

T E 8 M É T I E R S D ’ A R T I

ROYAL COLLECTION 61

62

True to English watchmaking and handcraft heritage, Arnold & Son unveils the TE8 Tourbillon special edition Métiers d’Art I, limited to only 8 exclusive timepieces. Each single TE8 Tourbillon Métiers d’Art I is hand-engraved by Arnold & Son’s own master engraver, who went as far as to create a new engraving pattern solely for this special edition. This new pattern is composed of complex geome- trical elements arising from the center of the movement.

Hand-engraving is a traditional art form that involves the use of hardened steel tools called burins in combination with other special tools.

It goes without saying that every finishing touch on this striking piece has been done by hand by Arnold & Son’s master watchmakers, thus fulfilling the highest standards of Haute Horlogerie finish and bringing more brilliance and depth to each element of the movement.

TE8 TourbillonMétiers d'Art I

ROYAL COLLECTION 63

A&S8000

64

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical tourbillon movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 19 jewels ¦ Diameter: 32.6 mm ¦ Thickness: 6.25 mm ¦ Power reserve: 80 h ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon ¦ Movement decoration: hand-engraved nickel silver movement, rhodium treated bridges and NAC grey treated main plate with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, hand-engraved, fine circular graining, screwed gold chatons, mirror-polished tourbillon cage and bridge, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black open dial ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: hand-numbered, see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 8 pieces

TE8 Métiers d'Art I

REF. 1SJAP.B04A.C113A

ROYAL COLLECTION 65

66

H M P E R P E T U A L M O O N

ROYAL COLLECTION 67

68

HM Perpetual MoonAn exceptional perpetual moonphase with 122 years of accuracy

The HM Perpetual Moon, with one of the biggest moonphase apertures on the market, rightfully joins the Arnold & Son Royal Collection and demonstrates the brand’s prowess in traditional watchmaking and classical decorative arts. The sophisticated HM Perpetual Moon is, indeed, a superb example of Arnold & Son’s technical and artistic excel-lence. From the inside out, this new timepiece – with rich guilloché dials and three-dimensional big moon – surprises and delights. The 42 mm case is created in either 18-carat red gold or in stainless steel and houses the exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical hand-wound movement A&S1512. The 27 jewel calibre offers one of the most accurate moon phases on the market, with only one day’s deviation every 122 years – at which point a single push on the corrector will keep it in sync for another 122 years. The calibre is also equipped with a double barrel to yield 90 hours of power reserve.

The exceptional perpetual moonphase indication of this watch is a marvel in many ways. From the aesthetic side, the 29 mm moonphase disc, which runs from 10 to 2 o’clock on the dial, reveals one of the largest moons on the market – with a diameter of 11.2 mm for the moon alone.

Additionally, this large moon is one of the most visually stunning recreations of the moon because it is a three- dimensional sculptured moon that was first hand-engraved and then duplicated for the series. The sculptured moon is then inserted into the disc.

From the technical side, in addition to the HM Perpetual Moon being so precise, it is also an intriguing complication in that it is not simply a module added to the movement, but, in fact, is fully integrated into the calibre. The watch also has a unique easy-to-set feature thanks to the ingenious addition of a second moon indication installed at the back of the movement. This second moon display, visible via a sapphire case back, features a graduated dial and a pointer hand that allows for a more exact setting. The multiple technological advancements in the calibre make this timepiece truly outstanding. To further un-derscore that, the entire rhodium treated nickel-silver movement features hand finishing indicative of the fin-est Haute Horlogerie timepieces, including manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circu-lar graining with polished edges and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, and blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads.

ROYAL COLLECTION 69

70

A&S1512

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 27 jewels ¦ Diameter: 34 mm ¦ Thickness: 5.35 mm ¦ Power reserve: 90 h, two barrels ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, big perpetual moon, diameter disc: 29 mm, diameter moon: 11.2 mm ¦ Second moonphase indication on the back for setting purposes ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

REF. 1GLAR.U01A.C123A

Case material: 18-carat red gold ¦ Dial colour: translucent blue lacquered guilloché, translucent blue lacquered guilloché moon disc with golden moon and stars¦ Case diameter: 42 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

HM Perpetual Moon

ROYAL COLLECTION 71

72

A&S1512


REF. 1GLAR.I01A.C122A

Case material: 18-carat red gold ¦ Dial colour: cream, translucent blue lacquered guilloché moon disc with golden moon and stars ¦ Case diameter: 42 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

HM Perpetual Moon

ROYAL COLLECTION 73

74

A&S1512


REF. 1GLAS.B01A.C122S

Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: black guilloché, black guilloché moon disc with silvered moon, ¦ Case diameter: 42 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

HM Perpetual Moon

ROYAL COLLECTION 75

76

ROYAL COLLECTION 77

H M S 1

78

With its understated simplicity, the HMS1 line is a modern take on Arnold & Son’s traditionally elegant design combined with superior craftsmanship. The watch has a classically styled 40 mm case with see-through back and is water-resistant to 30 metres. The hand-wound A&S1001 calibre is manufactured in-house and decorated with either straight or radiating Côtes de Genève. The ultra- thin movement is just 2.7 mm in height. The twin barrels generate a power reserve of over 90 hours and a more con-stant force, hence greater accuracy the whole time the movement is running. Blued screws in the rhodium-treated movement, mirror-polished ones in the NAC grey version, and specific decorations for each version testify to the attention to detail. The HMS1 collection comes in a range of dial colours and with various finishes depending on the model, as well as a choice of cases in white gold, rose gold or stainless steel. It is also available with an exquisite diamond-set bezel.

HMS1A vibrant union of tradition and classicism

ROYAL COLLECTION 79

80

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 21 jewels ¦ Diameter: 30 mm ¦ Thickness: 2.7 mm ¦ Power reserve: 90 h,

two barrels ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement,

rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève,

blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

A&S1001

ROYAL COLLECTION 81

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: cream ¦ Case diameter:

40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both

sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown

alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 250 pieces

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black ¦ Case diameter:


sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black


HMS1 HMS1

REF. 1LCAP.W01A.C110A REF. 1LCAP.B01A.C111A

82



rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève

rayonnantes, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

A&S1001

ROYAL COLLECTION 83

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: anthracite ¦ Case dia-

meter: 40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating

on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched

brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition:

250 pieces

Case material: 18-carat white gold ¦ Dial colour: silver ¦ Case diameter:


sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black


HMS1 HMS1

REF. 1LCAP.S04A.C110A REF. 1LCAW.S03A.C111W

84



NAC grey treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève,

screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

A&S1001

ROYAL COLLECTION 85

Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: silvery-white ¦ Case

diameter: 40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective

coating on both sides ¦ Case back: seethrough sapphire ¦ Strap:

hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦

Limited edition: 250 pieces

Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: anthracite ¦ Case diam-

eter: 40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating

on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched

black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition:

250 pieces

HMS1 HMS1

REF. 1LCAS.S01A.C111S REF. 1LCAS.S02A.C111S

86

HMS1 Royal Blue

Inspired by an exceptional gold- and enamel-cased half-quarter repeating watch made by John Arnold in 1775, the HMS1 Royal Blue is an eloquent expression of elegance and sophistication in the inimitable English style and demonstrates the brand’s traditional prowess in the classical decorative arts.

The workmanship and ornamentation of this historical timepiece by John Arnold is echoed on the dial of the HMS1 Royal Blue. Finished with intricate guilloché pattern overlaid by sumptuous, translucent deep blue lacquer, it creates a spectacular illusion of depth that contrasts with and is underscored by the ultra-slim case in elegant rose gold.

The A&S1001 calibre, with its gorgeous Côtes de Genève rayonnantes decoration is made of rhodium-treated nickel silver with Haute Horlogerie finishing.© The Trustees of the British Museum

John Arnold, half-quarter repeater, gold and enamel cased cylinder pocket watch, No. 253, London, 1775

ROYAL COLLECTION 87

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: translucent blue

lacquered guilloché, ¦ Case diameter: 40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered

sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back:

seethrough sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦

Water-resistant: 30 m

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Diamonds: 80, 0.720 ct, VVs ¦

Dial colour: translucent blue lacquered guilloché, ¦ Case diameter:

40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on

both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched

brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

HMS1 ROYAL BLUE HMS1 ROYAL BLUE

REF. 1LCAP.U02A.C110A REF. 1LCMP.U02A.C110A

HMS1 Dragon A consummate expression of traditional craftsman-ship at its finest

Arnold & Son perpetuates the brand’s long tradition in the field of Métiers d’Art by launching the special edition HMS1 Dragon, limited to only 50 timepieces.

The HMS1 Dragon was designed to mark the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Set off to perfection against the glossy black lacquer dial is the appliqué of an exquisitely sculpted dragon, inspired by one of the figures on a wall in the Forbidden City, in solid 22-carat gold, which is then duplicated for the series. The three-dimensional dragon boasts a breathtaking richness of detail and creates a spectacular illusion of depth that contrasts starkly with the ultra-slim case.

Available in rose gold or in rose gold with a diamond-set bezel, the HMS1 Dragon Special Edition is housed in a 40 millimetre case with a hand-stitched alligator strap and is water-resistant to 30 metres.

88

ROYAL COLLECTION 89

REF. 1LCAP.B02A.C111A

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: black lacquer, 22-carat solid gold dragon appliqué ¦ Case diameter: 40 mm ¦ Glass: cambered

sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦

Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: one out of 50 pieces

HMS1 DRAGON

90

The name HMS Victory is one of the best known in English maritime history and played an important role in Arnold & Son’s history by using its chronometers. Her glorious career spanned forty years and she enjoyed her finest hour as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The HMS Victory Set from Arnold & Son celebrates this common history by presenting three different views of the vessel: the first, resplendent in shafts of sunlight breaking through the clouds; the second, with guns ablaze as she rakes the French fleet; and the third, an interior of the ship, on one of the cannons deck. Arnold & Son’s own master engraver created the exquisite HMS Victory Set dials, which are then duplicated in silver for the series. The three- dimensional nature of these dials is further accentuated by the engraver who then individually hand-tarnishes each final dial. The illusion of depth contrasts starkly with the ultra-slim case.

The HMS Victory Set is available in an exclusive limited edition of just 28 sets of 3 timepieces.

HMS Victory Set A magnificent tribute to the role of the HMS Victory in maritime history

HMS VICTORY SET

ROYAL COLLECTION 91

REF. 1LCAP.S05A.C111AHMS Victory at sea, lit by rays of sunshine piercing the clouds.

REF. 1LCAP.S07A.C111AWhere the battle was won: one of the cannons deck on HMS Victory.

REF. 1LCAP.S06A.C111ACannons ablaze, Lord Nelson’s flagship takes on the French fleet.

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial : hand-engraved, duplicated silver dials, individually hand-tarnished ¦ Case diameter: 40 mm ¦

Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown

alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 28 sets of 3 pieces

92

ROYAL COLLECTION 93

H M S L A D Y

94

HMS LadyElegance, sophistication and a perfect sense of balance

Simple as it may appear, the HMS Lady is an example of the perfection towards which Arnold & Son strives. At first glance, it is clearly a scaled-down version of the HMS1 designed for a slender female wrist. On further inspection, however, it turns out that the proportions are also identical because the small seconds display is in precisely the correct position relative to all the other fea-tures on the dial. The feminine character of this timepiece is further enhanced by its workmanship and ornamentation. Demonstrating the brand’s traditional prowess in the classical decorative arts, the movement is entirely hand-engraved with English-style floral motifs. With its double-stepped bezel and lugs, the 34 mm 18-carat rose gold case (with or without diamonds) houses an ultra-slim A&S1101 mechanical hand-engraved movement finished to perfection.

ROYAL COLLECTION 95

96

Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 17 jewels ¦ Diameter: 23.7 mm ¦ Thickness: 2.5 mm ¦ Power reserve: 42 h ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦

Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o’clock ¦ Movement decoration: golden treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand-engraved

bridges with English-style floral motifs, blued screws

A&S1101

ROYAL COLLECTION 97

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: cream ¦ Case

diameter: 34 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective

coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap:

hand-stitched honey alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦


Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Diamonds: 76, 0.685 ct, VVs ¦

Dial colour: cream ¦ Case diameter: 34 mm ¦ Glass: cambered


see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched red alligator leather ¦

Water- resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 100 pieces

HMS LADY HMS LADY

REF. 1PMAP.W01A.C114A REF. 1PMMP.W01A.C119A

98

ROYAL COLLECTION 99

H O R N E T W O R L D T I M E R S K E L E T O N

100

The Hornet World Timer Skeleton has no fewer than six central hands. They are driven by wheels with special split teeth, manufactured using LIGA technology, to ensure play-free movement. The watch can display three time zones: the two pointed hands indicate two different time zones on the outer ring, while the golden sun-tipped hand can be set to show any other time zone in the world (even half time zones). It can also be adjusted to display mean solar time at any location according to its longitude. The shortest hand shows the equation of time: the difference between apparent solar and mean solar time. A double-disc big date at 5 o’clock and circular month display at the centre complete the dial. The open dial revels the highly complicated skeletonised movement.

Hornet World Timer SkeletonTracking global time couldn’t be easier

ROYAL COLLECTION 101

REF. 1H6AS.B05A.C79F

Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: white, black and grey open dial, skeletonised ¦ Case diameter: 47 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire

with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: metallic sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 50 m ¦


HORNET WORLD TIMER SKELETON

102

I N S T R U M E N T C O L L E C T I O N

103

104

Arnold, Charles Frodsham, pocket chronometer escapement, split-seconds and winding indicator, No. 8623, London, 1855

Instrument CollectionCombining marine precision with aesthetic perfection

The Instrument Collection was inspired by the timepieces produced during the second part of John Arnold’s life and later, following his death, by his son, John Roger. This was a period when the Arnolds dedicated themselves exclusively to the quest for absolute precision and to find a solution to the problem of determining longitude accurately and reliably on the high seas. So successful were they, and of such high quality their products, that within the space of a few years they had established themselves as suppliers of choice to the Royal Navy and to some of the most distinguished mari-ners and explorers of their day.

During this era, timepieces played a crucial role as aids to navigation and were, effectively, technical and scientific “in-struments”. John Arnold and his son decided to make them as rugged and reliable as possible, and in sufficient quantities to equip the Navy’s extensive fleet. Ultimately, they were to prove pivotal to the nation’s marine dominance and helped ensure that Britannia really did rule the waves.

INSTRUMENT COLLECTION 105

Historical Inspiration: off-centred subdial for the hours and minutes leaving center stage to the split chronograph

Historical Inspiration: dial layout with two subid-als, one for sidereal time and one for mean solar time

Instrument Collection: TBR, off-centred subdial for hours and minutes leaving centre stage to the True Beat Seconds indication

Instrument Collection: DBS, same dial layout as historical pieces with two subdials, one for side-real time and one for mean solar time

106

Historical Inspiration: classic triangular balance-cock and ¾ barrel bridge

Historical Inspiration: marine chronometer with extra-large glass and dial

Instrument Collection: The DBS has a triangular balance-cock and ¾ bridge like the historical pieces

Instrument Collection: The TBR has an extra-large glass and dial like the historical marine chrono-meters

John Roger Arnold, mean and sidereal pocket chronometer with bimetallic “Z” balance, No. 2, London, 1796-1799


The Instrument Collection clearly shows the influence of the pocket watches, marine chronometers and precision regu-lators. It draws in particular on several original timepieces made by John Roger Arnold. The first two of these, manufac-tured at around the time of his father’s death, were known as No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, and featured a “Z” balance, mean and sidereal time displays, and an additional small seconds hand at 6 o’clock. Another important timepiece, produced in 1855, was a very unusual chronometer with hours and minutes displaying mean time in a subsidiary dial on the right, a symmetrical subdial on the left with a power reserve indication, and a central seconds with an additional chronograph split-seconds.

Typical of the Instrument Collection’s design is the off-centre position of the hours and minutes indication. This dial layout creates space for the display of other complications with-out one overlapping the others, making the dial much more legible. It also allows on certain models the second hand to take centre stage and dominate the dial, thus perfectly showcasing the down-to-the-second precision needed by marine navigators to determine longitude.

The other stylistic features that define the new timepieces are pure, timeless lines and a discreet, almost austere case. Viewed from the side, the housing is stepped and tapers from top to bottom, the widest section accommodating the extra-large glass and dial with the lower part narrowing to fit snugly on the wrist.

Like the Royal Collection, the Instrument Collection from Arnold & Son is a family of elegant, exquisitely handcrafted and finished timepieces: the sublime expression of a long and proud tradition.

© Christies Bridgeman Giraudon

108


D B S

110

The Royal Observatory Greenwich

DBS Equation Sidereal A watch for stargazers and others

The Instrument DBS Equation Sidereal is a tribute to two watches (Nos. 1 and 2) made by John Roger Arnold that showed mean solar and sidereal time on two separate sub-dials. The movements of these two watches, made between 1796 and 1799, featured some of the most famous inventions of father and son, including their fabulous thermo- compensated Z balance, expansion escapement and gold helical spring. It is no exaggeration to say that they represented the state-of-the-art in the micromechanics of their time.

Watches with a sidereal time display were extremely rare at this time. After the Arnolds had paved the way, Breguet followed in their footsteps and produced a few watches with a sidereal time display and a similar dial layout (such as No. 3863, sold in 1824).

Creating a precise sidereal time display is a tall order. Simply adding a second gear train to a standard movement showing mean solar time is not a viable solution because a mean side-real day is about 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.091 seconds, which is not a round fraction of the 24 hours in a mean solar day. This means it is virtually impossible to obtain the correct


rotation speed using gears. To guarantee the kind of precision demanded by Arnold & Son, the only choice was to create a movement with the correct rotation speed from the start: in other words a movement specifically for sidereal time. The answer was a totally new movement with a double barrel/gear train and double balance/escapement running at different speeds that enables the watch to display mean solar time and mean sidereal time simultaneously. This technical solution has the additional advantage that neither of the two indications saps energy from the other. Watches with a double balance and escapement are extremely rare and have almost disappeared, so it is with some pride that Arnold & Son has revived the tradition.

Identical in layout to the DBG Equation GMT, the DBS Equation Sidereal has the same perfectly symmetrical arrangement of the bridges, barrels and gear trains. The symmetry is con-tinued on the dial side, where the two adjacent balance-cocks create a harmonious circle. Sidereal time is displayed on the left subdial and mean solar time on the right. In addition, a subdial at 12 o’clock indicates the equation of both times on a 24-hour basis, which allows the user to measure the difference between mean solar time and sidereal time and

to ascertain whether the time in both zones is a.m. or p.m. The watch has a long central permanent seconds hand (for mean solar time). The two barrels are wound using the crown on the right, but sidereal time and mean solar time are set separately using the crowns on the left and right, respective-ly. This ensures that neither of the displays is changed or manipulated by accident.

Sidereal timeSidereal time is the timekeeping system used by as-tronomers to track the direction needed to point a telescope at a particular star in the night sky. A mean sidereal day is measured by the rotation of the earth relative to the stars rather than the sun and lasts 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.091 seconds. It is approxi-mately four minutes shorter than a mean solar day because, owing to the movement of the earth round the sun, the time that elapses before a distant star ap-pears at the same point is slightly less than the time it takes for the sun to be directly over the same point.

112

A&S1311

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 42 jewels ¦ Diameter: 35 mm ¦ Thickness 3.9 mm ¦ Power reserve: 40 h ¦

21’600 (mean solar time) and 21’659 (sidereal time) vibrations/h ¦ Functions: local hours, minutes and seconds, sidereal hours and minutes, local

time 24 h indicator, sidereal time 24 h indicator ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing:

manually chamfered bridges and polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève, blued screws


REF. 1DSAP.W01A.C120P

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: silvery-white and silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with

anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

DBS

114


D B G

116

A masterpiece of perfect symmetry, the Instrument DBG Equation GMT features two separate time displays, each driven by its own barrel and gear train with its own escapement and balance. This highly unusual technical specification permits the two displays to be set independently of each other. Although it is a standard feature of watches displaying two or more time zones for the hour hands to be set to different times, being able to set the minute hand as well opens up other possibilities. It means, for instance, that the display can be set to show the precise time in zones that differ from Greenwich Mean Time by a fraction of an hour, such as a quarter or a half. In addition, a subdial at 12 o’clock shows the equation of the two time zones on a 24-hour basis. This enables the wearer to see the time difference between the two zones and also to ascertain whether it is day or night in the second zone. Both time zones share a common permanent seconds in the shape of the long slender hand emanating from the centre of the dial, which is a hallmark feature of the Arnold & Son’s Instrument Collection.

DBG Equation GMT A watch with two heartbeats


Watches with a double barrel and escapement have a tradition going back many years in horology but are rarely found today. The principle is ideally suited to the Arnold & Son’s Instrument line because a separate barrel/gear train and balance/escapement enable the watch to be used for a second time zone, as in the DBG Equation GMT, or to accommodate an unusual astro-nomical complication. The Instrument DBS, for exam-ple, not only shows mean solar time but also boasts a separate display for sidereal, or star, time. This is the timekeeping system used by astronomers to track the position of stars in the night sky and differs from mean solar time by just less than four minutes in any given period of 24 hours. Other possible complications include a true beat seconds mechanism or a chrono-graph. Another practical advantage of having a double barrel/gear train and a double balance/escapement is the fact that neither of the complications or displays influences the accuracy of the other by draining its energy. In addition, it means it is also possible to house two com-pletely different technical solutions and characteristics in one and the same movement.

No less impressive than the watch’s technical features is its aesthetic appeal, and in particular its symmetry, which is largely determined by the positioning of the elements in the dual movement. The view from the back reveals a pleasingly balanced arrangement of bridges, barrels and gear trains. From the front, and highlighted against a backdrop of Côtes de Genève stripes on the lower half of the dial, are two triple-armed balances secured in position by the two balance-cocks, which face one another and fuse together to create a circle. Completing the overall sense of balance are the two crowns, one in the conventional position at 3 o’clock, the other at 9. The two mainsprings are both wound using the crown on the right. However, the time in each of the two selected time zones is set using its own crown, which ensures that neither of the zones is moved or changed advertently. The time zone on the left is set using the crown at 9 o’clock and the time zone on the right by the crown at 3 o’clock.

A&S1209

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 42 jewels ¦ Diameter: 35 mm ¦ Thickness 3.9 mm ¦ Power reserve: 40 h ¦ 21’600

vibrations/h ¦ Functions: local hours, minutes and seconds, GMT hours and minutes, local time 24 h indicator, GMT 24 h indicator ¦ Movement

decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges and polished edges, fine

circular graining and Côtes de Genève, blued screws

118


Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: silvery-white

and silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered


see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦


Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: l ight-grey and

silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire

with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-

through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦


DBG DBG

REF. 1DGAP.W01A.C120P REF. 1DGAS.S01A.C121S

120


U T T E

122

The UTTE is a masterful demonstration of elegant de-sign and superb technical prowess. It pays tribute to A.-L. Breguet’s first-ever tourbillon escapement mounted in John Arnold’s No. 11 movement – a watch that can be found today in London’s British Museum.

The ultra-thin A&S8200 movement – and the ultimate UTTE watch – is the result of several years of research and de-velopment, and boasts important features and functions. In fact, when the brand embarked on the creation of an ad-ditional tourbillon, Arnold & Son’s team of watchmakers and engineers determined that the end result should pos-sess unique features that would set it apart in the watch world: It had to be at the same time thin, boast a big and three-dimensional tourbillon cage and have a long power reserve.

Utilizing the most cutting-edge technology, Arnold & Son pushed the creative envelope to achieve this goal - thus de-veloping an exceptional timepiece. The UTTE has a move-ment that is just 2.97 mm thick and a case thickness of only 8.34 mm, making the UTTE one of the thinnest tourbillion watches on the market.

UTTEAn exceptional ultra-thin tourbillon timepiece


Additionally, while the movement diameter is 32 mm, the tourbillon cage is a massive 14 mm in diameter – thus oc-cupying almost half of the movement space for impres-sive visual appeal. To add further dramatic beauty to this already impressive watch, Arnold & Son created a totally spherical tourbillon cage – one devoid of any flat surfac-es – for a magnificent three-dimensional aesthetic effect. In fact, the flying tourbillon cage is not inset into the cali-bre, but instead rises out of the movement, through the dial, and achieves the same height as the hour and minute hands. With an eye toward every detail, and the desire for harmonious appeal, the watchmakers removed all visible screws so the spherical tourbillon cage appears beauti-fully balanced. The only visible screws are on the regulator.

Finally, to ensure a long power reserve of at least 90 hours, the brand implemented two barrels to offer more constant force and unprecedented power reserve for an ultra-thin tourbillon.

UTTE is created in either 18-carat red gold or palladium (a rare alloy in the watch world). Each movement is finished in a color to complement the case color, and each features

a different Côtes de Genève pattern. The 18-carat red gold case watch houses the movement treated in rhodium and decorated with Côtes de Genève rayonnantes. The tour-billon bridge of the 18-carat red gold UTTE is entirely hand-engraved by Arnold & Son’s master engraver. The palladium UTTE version houses a grey NAC treated move-ment decorated with a straight Côtes de Genève pattern for a bold, contemporary appeal. This unique wristwatch is limited to just 50 timepieces of each of the two models.

124

A&S8200

Exclusive Arnold & Son ultra-thin mechanical movement, one-minute flying tourbillon ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 29 jewels ¦ Diameter: 32 mm ¦

Thickness: 2.97 mm ¦ Tourbillon cage diameter: 14 mm ¦ Power reserve: 90 h, two barrels ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hour, minutes,

tourbillon ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finish: hand-engraved tourbillon bridge,

manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, blued screws with bevelled and

mirror-polished heads. Tourbillon cage: satin-finish with chamfered and polished edges


REF. 1UTAR.S01A.C120A

Case material: 18-carat red gold ¦ Dial colour: silvery-white Côtes de Genève rayonnantes and silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 42 mm ¦

Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator

leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 50 pieces

UTTE

126

A&S8200

Exclusive Arnold & Son ultra-thin mechanical movement, one-minute flying tourbillon ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 29 jewels ¦ Diameter: 32 mm ¦

Thickness: 2.97 mm ¦ Tourbillon cage diameter: 14 mm ¦ Power reserve: 90 h, two barrels ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hour, minutes,

tourbillon ¦ Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, NAC grey treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with

polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads. Tourbillon cage: satin-finish with

chamfered and polished edges.


REF. 1UTAG.S03A.C121G

Case material: palladium ¦ Dial colour: light-grey Côtes de Genève and silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 42 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with

anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦


UTTE

128

T I M E P Y R A M I D


130

Deftly demonstrating its British heritage, the Time Pyramid hosts a totally new manufacture movement with unique architecture.

Inspired by the regulators created by John and John Roger Arnold over two hundred years ago, and by antique British skeleton clocks. The skeletonised calibre A&S1615 is built in a unique format, with balance wheel at 12 o’clock, situated directly beneath the palette and the anchor wheel (which is shaped in typical Arnold & Son’s majestic “X” form). At the opposite end of the movement, at 6 o’clock, lay two main-spring barrels that supply the hand-wound calibre with an amazing 90 hours of power reserve, and provide a more constant force to the wheel train.

The gear train runs vertically in a linear format connecting the two barrels at 6 o’clock to the balance wheel at 12 o’clock, and endowing the movement with its pyramid structure. The bridges are designed so that all of the wheels, the two mainspring barrels, the escapement and balance wheel are all magnificently visible from the dial side.

Time Pyramid

British skeleton clock, chain driven fusee, England, 1830-1845


Additionally, the movement is fitted with two power reserve indicators – one each on either side of the linear gear train – to display the energy level for each barrel separately. The power reserve hands indicate the reserve level via graduated dots (that are printed under the top sapphire crystal) in an arc format, and demonstrate how one barrel transfers energy to the second one when needed. Essentially, as the first barrel winds the second one, the power reserve indicator of the first barrel goes down, while the second one goes up – making for an accurate and intriguing readout.

This Time Pyramid follows the original regulators from the brand with its component positioning and detailed three-dimensional visual appeal. Movement parts and watch indications are built on three levels, with the subsidiary seconds dial on the bottom, the hour indi-cations on a sapphire crystal dial in the middle level, and a silver top ring for the minutes indication. While the movement is extremely thin – at just 4.4 mm – the mul-tiple levels bring amazing depth and detail to the watch. To further enhance the balance and symmetry of the Time Pyramid, the crown is artfully positioned at 6 o’clock.

As with every esteemed Arnold & Son watch, each component in the Time Pyramid is magnificently hand decorated with manually chamfered brides and high- polished edges, all yielding a striking masterpiece of decorative craftsmanship and brilliant execution.

Viewed from the side, the case is stepped and tapers from top to bottom, the widest section accommodating the extra-large glass with the lower part narrowing to fit snugly on the wrist.

132

A&S1615

Exclusive Arnold & Son skeletonised mechanical movement ¦ Hand-wound ¦ 27 jewels ¦ Diameter: 37.6 mm ¦ Thickness: 4.40 mm ¦

Power reserve: 90 h, two barrels ¦ 21’600 vibrations/h ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, double power reserve indication ¦ Movement

decoration: skeletonised nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finish: manually chamfered bridges with

polished edges, satin-finished main plate, Côtes de Genève, circular satin-finished wheels, blued screws


REF. 1TPAR.S01A.C125A

Case material: 18-carat red gold ¦ Dial : sapphire, circular satin-finished dial frame with chamfered and polished edges ¦ Case diameter:

44.6 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched

brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m

TIME PYRAMID

134


T B R

136

The TBR features the first automatic movement with an integrated true beat system to be developed, designed and manufactured entirely at the workshops in La Chaux- de-Fonds. Its pure, timeless design takes its inspiration from the later instrument-style chronometers produced by John Roger Arnold. These answered the call for timepiec-es rugged and reliable enough to withstand the hardships of life on the high seas combined with the down-to-the- second precision needed by marine navigators to determine longitude. With the unmistakable design cues that define the Instru-ment Collection, the TBR is a masterpiece of reduced simplicity. The initials stand for the watch’s two complications, true beat and retrograde. While the time is displayed in an off-centre subdial at 9 o’clock (a hallmark of the entire Instrument Collection) the two complications occupy the middle of the dial and command center stage. Dominating the face of the watch is the central true beat, or dead beat, seconds. The true beat seconds, a hark-back to the precision required by navigators on the high seas, is a rarely found complication these days, and its combination

TBRDouble first from a timepiece on course for success


with an automatic winding system calls for enormous technical expertise. In the TBR it was made possible by a worldwide patented system comprising a sophisticated double wheel, an oscillating pinion and a pallet mecha-nism. This complex solution calls for virtually microscopic precision (to tolerances of a micron, or one thousandth of a millimetre) and the key parts are made using state-of-the-art LIGA fabrication technology. LIGA is a German acronym that stands for Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung (lithography, electroplating and moulding) and describes the sequence of processes used to produce metal parts made of nickel and nickel phosphorus. Longitude is measured in degrees, minutes and seconds. By comparing the time difference between local apparent noon, determined by a sextant, and noon at Greenwich (GMT/UTC) shown on the chronometer, a navigator is able to calculate the ship’s position east or west of the Green-wich Meridian (0°).

The “R” of TBR – retrograde – is a description of the watch’s second complication, the date display. The second most conspicuous element on the dial, the date display shows

the dates 1 to 31 in Arabic numerals with intermediate dots for the even dates. A slim, undulating hand advances a day at a time until it reaches 31. At midnight on the 31st, the hand springs back (hence retrograde) smartly to 1, in other words to the first of the next month, and the process commences all over again.

The TBR’s retrograde mechanism is extremely sophisti-cated and features patented dents sans jeu (literally, teeth without play – or gaps), which ensure that the date hand advances cleanly and precisely. These components can only be produced using the complex LIGA fabrication technology described above. Also worth noting is the fact that the retrograde date can be set using the crown, which is considerably more demanding in terms of movement design than having an additional pushpiece.

138

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Self-winding ¦ Ceramic ball bearing ¦ 34 jewels ¦ Diameter: 30.4 mm ¦ Thickness: 7.79 mm ¦

Power reserve: 50 h ¦ 28’800 vibrations/h ¦ Stop seconds ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, true beat seconds, retrograde date ¦ Movement decoration

rose gold model: rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and

Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, brushed and skeletonised rotor, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished head ¦ Movement decoration

stainless steel model: NAC grey treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining

and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, brushed and skeletonised rotor, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

A&S6008


Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: silvery-white

and silvery opaline ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered

sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-

through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦


Case material: stainless steel ¦ Dial colour: light-grey and silvery

opaline ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire

with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-

through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather ¦


TBR TBR

REF. 1ARAP.W01A.C120P REF. 1ARAS.S01A.C121S

140


T B V I C T O R Y

142

The name HMS Victory is one of the best known in Eng-lish maritime history and played an important role in Arnold & Son’s history by using its chronometers. After a glorious career spanning forty years, she had her finest hour as Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Now, Arnold & Son celebrates this common history by presenting the exquisite TB Victory. Gracing the right-hand side of the dial is a 22-carat solid gold appliqué of the famous warship, first hand-chased with breathtaking richness of detail by Arnold & Son’s master engraver and then duplicated in gold for the series.

The TB Victory timepiece has a distinctive off-centre subdial for the time of day, one of the unmistakable design cues of the Instrument Collection. Central to the cream-coloured dial is the timepiece’s complication: a central true beat (TB) seconds.

The TB Victory will be available in an exclusive limited edition of just 28 timepieces.

TB VictoryA magnificent tribute to the role of the HMS Victory in maritime history


REF. 1ARAP.I01A.C120P

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial colour: cream, 22-carat solid gold appliqué ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered sapphire with

anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦ Water-resistant: 30 m ¦


TB VICTORY

144

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK

East Indiamen in the China seas. Oil on canvas, painting by William John Huggins, 1820-1830

E A S T I N D I A C O M P A N Y S E T


146

The East India Company Set comprises three timepieces that combine maritime precision with aesthetic perfection. The models celebrate the East Indiamen, the vessels that helped to establish the trading supremacy of the East India Company.

The East India Company was the most powerful and famous of the commercial empires that profited from trade expansion between Europe, the Americas, India and China. Underpinning its supremacy were the heavily armed trading ships that were also regularly used by the Royal Navy. Now, with the East India Company Set, Arnold & Son unveils a trio of true beat timepieces. Gracing the dial of each model is an exquisitely hand-finished miniature replicating one of three paintings from the National Maritime Museum in London. The art of painting miniatures by hand calls for infinite patience and consum-mate skill. The tiny brushstrokes and texturing gradually build up entire images with an astonishing richness of detail that is given even greater emphasis by the reflection of light in the depth of the mother-of-pearl dials, and underscore Arnold & Son’s mastery of the decorative arts.

East India Company SetA magnificent tribute to the famous East Indiamen

The timepieces in the East India Company Set have a distinctive off-centre subdial for the time of day, one of the unmistakable design cues of the Instrument Collection. Our watchmakers and designers took their inspiration from the distinctive instrument-like chronometers produced by John Arnold and his son, John Roger Arnold. These delivered the robustness, reliability and down-to-the-second precision needed to determine longitude by marine navigators. The central feature on the dial is the timepiece’s complication: a true beat (TB) seconds. A rarely found complication these days, the true beat seconds (or dead beat seconds) stands for superlative accuracy and was an invaluable instrument for marine navigators.

The timepieces in the East India Company Set are powered by the rhodium treated A&S6103 calibre, the first automatic movement with an integrated true beat system to be devel-oped, designed and manufactured entirely at Arnold & Son’s workshops in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The exquisite Haute Hor-logerie finishing includes manually chamfered bridges and polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, a brushed and skeletonized rotor, and blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads.

The East India Company Set is available in an exclusive limited edition of just 28 sets of 3 timepieces.


148

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement ¦ Self-winding ¦ Ceramic ball bearing ¦ 30 jewels ¦ Diameter: 30.4 mm ¦ Thickness: 7.79 mm ¦

Power reserve: 50 h ¦ 28’800 vibrations/h ¦ Stop seconds ¦ Functions: hours, minutes, true beat seconds ¦ Movement decoration: rhodium treated

with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes,

brushed and skeletonised rotor, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

A&S6103

REF. 1ARAP.M03A.C120PEast Indiamen in the China Seas

REF. 1ARAP.M02A.C120PThe Honourable East India Company’s Ship

REF. 1ARAP.M01A.C120PA fleet of East Indiamen

EAST INDIA COMPANY SET

Case material: 18-carat rose gold ¦ Dial: hand-finished miniature painting, mother-of-pearl ¦ Case diameter: 44 mm ¦ Glass: cambered

sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides ¦ Case back: see-through sapphire ¦ Strap: hand-stitched brown alligator leather ¦

Water-resistant: 30 m ¦ Limited edition: 28 sets of 3 pieces


150

151

C A L I B R E S O V E R V I E W

152

Arnold & SonCalibres Overview

A&S5003

A&S8000

CALIBRES OVERVIEW 153

A&S1512 A&S1001

A&S1311

154

Arnold & SonCalibres Overview

A&S1209

A&S8200

CALIBRES OVERVIEW 155

A&S1615

A&S6103

A&S6008

CONCEPT AND REALISATIONArnold & Son SA, La Chaux-de-Fonds PHOTOGRAPHYTime Photo, La Chaux-de-FondsLe Labo, DelémontEveline Perroud, La Chaux-de-FondsAnita Schlaefli, Neuchâtel Claudio Stefanutti, Zurich BIBLIOGRAPHYThe Monthly Review or Literary Journal,vol. 58 (London, 1780)Religious Tract Society (Great Britain)The Visitor or Monthly Instructor (London, 1847)Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet: Watchmakers since 1775[English trans. of Breguet: Horloger depuis 1775],ed. Alain de Gourcuff (Paris, 1997)Le Globe, Journal littéraire, vol. 3/1 (Paris, 24 December 1825)Mercer, Vaudrey, John Arnold & Son, supplement(London, 1975)Huddart, Joseph, Captain, The Oriental Navigator (London, 1801)

SOURCESAntiquorum Genève SA, GenevaBridgeman Art Library, ParisGetty Images, MunichiStockphoto, CanadaNational Maritime Museum, GreenwichScience & Society Picture Library, LondonThe British Museum, London

TEXT AND DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH Arnold & Son SA, La Chaux-de-FondsDr Joël PynsonHill Johnson Associates GmbH, ZollikonRoberta Naas, Naas Enterprises

Arnold & Son SABd. des Eplatures 382300 La Chaux-de-FondsSwitzerlandwww.arnoldandson.com

Arnold & Son SA reserves the rights to change models and prices at any time.© Copyright 2013 Arnold & Son SA, Printed in Switzerland

Documents

Arnold Son