Introducing – Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon now with Blue Dial (specs & price)

Two years ago, we introduced you to the Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon, a watch combining an entirely exposed tourbillon movement, made with modern materials (bridges made in sapphire crystal, NAC treatment for the main plate) but with a certain respect of traditions, especially the English watchmaking school, with a guilloché pattern for the main plate or a classical layout of the technical elements. This superb watch now comes back in bright blue, a colour dear to the brand – as seen here. Let’s have a closer look at the Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon, now with blue dial.

The use of a tourbillon regulator is a sort of signature for Arnold and Son. In fact, it goes back to the early days of the name Arnold. John Arnold, who inspired the actual Arnold and Son brand, was a highly talented English watchmaker from the late 18th century. Probably not the most famous name around, his influence can’t be denied though. Indeed, both he and Abraham-Louis Breguet worked closely, sharing both their knowledge and passion. Evidence of their partnership is Abraham-Louis Breguet’s first ever tourbillon mounted in John Arnold’s No. 11 movement, a watch that can be found today in London’s British Museum. Finding a tourbillon regulator in modern Arnold and Son watches is thus rather natural.

The Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon looks back at this rich past, while also giving a modern touch. However, some traditional codes are respected – Haute Horlogerie finishing and English watchmaking school influence for instance. The movement, which features a large and exposed tourbillon at 6, is built around classical architecture. This movement is easy to read and to understand. It starts from the barrel at 12, then a series of gears right in the middle (and some of the gear train wheels are hidden on the movement side, to keep a clean look) and finally, the escapement and tourbillon at 6. The bridges on the dial side are also respectful of antique design with a triangular shape; however they are skeletonized here to offer a view on the technical parts.

The movement of the Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon is also highly traditional in its design. This “inverted” calibre (most of the parts on the dial side) has a typical wave-shaped large bridge on top. However, modernity is brought here, with the use of sapphire crystal for this bridge. Same goes for the profile of the barrel teeth, showing a cambered wolf-teeth design. Finally, a same concept is applied for the decoration of the movement: the pattern used on the main plate, on both sides of the watch, looks highly modern but is in fact reminiscence of an old guilloché pattern found on the cases of antique Arnold & Son pocket watches. The movement also respects Haute Horlogerie codes, with hand-chamfered bridges and plates, gold chatons, circular satin-finished wheels with hand-chamfered and polished edges or mirror-polished tourbillon cage and bridge.

The novelty this year comes from the colour combination of this Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon. The 44mm case is now in 18k white gold (instead of 18k rose gold on the first edition) and the main plate of the movement, which serves as a base for the dial, is no more NAC grey treated but blue CVD coated. Same goes for inner flange that shows the hours and minutes indexes. The bridges that hold the tourbillon and the escapement are rhodium plated instead of gold plated, to match the case and so are the hands, in white metal instead of pink gold.

The Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon with blue dial will be a limited edition of 25 pieces, delivered on blue or black alligator strap. Price: 162,200 USD. More details on arnoldandson.com.

Specifications Arnold and Son TES Tourbillon

• Case: 44mm diamater – 18k white gold – sapphire crystal on front and back – 30m water resistant
• Movement: A&S8100 – Arnold & Son manufacture tourbillon movement – hand-wound – 80 hours power reserve – 21,600 vibrations/h – hours, minutes, one-minute tourbillon
• Strap: Hand-stitched blue or black alligator leather, 18k white gold pin-buckle
• Limited to 25 pieces – 162,200 USD – Reference 1SJAW.V01A.C129W