Arnold & Son Tourbillon TES (Live Photos and Specs)

Arnold & Son is definitely a highly productive manufacture. Since a few month, they introduced several very interesting watches, all complicated and with Haute Horlogerie features. Only for Baselworld, they came with the superb Time Pyramid in stainless steel, the Technically Advanced Chronograph TEC1 Tourbillon, the DTE – Double Tourbillon Escapement Dual Time Watch or the world’s first true beat seconds chronograph, the Instrument CTB. We are not sure that another manufacture of this size presented so many watches. And if you’re not satisfied yet, here is the new Arnold & Son Tourbillon TES, both a traditional and modern timepiece.

Arnold & Son uses the great historical background of the Famous John Arnold, watchmaker from the 18th century, to create legitimacy in its collection, especially watches with a tourbillon. John Arnold was partner of Abraham Louis Breguet, the inventor of the Tourbillon. Breguet’s first ever tourbillon was mounted in John Arnold’s No. 11 movement, a watch that can be found today in London’s British Museum. Arnold & Son Tourbillon draws in this historical context to present us a modern interpretation of traditional watchmaking.

The Arnold & Son Tourbillon TES mixes those old and new elements with a certain elegance. For example, the movement is said to be ‘inverted’, meaning that all the technical elements are set on the dial side. It allows a view on all the point of interests of a movement, from its source of energy to the escapement mechanism. To achieve such a layout, some of the intermediate wheels are mounted on the caseback side with a specific gear train. The other aspect that catches the attention is the unique barrel spring bridge made of sapphire and with the traditional wave-shape used in English watchmaking.

The dial’s layout is balanced on the longitudinal axis, so the barrel spring, the central wheel and the tourbillon cage are perfectly aligned. The movement is not only visually interesting but is also pretty well finished. The main plate is engraved with Arnold & Son specific pattern and treated in grey. All the bridges are chamfered by hand with polished edges, jewels are embossed in solid gold chatons, the tourbillon cage is mirror-polished by hand and screws present bevelled and mirror-polished heads. Some real Haute Horlogerie standard that pleases the amateur. The backside of the watch also presents the same level of finish and the same engraved main plate. Due to the complexity of the front, the backside movement shows less elements. However, thanks to apertures, you can observe the other side of the barrel and of the tourbillon.

The Arnold & Son Tourbillon TES comes in a 44mm case made of 18k red gold. Combined with the dark grey finish of the open dial, it gives the watch a very nice overall colour scheme. On the wrist, what attracts is the feeling of depth that the dial presents. It is clearly technical but not overloaded and remains elegant enough to fit with the classical design of the case. The sapphire barrel bridge is also a pleasant feature due to the view it gives on the movement innards and also due to the reflections that enlivens the dial.

The Arnold & Son Tourbillon TES will be produced in a limited edition of 28 pieces, only in a 18-carat red gold case with a NAC grey main plate, all individually numbered and engraved.

Specifications

• Calibre A&S8100 Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical tourbillon movement, hand-wound, 19 jewels, diameter 32.6 mm, thickness 6.30 mm, power reserve 80 h, 21,600 vibrations/h
• Functions: hours, minutes, tourbillon
• Decorations: nickel-silver and sapphire movement, rose gold treated bridges and NAC grey treated main plate with superlative Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand- chamfered bridges with polished edges, A&S specific pattern engraved on the main plate, circular satin-finished wheels with hand-chamfered and polished edges, screwed gold chatons, mirror-polished tourbillon cage and bridge, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads
• Case: 18-carat red gold, diameter 44 mm, cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides, case back see-through sapphire, water-resistant to 30 m
• Strap: hand-stitched black or brown alligator leather
• Limited to 28 timepieces