Weekly Watch Photo: The Arnold and Son Collection

In the past year we have covered Arnold and Son quite often. And with good reason, because they have unveiled a lot of impressive novelties. In our article about the new UTTE Tourbillon we even started with “Yet another novelty from Arnold & Son!” and we explained that we were rather impressed by Arnold & Son. For our Weekly Watch Photo we asked several of our befriended brand for some summer photos, and of course we also asked Arnold & Son. They work together with Watch-Anish for their (superb) photos and we get to present you even more of their collection…

What is truly interesting with Arnold and Son is the number and the complexity of the watches in collection. And even if the brand is quite new and is not a proper manufacture (meaning an integrated structure with R&D, conception and fabrication in the same entity), they never hide the fact that all the movements were coming from the highly qualified manufacture La Joux-Perret. And another very interesting feature: most of them are proprietary movements (exclusive to the brand). Considering the prolific collection, the ingenuity of the movements and the quality of the watches, Arnold and Son is impressive.

The first Arnold and Son we wanted to show you is the Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement, a.k.a. the UTTE, that we’ve also featured recently, due to the introduction of new dials. The Arnold and Son UTTE is an impressive watch technically speaking, as it comes with a movement that measures only 2.97mm in height and that boasts 90 hours of power reserve – a very interesting number achieved with a twin barrel architecture. Usually, ultra-thin watches are coming with low power-reserve. In addition, don’t forget that this watch has been for a while the thinnest tourbillon in the world… Before Bulgari introduced the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon and its movement that measures only 1.95mm. Still, the UTTE is impressive.

The UTTE comes with a very refined and pure design, with soft colours (palladium or red gold cases with opaline dials) and a stunning level of finish for the movement. It is a classical but modern approach of the watchmaking, a motto that defined quite well the brand.

The second watch of this report is certainly one (if not the) most impressive of the Arnold and Son collection: the Arnold & Son Royal TEC1 – Technically Advanced Tourbillon Chronograph. The TEC1 is simply a chronograph with column wheel, with a self-winding mechanism and regulated by a tourbillon. Not bad at all! Especially when you consider that it is priced just under $100k, it is quite a bang for the buck. The Anorld and Son TEC1 has a warm colour scheme, with its anthracite dial and 18k red gold case, and a stylish design that emphasizes the tourbillon at 12 and that gives the watch a superb three-dimensional look. And, by the way, don’t you think it looks gorgeous on a lady’s wrist?

The Arnold and Son TB88 is really an appealing timepiece. Usually, skeletonized watches are, let’s say, loaded and not always very elegant. Some of them are of course pure mechanical art, such as the Armin Strom One Week Skeleton or the Roger Dubuis Skeleton Flying Tourbillon. The reason for that beauty is quite simple, and it is the same for this TB88: a movement designed from the beginning as a skeletonized engine. Some of the skeleton watches relies on existing movements that have been reworked to remove material from the bridges. And because those watches usually come with old-fashioned engravings, the result is not always very attractive or at least, not contemporary. Here, Arnold and Son brings a modern and technical vision of the skeletonized watch, with a unique goal: showing the mechanics. The result is pure, not showy and very well balanced. And the finish of the elements that composed the calibre is superb.

To finish, two of the ‘true beat’ watches by Arnold and Son, what we usually call a dead second or seconde morte. This complication allows the second hand to move just like in a quartz watch (once every second) but only with mechanical devices. In Arnold and Son’s collection, it is included in the DSTB (Dial Side True Beat) that shows all the elements of the dead second (lever, wheel and anchor) on its dial. The second timepiece is the CTB Chronograph True Beat, the first and only chronograph that comes with such a complication. The cool factor with the latter: the second hand, which is a true beat second hand, so that ticks only once per second, is on the same axis than the chronograph second hand, that does the usual 8 ticks per second. The central second hand will give the impression that it can catch up with the true beat seconds hand. A pleasure for your eyes!

All photos by Watch-Anish.