In Geneva Watch Days 2024, we sat down with Pascal Béchu to have a conversation on exploring heritage and innovation with Arnold & Son and Angelus.
Pascal Béchu is a passionate and well-known figure in the world of luxury watchmaking. His career spans decades, in which he has held pivotal roles across prestigious watch brands. Through this, he has shared his knowledge of both the technical and aesthetic aspects of fine watchmaking, which has helped shape the numerous collections he has worked on. Pascal Béchu’s extensive experience gives him a unique perspective that allows him to bring together both tradition and innovation, two features that are the pillars of watchmaking for both Arnold & Son and Angelus.
During Geneva Watch Days 2024, we had the opportunity to sit down with Pascal Béchu and discuss the latest offerings from Arnold & Son and Angelus. As you may have seen already, Arnold & Son released two new timepieces into their Perpetual Moon collection, while Angelus has updated their Chronodate model with a stunning new dial.
Arnold & Son celebrating the legacy of John Arnold
Arnold & Son is a brand with English origins, tracing its roots all the way back to 1764. The brand was founded by renowned English watchmaker John Arnold. Arnold made significant contributions to the world of horology, especially the development of marine chronometers, which were of vital importance in navigating the seas. The brand is celebrating their 260th anniversary this year. They continue to integrate their legacy of precision, craftsmanship and innovation into their modern timepieces through traditional techniques.
“We get a lot of inspiration from the work of John Arnold. We don’t call it a 260-year anniversary. Instead, we call it a celebration of the legacy of John Arnold. We have three pillars that act as different collections. The first pillar is astronomy, which is what we talked about previously. This is where you find all our moon complications. The second pillar is what we call Chronometry. This is where all the timepieces that have been inspired by marine chronometers and all the quest for precision that John Arnold had during his lifetime can be found.”
“This second pillar is the collection where you can find complications like our true-beat seconds, which directly come from the marine chronometers from the 18th century. This collection also has our new Longitude model, which we have launched this year. This model has a design that is directly inspired by the first Marine Chronometers by John Arnold. He’s been key in improving the accuracy, the reliability of the movement, and the miniaturisation from clocks to pocket watches. John Arnold was the first to use the term marine chronometer to make watches that were supremely precise. He was the one who invented the word chronometer.”
We will keep coming up with stunning products in the future, and especially at Watches and Wonders 2025! You will be amazed by what will be unveiled!”
Pascal Béchu
“The third and last pillar, or collection, is the World Time, which is where the Globetrotter timepiece can be found. This is a timepiece that is related to the explorers of the 18th century. John Arnold was key in providing accurate and reliable marine chronometers to explorers like James Cook, for example. We pay tribute to those journeys of discovering the Pacific or other territories. This is also something we showcased in the book that we published at Watches and Wonders, which we are now sharing with our community and key collectors. We started organising events to speak about the outstanding work and life of John Arnold. This is a great year to celebrate and remind people that Arnold & Son is one of the five oldest watch brands in the world that are still in operation.
For Geneva Watch Days 2024, Arnold and Son have released two different versions of their Perpetual Moon complication. While the styling of the models are similar in terms of case design to previous versions of the brand’s Perpetual Moon timepieces, where it varies is the size offering and also the dial details. Firstly both new variants of the Perpetual Moon timepieces are offered in 38mm for both men and women. Then we get two different dial designs, to cater for different tastes and also budgets.
“Two years ago, we presented the Perpetual Moon in a new size, 38mm. We had really good success, and we also started selling this collection to ladies in the same 38mm size. We found that something was missing in our collection, which was really to capitalise on the 38mm because we already have done the engineering to reduce the size of the movement to fit into this case. We also wanted to have a unisex model that could be worn either by men or women.”
“First, we have an 88-piece limited edition with an aventurine dial. Aventurine is just perfect for the perpetual moon phase complication because it’s like a starry sky, and then you have the moon showing in the middle of this night sky on this dial. We have already had some execution with the aventurine dial in the past, in a really different design. It has always been a popular material, which, in this case, fits nicely with the moon phase complication. The 88 pieces will obviously not be produced all at once. This is a timepiece that will stay in the collection for roughly two and a half years as we gradually manufacture it.”
“The other timepiece we have is a very warm grey colour that we call Cliff Grey, which we actually call the homeland of John Arnold. This warm grey colour fits very nicely with the red gold of the case. This second version comes with a more subtle dial with a sunburst finish, especially when compared to the Aventurine dial. It also creates an entry price point for the perpetual moon collection since it’s around 32,400 Swiss Francs, including tax. This is an excellent price point for a precious metal timepiece with perpetual complication, making it a unique watch. This timepiece, however, will only be limited to 28 pieces. Even though it is a small limited edition release, it will allow us to release other colour combinations in the future.”
What sets Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon phase complication apart from other brands is the fact that it has stars on the moon phase disc that have constellations. The models in the brand’s Perpetual Moon collection come with different constellations, which certainly raises the appeal of the collection and gives it a unique, thought-out look for the moon phase. For these two latest Perpetual Moon models, each one gets two different constellations. The first constellation is the Cassiopeia, which is the asterism in the northern sky named after the vain queen Cassiopeia in Greek mythology. The second constellation is the Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear. This is the third-largest constellation in the sky, and the largest constellation in the northern hemisphere.
“At Arnold & Son, we have always had the timepieces have a connection with John Arnold and the work he has done. This year, we are celebrating the 260-year anniversary of what we considered the foundation of the brand in 1764. John Arnold’s work was really to help navigation, which was critical in mastering the ocean. This also meant mastering the world more or less at that time. So, astronomy was extremely important for navigation, and we wanted to pay tribute to that.”
“So you have, in fact, two constellations that are hand-painted with Super-LumiNova on the moon phase disc. Why we chose those two constellation is because they are very easily recognisable in the sky, and between those two constellations you have one star growing very strongly, which is the polaris. This is the star that gives the true north, which navigators used at night to find the north. This is the main reason behind the design of these two constellations for the moon phase. We always keep these two constellations across the whole perpetual moon collection.”
Now, if you weren’t aware, you may be wondering why we are interviewing Pascal Béchu for two different watch brands. This is because Arnold & Son and Angelus are essentially sister brands owned by Citizen Watch Company. Because of this, Pascal Béchu is the Managing Director of both Arnold & Son and Angelus.
Angelus was founded in 1891 in Switzerland by the Stolz brothers. The brand quickly gained recognition for its high-quality chronographs and innovative timepeices. One of Angelus’s most iconic creations is the Chronodate timepiece. Introduced in 1942, the Chronodate was the worlds first chronograph timepiece that also featured a date function! This watch not only showcased the brand’s pioneering spirit, but also left a significant mark in the history of horology.
“The Angelus brand dates back to 1891. It is known for being a very innovative brand. Angelus has been making its own movements from the beginning while also supplying movements to other brands. One of the most well-known timepieces from Angelus is the Chronodate from 1942. In 2022, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of this timepiece. On that occasion, we wanted to reintroduce the chronograph into the collection while also using the brand’s modern DNA.”
“So you have a product that is faithful to the original with the peripheral date because that was the first chronograph with this date feature at that time. It also came with a bi-compax design with large sub-counters like on the original model. The original Chronodate model also inspires the font design of the modern models. The modern versions of the Chronodate come with an automatic movement, with modern finishing shown through the case back. The construction of the case is super complex, and it includes 11 different parts combining titanium or carbon composite. We did not use carbon fibre in the case as its not very waterproof. We definitely wanted to create a water-resistant timepiece. This was a timepiece and collection that we launched in 2022.”
For Geneva Watch Days 2024, Angelus has unveiled the latest edition to the Chronodate line with a stunning Magnetic Silver dial that has a “panda” look with the two black sub-counters at 3 and 9 o’clock. The styling of this Chronodate gives the watch a sporty look, especially with the red accents for the date indicator, chronograph seconds hand, 30-minute counter hand and also the chronograph “start” push button. To further reiterate that this is a steel sports watch, the timepiece also comes with a beautifully designed integrated sports bracelet that has a quick-release function.
Its a timepiece with quite a unique positioning. On the one hand, it’s a chronograph which looks sporty with its rubber strap. However, when you put the titanium bracelet on, it then makes it a sporty timepiece with an integrated bracelet, giving it a luxury look and feel. The timepiece is also so light on the wrist, making it versatile and wearable even outdoors!
Both Arnold & Son and Angelus have the potential to appeal to Australian audiences, even though the two brands bring different niches. Arnold & Son, with its 260-year heritage, will be focused on high-end timepeices with high attention to detail, which will appeal to audiences that prefer history and craftsmanship. The brand’s chronometry legacy will also resonate with the market that appreciates technical watchmaking.
Angelus on the other hand with its more modern approach to reinterpretations of classic timepieces like the Chronodate, will appeal to those that prefer timepieces with a bold, avant-garde design. Angelus with one hand on traditional watchmaking and the other on cutting-edge design will cater to the audience that wants a unique blend of heritage and contemporary watchmaking.
“So we have worked over the last year and a half to have both brands present in the country. It all started with the Sydney Watch Fair, where we had a great opportunity to introduce both brands to the country for the first time. We were super happy with the feedback and the connection we had with the collectors; now, Arnold & Son retails at Fairfax in Sydney, which is a great opportunity as they are a well-known jeweller in the country. The director of Fairfax has a background in high-end watchmaking, and with that, he wanted to bring some interesting high-end brands to the market. We made a strong connection very quickly. This is the first door that opened for Arnold & Son to be present in Australia.”
“We are now also building another partnership with Kennedy in Sydney and possibly other locations in Australia in the future. We think it’s great because both retailers have their own clientele, and to give good exposure to Arnold & Son, you must be among the top premium retailers. I’m confident both retailers will work very well with the support of our partners, who are also the country’s brand representatives.”
“For Angelus, we work with hardy brothers. They have already established themselves with premium locations and beautiful shops. We also believe that the design of the collection should be very strong from the country. Angelus is very popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. In terms of taste, what’s working in those countries can also give Australia good success.”
Pascal Béchu has given us great insight into the behind-the-scenes of Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon collection and Angelus Chronodate timepieces, giving us a deeper appreciation for both timepieces. He has also shown us the timeless craftsmanship of Arnold & Son, and the continued development of an icon for Angelus.
The stories of both brands show us that these watchmakers aren’t just surviving but rather thriving and grabbing the attention of collectors and enthusiasts who prefer history, precision and innovation when it comes to timekeeping.
