Arnold & Son have unveiled their latest creations with two Ultrathin Tourbillon Skeleton pieces – One in Red Gold & one in Platinum and they are pure examples of high horology.
Arnold & Son are one of the oldest watch brands in the world. With a history dating back to one of the forefathers of modern time keeping, John Arnold, who was prominent in bringing many innovations to the world of watch making and marine chronometry started the company way back in 1764 when (it’s said) he presented the worlds smallest repeater to King George III, who in turn rewarded him with 500 guineas. Whilst we don’t have the time here to go into detail on all the time-keeping milestones John Arnold brought to the world of watches and marine chronometers, he is credited with changing the industry with the likes of Abraham-Louis Breguet, whom went on to teach John Arnold’s son as Breget’s apprentice.
So it’s no secret that Arnold & Son produces some of the nicest timepieces on offer today. If you read our article series on the Sydney International Watch Fair, you’ll have seen some of their latest pieces, like the Dial Side True Beat (DSTB) and the Nebula in rose gold and blued meteorite dial: Pieces that are true examples of high horology in the modern age. Whilst not hype pieces and not highly sought after (which is a shame in my opinion) these are watches you need to see in person to appreciate the craftmanship and finishing that has gone into them. These two new pieces, the Ultrathin Tourbillons in either rose gold or platinum are just another example of this.
What sets these pieces apart is their size and intricacy. At 41.5mm in diameter and only 8.4mm thick, these are small when you take into account what’s gone into the pieces – like a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock and the opal dial for the time at 12 o’clock. The movement itself is a mere 3.3mm thick, which again for a fully skeletonised dial including the tourbillon, offset dial and around 100 hours of power reserve is better than most on the market.
The Ultrathin Tourbillon is powered by the Calibre A&S8320, comprising of a 1-minute flying tourbillon and is manually wound. Designed without an upper bridge to minimise its thickness, and with the variable-inertia balance with inertia blocks ensures more precise calibration over time. The slender triangular carriage is supported by a double arrow, which is actually a counterpoise. The arrowhead on the staff of the escape wheel serves as a seconds pointer, as the carriage completes one rotation per minute.
Flipping the piece over, and you can see the finishing on the A&S8320 calibre, with the bridges are coated in rose-gold PVD (4N) after being decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève stripes. Whilst not done in full 18k gold, (if it were, the price would increase astronomically) it’s a beautiful-looking movement nonetheless and showcases the artistic elements of the movement. Zooming in you can see the hand polished anglage on the bridges, the suburst brushing on the wheels, not to mention the blue fired screws that are all chamfered with mirror polished heads.
Each piece comes as a limited edition, with just 28 pieces of each the Red Gold and Platinum available. The Platinum version still showcases the red gold movement but with the added benefit of having a contrast in the case compared to the dial, which is actually my preference purely based on this fact. The red gold case blends seamlessly into the dial and movement, which makes it a little more of a statement piece on the wrist.
On the Red Gold variant, Arnold & Son have equipped this piece with a blue alligator leather strap, and on the Platinum, a brown alligator leather strap. Blue and gold always works well, as does brown, and at first glance, I could see the blue working very well on the platinum case, however, thinking this through more, the brown on the full red gold would most probably be too much. The Platinum case breaks up the gold and brown colours nicely, and I feel Arnold & Son have this right. Each strap comes equipped with a folding clasp in titanium, and depending on the variant, either a Red Gold or Platinum cover on top looking the strap in place.
Final Thoughts
Ever since seeing some great examples of Arnold & Son pieces last year, and then having quite an in-depth talk with Pascal Béchu, Arnold & Son’s VP of Sales last year, I’ve now a much deeper appreciation for their pieces and what the brand stands for and is doing in the industry. Making beautiful pieces in limited numbers that take inspiration from John Arnold himself and are bringing to life the hand crafted finishing and vintage design work with a modern feel.
The pieces are typical of the Arnold & Son of today. With the beautifully skeletonised movements, hand finishing, and their now famous offset dial, these pieces are potentially modern classics. the flying tourbillon in a 3.3mm thin movement adds to the skill and knowledge Arnold & Son bring to the table with these pieces, and if you’re after something you won’t see on many other people’s wrists, then the Ultrathin Tourbillon from Arnold & Son may be worth considering, if you can afford the price tag!
Reference: 1UTBR.Z01A.C246R (Red Gold) / 1UTBX.Z01A.C245X (Platinum)
Specifications
- Size: 41.5mm, 8.4mm thick
- Case: 5N Red Gold or 950 Platinum
- Dial: Skeletonised dial wit with opal dial at 6 o’clock, blue-fired hands and applied indices
- Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, front & case back
- Water resistance: 30m (3BAR)
- Movement: A&S8320, 1-minute flying tourbillon, manual winding, fully skeletonised with rose-gold PVD treatment (4N), Côtes de Genève stripes radiating from the centre, hand finished beveling and polishing
- Power reserve: 100 hours
- Strap: Blue or brown alligator leather strap with titanium clasp and either red gold or platinum outer clasp
