A new material has joined Arnold & Son’s creative repertoire. A first in watchmaking, Baltic amber or ‘tiger’ amber further enhances the collection of extraordinary dials created by the house. The rich, moiré yellow of this exceptionally rare material surrounds the two iconic tourbillons in the eponymous collection. The amber brings softness and texture to the grey gold of the case and skeletonised bridges and the pure white of the opal hour dials, as well as an array of different and unique reflections, in the image of this exceptional and vibrant one-off edition – Arnold & Son Double Tourbillon White Gold, amber edition.
In the watchmaking language of Arnold & Son, the tourbillon is a rare construction, treated with the respect that its 260 years of history have taught the brand. The even more exceptional construction of the double tourbillon makes the collection a vehicle for one-off pieces, as is the case with this amber model.
Double Tourbillon White Gold draws on the rich appearance of the stones that Arnold & Son explores with method and originality. After imperial jade, malachite and aventurine, the brand has now adopted amber.
Fossilisation
Contrary to common belief, not all amber is translucent orange. Baltic amber has a creamy appearance and a surprising variety of colours. The shade chosen by Arnold & Son is a warm, moiré yellow.
This amber is the fossilised resin of a wide variety of plants, particularly conifers, which grew on the Baltic Sea coast some 44 million years ago. Carried away by rising water levels, the plant matter began the geologically slow process of transformation. It gave rise to this precious, highly sought-after, symbolically rich material of astonishing aesthetic refinement.
While natural materials – such as Arnold & Son’s signature stones – make each dial unique, amber adds an extra dimension of individuality. Exposure to sunlight will alter the shade of the stone over time. This will cause a perceptible change in the colour and opacity of the material, which will age very differently depending on how its wearer uses the timepiece.
Duality
In historical terms, Double Tourbillon White Gold draws on the two most fundamental vocations of John Arnold’s work: chronometry and world time. His production of marine chronometers sought to simplify and augment the perfect reliability of time measurement. The aim was to keep track of the time at the point of departure. By comparing it with that of the place where the measurement was taken, based on observing true solar noon, ocean navigators were able to measure their position on an east-west axis – giving their longitude.
Double Tourbillon White Gold perpetuates this duality by displaying local time on the small dial at 12 o’clock, calibrated by Roman numerals. It is complemented by a display of the time in another location at 6 o’clock, using Arabic numerals. These two dials display hours and minutes that are completely independent, and accurate to the minute.
Craftsmanship
Double Tourbillon White Gold draws on the Manufacture’s design, production, finishing and adjustment capabilities. The sapphire crystal is convex to accommodate the depth of the two tourbillons, which are in turn each secured to a three-dimensional, skeletonised, cantilevered bridge in white gold. They are also at the end of a double-gear train. The A&S8513 calibre is thus equipped with two barrels, two crowns and two time zones.
They can display the same time, two different times, or one can tell the time while the other is timing a long event. Unlike the vast majority of so-called travel watches, Double Tourbillon White Gold can thus adapt to time zones that are offset by 15, 30 or 45 minutes.
Finishes
The structure of this movement is underscored by extremely sophisticated finishes. This is a speciality of the Arnold & Son manufacture, and it is taken to the very highest level in this model. From the radiating Côtes de Genève stripes to the circular-grained mainplate, the double-snailed barrels, the sunray-brushed crown wheels and the polished gold chatons, everything about the A&S8513 calibre exudes elevation, craftsmanship and excellence.
The bevelling, satin-finishing and mirror-polishing of the tourbillon bridges in solid white gold is the highlight of an exceptionally elegant display in relief. Double Tourbillon White Gold offers a mechanical and ornamental counterpart to the symbolic aesthetic that reigns on its dial.
Double Tourbillon White Gold Amber Edition Technical Specifications
References 1DTAW.Z07A.C291W – CHF 227,100 incl. VAT (subject to change), Limited edition one-off piece
Functions
- local hours and minutes (Roman numerals)
- independent reference hours and minutes (Arabic numerals)
Movement
- Calibre A&S8513, hand-wound mechanical
- Jewels 42
- Diameter 37.30 mm
- Thickness 8.35 mm
- Power reserve 90 hours
- Frequency 3 Hz / 21,600 vph
- Finishes mainplate:
- NAC-treated, circular-grained
- bridges: NAC-treated, polished and chamfered, radiating Côtes de Genève
- wheels: rhodium-plated, circular-grained, polished and bevelled
- chatons: 18-carat white gold
- screws: chamfered, mirror-polished heads
- tourbillon bridges: 18-carat white gold, mirror-polished, satin-finished and hand-chamfered
- tourbillon carriages: polished and hand-chamfered
Dial
- Baltic amber
- Hour dials white opal
Case
- Material 18-carat white gold
- Diameter 43.50 mm
- Crystal domed sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Case back sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating
- Water-resistance 3 bar (30 metres/100 feet)
Strap
- Material jungle-green alligator leather with papaya-yellow alligator leather lining, hand-stitched
- Buckle folding clasp, 18-carat white gold
