The Arnold & Son DSTB 42 Red Gold Mint Green and Platinum Ascot Blue Editions mark a thrilling evolution in the brand’s technical artistry, combining signature British horological savoir-faire with bold but tasteful innovation. These watches, presented in rare limited editions of just eighteen pieces each, encapsulate a rich historical narrative and a sense of refined eccentricity that feels deeply at home in the traditions of watchmaking, yet entirely contemporary in their allure.
A Brief History of the DSTB Collection
The DSTB concept, from “Dial Side True Beat,” is itself rooted in the foundational advances made by John Arnold, whose marine chronometers for the Royal Navy set chronicles of precision and resilience. Arnold & Son’s true-beat seconds complication, also known as deadbeat seconds, references this legacy directly: the escapement’s rhythm, at precisely one oscillation per second, became an emblem of reliability for naval navigation. Within the DSTB 42, this technical heritage is not simply emulated but visually celebrated, with the movement’s true-beat seconds mechanism unveiled on the dial side. This layout marries mechanical tradition with a spirit of authentic British ingenuity, manifesting a living connection to the golden age of chronometry.
An Artist’s Canvas
The presentation of the dials on these DSTB 42 models is arresting in its vigour, offering an interplay of intricate textures and vibrant hues. The Red Gold edition is adorned with a Mint Green dial, an audacious yet refined choice, applied through a PVD process resulting in a grained surface with dense texture and a lively sheen. The Platinum variant features Ascot Blue: a nod, perhaps, to equestrian luxury and English sporting flair, evocative and deeply luminous. Both dials incorporate three openworked gold bridges, viewing the mechanism in full clarity, each supporting the true-beat seconds complication. These bridges are not only three-dimensional but also wrought in solid gold, with meticulous chamfering and polishing that catch the light in delightful ways. The hours are displayed off-centre on a sub-dial crafted from white opal, a material that offers a gentle iridescence, balancing the dynamic mechanical displays with a soothing, organic touch.
Arnold & Son’s A&S6203 calibre: Technical Brilliance and Finishing
At the heart of the DSTB 42 lies Arnold & Son’s A&S6203 calibre, a self-winding movement conceived, crafted and finished entirely within the brand’s manufacture. With a diameter of 33 millimetres and a height of 5.54 millimetres, extending to 8.33 millimetres for the bridges supporting the true-beat complication, the engine is both elegant and complex. Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), this movement achieves sixty precise jumps per minute, echoing the cadence of its marine ancestors. The bridges are decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève, edges chamfered and polished to perfection. The main plate receives circular graining and a layer of palladium, while the wheels are polished, circular grained, and the screws not only blued but also chamfered and their heads polished. A 22-carat gold oscillating weight winds the movement, delivering a robust power reserve of 55 hours. The bridges that hold the true-beat seconds mechanism are fashioned from 18-carat gold, and present polished and chamfered contours, reinforcing the sense of layered sophistication throughout the calibre.
Materials, Dimensions and Character
The two editions each embrace distinct personalities through their case materials. One, a rich 18-carat red gold, accentuates the warm vibrancy of the Mint Green dial; the other, cool 950 platinum, is paired to the enigmatic Ascot Blue. The cases both measure 42 millimetres wide and 12.95 millimetres thick, ensuring a stately but wearable presence on the wrist. With a domed sapphire crystal treated to double-sided anti-reflective coating, legibility is unimpeded; the case back also employs sapphire, offering a view into the movement and receiving its own anti-reflective treatment. Water resistance is rated to 3 bar, enough for daily life but always best kept away from oceanic adventure, in true homage to marine provenance. Each watch is secured on a hand-stitched alligator strap: Cornish green for the Red Gold, ink blue for the Platinum, finished with a matching pin buckle in precious metal.
Artistry, Evolution and Singular Beauty
Arnold & Son’s DSTB 42 Red Gold Mint Green (Reference: 1ATCR.F01A.C1242A – €48,200) and Platinum Ascot Blue Editions (Reference: 1ATCX.U01A.C0263X – €64,700) reflect both the evolution and ongoing beauty of the brand’s watchmaking ethos. By drawing on history, yet never lapsing into nostalgia, these watches showcase the technical complexity and aesthetic innovation that defines contemporary British horology. The openwork dial architecture, the showcase of the true-beat seconds mechanism, the meticulous finishing – all are evidence of a maison unafraid to be both scholarly and expressive. The DSTB 42’s latest editions continue a distinguished lineage, evolving both in palette and technical ambition, presenting mechanical artistry as something to be worn not only for its historical significance but also for its moving, vivid beauty. For collectors and connoisseurs, these are pieces that promise enduring fascination, as finely considered in design as they are forthright in mechanical prowess.
