Arnold & Son has been coming up with many interesting pieces in recent times and last year saw them introduce the world’s thinnest tourbillon movement in their UTTE (Ultra Thin Tourbillon Escapement) watch. More recently, they introduced the very interesting DSTB (Dial Side True Beat) watch, which will premiere at Baselworld 2014 next week.
Like the Arnold & Son DSTB watch, the new Arnold & Son Instrument CTB (Central True Beat) watch will feature a true beat or dead beat seconds hand with a chronograph complication– the first ever as we understand it. We don’t see dead seconds often, but what it means is that instead of the seconds hand sweeping smoothly, it will tick like a quartz watch.
That may not sound like much, after all Antoine Martin’s Slow Runner also has a dead seconds hand courtesy of its 1Hz movement. What makes the Instrument CTB stand out is that it is also a chronograph and that its dead seconds hand is mounted centrally along with the regular running seconds hand.
This is possible since they are a part of the Swiss watch movement maker La Joux-Perret (yes, it’s possessed by the Citizen Group out of Japan – however they do not really make any decisions about how it’s run, to be honest), which gives Arnold & Son the ability to do things all its competitors simply can not. At least not on this scale. What is really driving the innovation forward is likely Sebastien, who just has a lot of thoughts to remain idle.Ignore the movement and dial, and the Arnold & Son Nebula is very much what we’ve come to expect out of Arnold & Son dress-style watches. The Arnold & Son Nebula comes in either steel or 18k red gold, and the circumstance is 41.5mm wide and 8.73mm thick – which makes it extremely wearable. It is not the smallest or the largest dress watch that Arnold & Son makes, however using its thinner instance along with classical proportions it surely works well as a more formal timepiece.In images, the three-dimensional thickness of this dial is not easy to convey. For me, that’s really the magic of looking into the Arnold & Son Nebula – along with the visually very attractive charm of this movement structure. Arnold & Son is not likely to beat Patek Philippe, Chopard, or Vacheron Constantin nowadays in regards to the degree of motion completing, but it’s very good – especially for the money. More to the point, over the years I’ve really seen it get better – for instance, in how they do the beveled edges on the ends of movement bridges or wheels.
According to Arnold & Son, to do this is no easy feat and the end result is that when the chronograph is activated, it looks as if the sweeping seconds hand is trapped in an endless game of cat and mouse with the dead beat seconds hand, because at the end of each second, the dead beat seconds hand quickly jumps away. Sounds interesting? I can’t wait to see this movement in action.
Powering this watch is the in-house A&S7103 calibre, which is an automatic consisting of 31 jewels and beating at a very modern 28,800 vibrations per hour or 4Hz. Power reserve is a very respectable 50 hours. Time is told off the sub-dial at 12 o’clock and there is a 60 minute counter for the chronograph at 6 o’clock.
The instrument CTB will come in a 44mm stainless steel case with a sapphire display case back that is water-resistant to 30 meters, and will be offered with black or brown alligator straps. Price in steel will be $27,135. arnoldandson.com
Tech specs from Arnold & Son:
Reference: 1CHAS.S02A.C121S
Calibre: A&S7103, Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement, self-winding, column- wheel, ceramic ball bearing, 31 jewels, diameter 30.4 mm, thickness 8.5 mm, power reserve 50 h (without chronograph), 28,800 vibrations/h
Functions: Hours, minutes, true beat seconds, chronograph
Movement decoration: NAC grey treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand-chamfered bridges and polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, circular satin-finished wheels, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads. Oscillating weight: skeletonised with brushed surfaces
Dial: Light-grey and silvery opaline
Case: Stainless steel, diameter 44 mm, cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides, see-through sapphire case back, water-resistant to 30 m
Strap: Hand-stitched black or brown alligator leather