Arnold & Son’s Double Tourbillon White Gold gets a new dial

“Arnold & Son continues its exploration of rare and unprecedented materials in watchmaking. Charoite, a delicate mauve with fine white veins, brings its noble shade to the Double Tourbillon grand complication. Set off by the white gold case, skeletonised bridges and pure white opal subdials, charoite gives this one-off piece a unique elegance.”

Arnold & Son has unveiled a latest version of its Double Tourbillon White Gold featuring a Charoite dial. Charoite is a rare stone with a mauve or pale purple colour. It is a one-off timepiece.

Charoite

“Parma violet, mauve, lavender, lilac… There are many words to describe the shifting colour of charoite. Like lapis lazuli, it is the product of a rich and textured coalition of different minerals. In fact, it is one of the most complex stones ever formed by the Earth’s crust since its chemical formula is a silicate containing traces of aluminium, iron, manganese, barium and strontium.

Charoite is made up of an interweaving of complex textures. It was in these strata that Arnold & Son sought the surface for the dial of Double Tourbillon White Gold, finely cutting the stone without breaking it, opening up two large spaces for the subdials and tourbillon carriages, and polishing it to reveal a mauve peppered with white.”

Double Tourbillon Design

The design of the Double Tourbillon is based on chronometry and world time, two of John Arnold’s works fundamental principles. John Arnold (1736 – 1799), was the famed English watchmaker and namesake of the Arnold & Son brand. He is known for his pioneering work on “marine chronometers, his revolutionary vision and his decisive role in calculating longitude at sea.” He crafted marine chronometers that had to survive the severe conditions of the high seas and provide accurate timekeeping.

Local time is displayed on the dial at 12 o’clock featuring Roman numerals. Reference time or time at another location is displayed on the dial at 6 o’clock featuring Arabic numerals. Both dials display time independent of each other and are useful when time zones are offset by 15, 30 or 45 minutes, a feature not available on most dual and world time watches. Most are offset by 1 hour. I live in a country which falls in a half time zone and hugely appreciate the Double Tourbillon’s two independent time display dials.

Key Features

Functions and Complications

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The Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition’s functions and complications include:

– Local time at 12 o’clock dial featuring Roman numerals.

– Independent reference time at 6 o’clock dial featuring Arabic numerals.

– Two tourbillons at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock.

Dials

The Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition has three dials. Their features include:

– Its main dial is crafted from Charoite, a rare stone with a mauve or pale purple colour.

– The two dials at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock are crafted from white opal.

– Dial at 12 o’clock features Roman numerals and dial at 6 o’clock features Arabic numerals. Both feature blued hour and minute hands, skeletonized at their tip.

Movement

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The Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition is powered by hand-wound calibre A&S8513 which features 2 barrels. It drives the two independent time displays and two tourbillons.

Its features and movements finishings include:

– Its diameter is 37.30 mm and thickness 8.35 mm.

– It has 42 jewels.

– It beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph or 3 Hz.

– It has a power reserve of 90 hours,

– NAC-treated mainplate features a circular-grained finish.

– NAC-treated bridges are polished and chamfered and feature radiating Côtes de Genèva stripes.

– Rhodium-plated wheels are polished, beveled, and feature a circular-grained finish.

– Chatons are made of 18K white gold.

– Screws are chamfered and feature mirror-polished heads.

– On its dial side, the 18K white gold tourbillon bridges are mirror-polished, satin-finished and hand chamfered.

– The 2 tourbillon carriages are polished and hand chamfered.

Case and Strap

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The Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition’s case and strap features include:

– Its case is made of 18K white gold.

– It has a case diameter of 43.50 mm.

– Its dial side has a domed sapphire crystal, featuring anti-reflective coating on both sides.

– Its caseback side features a sapphire crystal with features anti-reflective coating.

– It features 2 crowns, one at 2 o’clock and one at 8 o’clock.

– It has a water resistance of 3 bar / 30 metres / 100 feet.

– It comes with a hand-stitched aubergine colour alligator leather strap, featuring a papaya yellow lining.

– Its folding clasp buckle is made of 18K white gold.

Our Thoughts

Tourbillons are a dime a dozen. Few watch brands create tourbillons that genuinely excite and bring something new to the table, be it aesthetics or the design of the tourbillon itself. With the Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition, Arnold & Son has created a design that’s pushed the envelope. Both its two independent time displays and two tourbillons draw on chronometry, whereas its Charoite and white opal time display dials add artisanal skills, details and subtle colours to the mix.

Arnold & Son’s movements are designed and developed by Manufacture La-Joux Perret S.A., a renowned movement specialist based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Citizen Group of Japan own both Arnold & Son and Manufacture La-Joux Perret S.A.

In June, we covered the Double Tourbillon White Gold, amber edition. Prior to this, they unveiled an imperial jade and malachite edition. Though these are one-off pieces, they highlight Arnold & Son’s expertise in combining a grand-complication movement with elaborate watch dials, crafted using rare and difficult to work with materials.

Additional Details

Name: Double Tourbillon White Gold, Charoite edition

Reference: 1DTAW.Z06A.C289W

Price: Swiss Franc (CHF): 227,100 (including VAT). Prices subject to change.

Limited to 1 piece. Please contact Arnold & Son if interested.

Please visit the Arnold & Son website for further information.

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