Home » Baselworld - World Watch and Jewellery Show » Baselworld 2016 Preview – Arnold & Son Eight-Day Royal Navy Watch
For the next edition of the Baselworld fair, Arnold & Son has prepared a new watch which celebrates the brand’s rich history and expertise in creation of reliable marine chronometers that goes back to the late 18th century. The novel model named Eight-Day Royal Navy sports the same basic layout as the historic chronometers from that period. Naturally, it also improves the original concept by embellishing the dial with a wave-like guilloched pattern which is then lacquered with translucent coating in one of three available colors: blue, black and silver. More importantly, the timepiece from the Royal series also showcases a new in-house movement with a hefty power reserve which lasts for entire eight days. The unofficial price of the upcoming model is around $12,300 without VAT.
After recent ultra-complicated tourbillion models, Arnold & Son has opted to release a new watch with a much more affordable price. This newcomer celebrates the time when the brand’s founder made marine chronometers commissioned by the English King George III which is also a reason why the collection it comes from is called Royal. The new watch replicates the appearance of these ancient timekeepers by using elements such as an oversized small seconds counter on the bottom of the dial, as well as a power reserve indication on the opposite side.
Marine Chronometer
The basic appearance based on the history is likewise upgraded in the new model. The background for the dial is engraced with an appropriate wave guilloche pattern that serves as a logical choice for a piece with the naval inspiration. The rose-engine made pattern is additionally lacquered with a translucent coating that makes it look even better. Three available colors for the dial are royal blue, silver gray and black anthracite.
Moreover, the dial also includes a date display tucked inside a small seconds indication on the very bottom which is not so seen so often when it comes to the products of the brand. On the contrary, the distinctive hands and hour markers were previously used in the brand’s palette of watches.
As it has been mentioned, the newcomer from the Royal series premiers a new type of a proprietary movement. Caliber A&S1016 is a hand-wound mechanical movement with 33 jewels. It beats at the rate of 3 Hz and has an extended power reserve of eight days (as it is implied in the name of the piece) thanks to its parallel mounted twin barrel. Altogether, the caliber is comprised of 242 components. It has the diameter of 33 mm and the very flat profile that measures to just 4.7 mm.
Furthermore, the palladium treated nickel-silver movement features high end decorations made by hand, such as skeletonized bridges with polished edges, circular graining, the radiating cotes de Geneva pattern, blued screws with gold chatons, as well as with beveled and highly polished heads.
Arnold & Son Eight-Day Royal Navy piece is set in a round housing made of stainless steel. The case with a fixed bezel is 43 mm wide and just 10.7 mm thick, thanks to the watch’s new flat caliber. The profile of the housing is stepped and tapered from its top to bottom, so its widest part can fit an extra large glass, while it narrow to the wrist for more comfortable wear. Additionally, there is also a cambered sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating, as well as another one in the same material on the opposite side of the case which allows the wearer to gaze upon the functioning and the decorations of the new manufacture caliber. The watch has the basic water resistance of 30 meters (99 feet).
The sharp looking steel case is attached to the wristlet with a means of satin-finished lugs. As for the strap, it is made of a hand-stitched and hand-aged calf leather. The blue (with the serial number of 1EDAS.U01A.D136A) and the black (Ref. 1EDAS.B01A.D134A) are made with the straps in the same color as the dial, while the silver-faced variant (1EDAS.S01A.D135A) has a brown attachment.
