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Arnold & Son will produce the Golden Wheel as a 125-piece limited edition. |
With a rich British watchmaking heritage that dates back to
the 18th century, Arnold & Son masterfully reinterprets history with a
visionary eye to the future. Underscoring its watchmaking prowess, Arnold &
Son regularly unveils complicated watches with a unique twist. The patented
Golden Wheel deftly reflects the brand’s ingenuity and commitment to haute horlogerie.
The Golden Wheel combines the first-ever wandering hours
function with the true beat seconds complication. It’s part of the Instrument
Collection, which pays tribute to the timepieces focused on chronometry that
were developed during the second half of John Arnold’s life and with his son
Roger.
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Pocket watch with wandering hours
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The Golden Wheel timepiece is a unique three-dimensional
interpretation of the ancient wandering hours complication that has roots in
table clocks of the mid-17th century. In fact, the first implementation of the
wandering hours complication in pocket watches was most likely made in England
at the beginning of the 18th century. Thus, it is a fitting complication for
the Arnold & Son watchmakers – inspired by British watchmaking heritage –
to reinvent anew, perpetuating the long tradition of wandering hour watches.
Arnold & Son crafts the central time-carrousel in solid
18-karat red gold, thereby giving the masterpiece its Golden Wheel name. The
latest version of the Golden Wheel now features sapphire discs with black
figures, a redesigned outer ring and a black ADLC-treated dial plate in order
to further increase contrast and readability.
The mother-of-pearl arc displays the current hour, as the
sapphire disks with the black hour numerals float over the contrasting white
arc. Black arrows on the hour disks now point to the minutes dial-frame located
above the hours arc. Finally, the true beat seconds indication is displayed via
large dots on the outer ring and read via the central golden hand. The dial
plate is now black ADLC treated with côtes de Genève finishing.
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The rotating sapphire disc indicates the hour. |
The wandering hours function, also known as a jumping
digital hours indication, occupies the top arc of the watch dial (from 10
o’clock to 2 o’clock). Beneath it, Arnold & Son fills the time-carrousel of
the Golden Wheel with a true beat seconds hand from the central axis – adding
visual complexity and elegant motion. The true beat seconds (sometimes referred
to as dead beat seconds) is a specialty of Arnold & Son. The precision
function enables the seconds to beat incrementally as opposed to sweeping along
the dial – allowing for more accurate reading.
The superlative technology and watchmaking expertise
inherent in this movement is further enhanced by the fact that Arnold & Son
has made the mechanism visible from the dial side in spectacular glory. Not
only does the brand use three separate transparent sapphire disks (that seem to
float above the dial) for the time indication, but also it elevates many of the
other movement parts for an incredible three-dimensional allure.
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A view of the automatic movement. |
This creative and visionary spirit transforms the Golden
Wheel into a thoroughly modern interpretation of the wandering hours. The
manufacture movement was three years in the making from concept to development,
and challenged the brand’s watchmakers at multiple stages of design and
development.
The A&S6018 is a mechanical self-winding movement with
29 jewels and 232 components. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers
45 hours of power reserve. In typical Arnold & Son style, the movement is
treated in palladium and is meticulously decorated with haute horlogerie
finishing, including hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular
graining, côtes de Genève rayonnantes, circular satin-finished wheels and blued
screws with beveled and mirror-polished heads. The oscillating weight is
skeletonized with brushed surfaces and palladium treated. The magnificent
movement is housed in a superb 44mm 18-karat red gold case. The Golden Wheel is
a limited edition of 125 timepieces.
Golden Wheel
Technical Specifications
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The Golden Wheel |
Limited Edition
125 timepieces
Movement
Arnold & Son manufacture movement A&S6018,
self-winding, 29 jewels, diameter 37.20 mm, thickness 8.00mm, 45-hour power
reserve, 28,800 vibrations/h
Functions
Jumping digital hours, minutes and true beat seconds
Movement Decoration
Palladium treated with haute horlogerie finishing:
hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and côtes de
Genève rayonnantes, dial plate black ADLC treated with côtes de Genève,
circular satin-finished wheels, blued screws with beveled and mirror-polished
heads. Central time-carrousel: solid 18-karat red gold, satin-finished with
hand-chamfered and polished edges. Oscillating weight: palladium treated,
skeletonized with brushed surfaces
Dial
Silvery and white mother-of-pearl
Case
18-karat red gold, diameter 44mm, cambered sapphire with
anti-reflective coating on both sides, see-through sapphire caseback,
water-resistant to 30m
Strap
Hand-stitched brown or black alligator leather
Reference
1HVAR.M01A.C120A
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