Arnold & Son 1DTAW.Z07A.C291W Double Tourbillon White Gold
Baltic amber or ‘tiger’ amber further enhances the collection of extraordinary dials created by the house.
Limited to one unique piece.
Baltic beauty
A new material has joined Arnold & Son’s creative repertoire. A first in watchmaking, Baltic amber or ‘tiger’ amber further enhances the collection of extraordinary dials created by the house. The rich, moiré yellow of this exceptionally rare material surrounds the two iconic tourbillons in the eponymous collection. The amber brings softness and texture to the grey gold of the case and skeletonised bridges and the pure white of the opal hour dials, as well as an array of different and unique reflections, in the image of this exceptional and vibrant one-off edition.
Fossilisation
Contrary to common belief, not all amber is translucent orange. Baltic amber has a creamy appearance and a surprising variety of colours. The shade chosen by Arnold & Son is a warm, moiré yellow.
This amber is the fossilised resin of a wide variety of plants, particularly conifers, which grew on the Baltic Sea coast some 44 million years ago. Carried away by rising water levels, the plant matter began the geologically slow process of transformation. It gave rise to this precious, highly sought-after, symbolically rich material of astonishing aesthetic refinement.
While natural materials – such as Arnold & Son’s signature stones – make each dial unique, amber adds an extra dimension of individuality. Exposure to sunlight will alter the shade of the stone over time. This will cause a perceptible change in the colour and opacity of the material, which will age very differently depending on how its wearer uses the timepiece.
Craftsmanship
Double Tourbillon White Gold draws on the Manufacture’s design, production, finishing and adjustment capabilities. The sapphire crystal is convex to accommodate the depth of the two tourbillons, which are in turn each secured to a three-dimensional, skeletonised, cantilevered bridge in white gold. They are also at the end of a double gear train. The A&S8513 calibre is thus equipped with two barrels, two crowns and two time zones.
They can display the same time, two different times, or one can tell the time while the other is timing a long event. Unlike the vast majority of so-called travel watches, Double Tourbillon White Gold can thus adapt to time zones that are offset by 15, 30 or 45 minutes.
FINISHES
The structure of this movement is underscored by extremely sophisticated finishes. This is a speciality of the Arnold & Son manufacture, and it is taken to the very highest level in this model. From the radiating Côtes de Genève stripes to the circular-grained mainplate, the double-snailed barrels, the sunray-brushed crown wheels and the polished gold chatons, everything about the A&S8513 calibre exudes elevation, craftsmanship and excellence.
The bevelling, satin-finishing and mirror-polishing of the tourbillon bridges in solid white gold is the highlight of an exceptionally elegant display in relief. Double Tourbillon White Gold offers a mechanical and ornamental counterpart to the symbolic aesthetic that reigns on its dial.
