Arnold & Son

Although the Arnold & Son name refers to a tradition stretching back to 1764, the brand itself wasn't created until 1995. It was established by Swiss manufacturer British Masters SA to pay tribute to great British watchmakers. Arnold & Son eulogizes the famous master watchmaker John Arnold, who was the force behind some groundbreaking developments in chronometry in the 18th century.

Watches from Arnold & Son are characterized by complicated in-house calibers, which often boast tourbillons, elaborately designed moon phases, and world time displays. One of the brand's specialties is the jumping seconds, which they call "True Beat" seconds. The movements themselves are of the finest quality, elaborately finished, and often skeletonized. They all share the same design elements that John Arnold himself had used in his creations. The watches come in stainless steel, palladium, platinum, and various gold alloys.

Despite the high level of craftsmanship, watches from Arnold & Son are relatively affordable, and are therefore prized among collectors and connoisseurs.

Prices for Arnold & Son watches start at around 3,200 USD on Chrono24. This amount will get you an older model like the chronographs in the Timekeeper series, or a refined three-hand women's watch.

Current models with complications run between 10,000 and 33,000 USD. Prices primarily depend on materials and complications; for example, a stainless steel watch with a world time display will be more affordable than a rose gold model featuring perpetual calendar and equation of time complications.

Prices for watches with particularly elaborate complications and/or embellishments are increasing noticeably. Premium models change hands for sums of up to 95,000 USD.

The watches in the Nebula, Time Pyramid, and DSTB collections are in essence three-hand watches. However, their technical prowess is not to be underestimated.

Arnold & Son Nebula

Arnold & Son first introduced the Nebula collection in 2016. Since then, it's become a permanent fixture in the manufacturer's portfolio. The most distinctive feature of these watches is their skeletonized, manual caliber. It is completely symmetrical and has two barrels: one at 2 o'clock and one at 10, which provide the Nebula with its impressive 90-hour power reserve. The balance wheel is accommodated at 4 o'clock, while the small seconds sits at 8.

All movement parts are held by bridges evenly spaced out in a star pattern around the time display. This design creates the impression that all parts of the movement are laid out right in front of you.

Arnold & Son offer the Nebula in 41.5 and 38-mm stainless steel or red gold cases. Prices for new watches on Chrono24 fall between 11,500 and 13,000 USD, depending on the exact version.

Arnold & Son Time Pyramid

The Time Pyramid uses a manual caliber, which is shaped like a pyramid along the vertical axis. The balance is located at the top of the construction at 12 o'clock. Directly below, you'll find the escapement, gear train, small seconds, and decentralized display for the hours and minutes. The time display is flanked by the two mainspring barrels. They are almost identical and both have a power reserve indicator, which you can find at 3 and 9 o'clock, respectively. Due to its unique structure, the crown on the Time Pyramid is located at 6 o'clock.

The movement is entirely skeletonized. The plates and bridges have been reduced to an absolute minimum to ensure as much of the technology as possible is on display.

The 44.6-mm Time Pyramid is available in stainless steel or rose gold, costing about 14,000 and 31,000 USD in new condition, respectively.

Arnold & Son DSTB

DSTB stands for "Dual-Side True Beat." This model is equipped with "True Beat" jumping seconds, the mechanism for which is flaunted on the watch's dial. The assembly takes up a good portion of the upper half of the dial. One eye-catching detail is the escapement's pallet fork, which is shaped like a small anchor. The watch displays the hours and minutes on a subdial positioned off-center at 5 o'clock.

Inside the case, you'll find an automatic in-house caliber with a 45-hour power reserve running at 28,800 vph.

The Arnold & Son DSTB is available in stainless steel, rose gold, and platinum. There are two sizes: 42 or 44 mm. Depending on which material and case size you choose, you can expect to pay between 15,000 and 23,000 USD.

The Luna Magna and the Perpetual Moon put a spotlight on the Moon. The Globetrotter, on the other hand, offers an interesting world time display.

Arnold & Son Luna Magna

A three-dimensional moon phase display dominates the dials of the timepieces in the Luna Magna collection. The indicator consists of a small sphere, half of which is white marble, while the other half is made of dark aventurine. The display sits at 6 o'clock and occupies most of the lower part of the dial. The hours and minutes can be found at 12 o'clock.

Turn the timepiece over, and you'll be greeted with an elaborately finished manual caliber visible through the sapphire crystal case back. What's more, there's a second moon phase indicator with a pointer to facilitate setting the complication on the dial side.

The Luna Magna measures 44 mm across and comes in platinum, rose gold, or gray gold. Prices for this moon phase watch begin at around 24,000 USD on Chrono24.

Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon

The moon phase indicator is also the dominant design element on the Perpetual Moon. It takes up almost the entire upper half of the dial, making it one of the largest displays of this kind. The moon, made of mother-of-pearl or rhodium, sits on a dark blue celestial disc, which is further decorated with the constellations of Cassiopeia and Ursa Major.

This moon phase display is particularly accurate: Provided that the watch is always supplied with enough energy, the display only needs to be corrected by a single day after 122 years.

The Perpetual Moon is available in 38 or 41.5 mm. As for materials, you have the choice between rose gold, platinum, and gray gold. Depending on the model, plan to invest between around 13,000 and 26,000 USD.

Arnold & Son Globetrotter

The Globetrotter is the world time watch in Arnold & Son's current catalog, evidenced by the half-globe in the center of the dial. It shows the northern hemisphere from the North Pole and is held in place by a bridge-like arch that spans from 3 to 9 o'clock. The hand-painted globe rotates once every 24 hours, meaning you can read what time it is at any point on the northern hemisphere with the surrounding 24-hour scale.

The watch displays the local time with two central hands beneath the globe; though only the luminous red tips are visible.

This watch uses an automatic movement and comes in stainless steel, rose gold, and platinum. The diameter clocks in at 45 mm. Prices vary depending on the material and come in between 9,000 and 22,000 USD.

The tourbillon has special significance for Arnold & Son. Abraham Louis Breguet developed the complication at the end of the 18th century at the suggestion of his good friend, John Arnold. Breguet later honored Arnold's encouragement by presenting one of the first functional tourbillons in an Arnold & Son pocket watch with the dedication "HOMMAGE DE BREGUET À LA MÉMOIRE RÉVÉRÉE D'ARNOLD, OFFERT À SON FILS. AN 1808." (Breguet's homage to the revered memory of Arnold. Presented to his son in the year 1808).

Arnold & Son currently have two models with this high-tech component in their catalog: the Tourbillon Chronometer and the Ultrathin Tourbillon.

Arnold & Son Tourbillon Chronometer

The Arnold & Son Tourbillon Chronometer comes in a rose gold or stainless steel case, both measuring 46 mm in diameter. The manufacturer opted to strip back the dial to reveal the skeletonized movement beneath. The upper half of the watch is punctuated with two barrels that work in unison to provide the timepiece with its 90-hour power reserve.

The tourbillon takes up residence at 4 o'clock, while the small seconds completes the watch's symmetry at 8. The movement holds certification as a chronometer from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Listings for stainless editions on Chrono24 come in at around 35,000 USD. The rose gold chronographs demand an investment closer to 50,000 USD.

Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon

The Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon leaves no doubt as to the brand's technical prowess. The tourbillon, which is not even 3 mm thick, is on full display through the aperture at 6 o'clock. It is one of the thinnest tourbillons in existence. The wearer reads the time from the subdial at 12, off-centered humbly at the top of the watch to give the tourbillon center stage.

The Ultrathin Tourbillon measures 41.5 mm across and is available in rose gold or platinum. Expect a price tag of around 70,000 USD.

The watches in the Grandes Complications collection are outfitted with particularly complex calibers. The Arnold & Son Double Tourbillon, for example, displays two timezones; one at 12 o'clock and the other at 6. As the name suggests, each subdial has its own tourbillon. Not only that, but each timezone has a dedicated crown: The crown at 2 o'clock is used to set the local time, while the crown at 8 adjusts the second time zone.

Another marvel in the Grandes Complications collection is the Constant Force Tourbillon. This model was of course given a tourbillon, but that's not all it has to offer. The timepiece uses a jumping seconds mechanism and a special component to ensure that the mainspring always transmits consistent energy to the balance system. The latter guarantees that the watch offers extreme accuracy.

Production numbers for Grandes Complications watches tend to be low, making them highly exclusive and rare on the secondary market. If you do happen to come across a listing, don't be surprised if prices reach 100,000 USD.

Arnold & Son Métiers d'Arts

Watches in the Métiers d'Arts series are also rare finds. The line is home to artistically-embellished editions of models from other collections. For instance, the Ultrathin Tourbillon Dragon and Phoenix uses the blueprint of the Ultrathin Tourbillon with the addition of handcrafted depictions of a dragon and a phoenix.

In the same vein, the Perpetual Moon Year of the Tiger features all the characteristics of the Perpetual Moon, but with a golden tiger on the dial as an extra detail.

Arnold & Son produces these timepieces in limited production runs, which is why they are difficult to find.

Arnold & Son have a number of discontinued models that could make for an interesting addition to your collection.

One such timepiece is the Arnold & Son TB88; at first glance, you might confuse this 46-mm model for the Tourbillon Chronometer. After all, the movement is almost identical, and even the jumping seconds makes an appearance at 8 o'clock. But take a few more moments to have a closer look, and you'll notice that there is no tourbillon. The good news: the TB88 offers a commendable 100-hour power reserve and is significantly more affordable. The stainless steel version changes hands for as little as 11,000 USD, while the rose gold edition sells for closer to 30,000 USD.

The Arnold & Son Utte Tourbillon is a great alternative to the Ultrathin Tourbillon. In essence, this watch differs only in its slightly thicker build. The Utte Tourbillon is available in rose gold or palladium for around the 20,000 USD mark.

Fans of complicated and detailed watches should browse through the brand's Hornet collection. These watches measure a stately 47-mm in diameter and boast a world time complication, annual calendar with an outsize date, and a solar time display. Another defining detail are the four crowns at 2, 3, 9, and 10 o'clock, respectively. Collectors are particularly keen on the Hornet watches in the James Cook series; their dials are decorated with small paintings from the famous explorer's life. Stainless steel copies of the Hornet start on Chrono24 from around 8,000 USD. The rose gold watches cost up to 22,000 USD.

The final example is the Arnold & Son True North Perpetual, a 45-mm watch with numerous complications: perpetual calendar, moon phase display, power reserve display, equation of time, and a solar display. the watch has a rotating inner compass ring, which can be used to determine the geographic north with the hand indicating solar time. You'll find this rose gold model in the Instruments collection for around 25,000 USD.

John Arnold was one of the most influential watchmakers of the 18th century, breaking new ground for the development of marine chronometers. His creations accompanied seafaring legacies like Constantine John Phipps, John Franklin, James Cook, and Ernest Shackleton on dangerous expeditions across the seven seas. It was also Arnold who coined the term "chronometer" for particularly accurate watches.

Arnold had garnered attention for his horological inventions at an even earlier stage in his life. One notable occasion was the fully-functional watch complete with minute repeater he put inside a ring for British King George III. This timepiece still holds the title as one of the smallest watches of its kind today.

In 1787, Arnold founded Arnold & Son with his son John Roger Arnold, who had learned the watchmaking trade from his father's good friend Abraham Louis Breguet. John Roger took over the business in 1796 until his death in 1843. Leaving no heirs, the English master watchmaker Charles Frodsham acquired the rights to Arnold & Son and continued to make watches under the name for a few more years. However, from the mid-19th century, Frodsham began to market watches under his own name, and the Arnold & Son brand fell into oblivion for more than 100 years.

In 1995, Swiss watchmaker Eric A. Loth had the idea of launching modern watches inspired by the tradition of British watchmakers. He founded the British Masters SA shortly thereafter. In addition to Arnold & Son, the Graham brand, named after watchmaker George Graham, is another one of the company's entities. In 2010, Loth sold The British Masters SA to movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret. Two years later, La Joux-Perret, and thus Arnold & Son, became part of the Japanese Citizen Group.