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If the leaders of the modern watch industry was asked, “if they had the opportunity, with any of the historical figures they would like to meet” John Arnold would have been one of the most popular people on the list.
English watchmaker has earned a name for himself the creator of the most precise chronometer of his era.
Chronometers Arnold participated in many geographical discoveries 18-19 century, and played a crucial role in the expansion of the British Empire’s borders.
They visited Madagascar with Admiral Harland, at the North Pole with Captain Phipps, in the China Sea with George Robertson, South Africa with Dr.
David Livingstone, and many other places.
It was first described by John Arnold ship watch “chronometer”.
He also simplified the structure of the movement, making it possible to mass production.
In addition, he is credited with developing the concept of the tourbillon, though Abraham Louis Breguet and is considered by its creator.
At the end of his life, John Arnold gave a workshop to his son Roger.
However, more than a century ago, it fell into disrepair.
In 1995, the company was reborn and continues the tradition of fine watchmaking in the Swiss town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
By 2010, it became fully integrated textiles, which creates its own mechanisms and even produces its own tools.
Today «Arnold & Son» supports the philosophy of production which originated more than 200 years ago, combining traditional manual work with cutting-edge technology.
For each new model watches the company is developing a new caliber and production technology “from scratch” – in contrast to many other watch brands that are either using the old mechanisms, or buy them on the side.
The company is proud to say – at least two new mechanisms are developed every year in its walls – and this is something so mean.
John Roger Arnold ahead of its time in creating a reliable chronometric instruments.
Nowadays, the master «Arnold & Son» rethink their achievements, but do not repeat them, because the idea is to continue the story, but not copy it.
In «Arnold & Son» watchmakers are working more than 30 different professions with different education – and learn some of them can only be in Switzerland.
Life hours begins with the creation of the image.
Design team develops its image size, thickness.
The task here – to achieve mechanical harmony.
Then create an inner part, which will lead to the aesthetics of movement.
Each mechanism has its own history, some of them inspired by historical patterns.
For example, «DBS Equation Sidereal» clock produced based on two pocket watches, known as № № 1 and 2, Roger Arnold created between 1796 and 1799.
Original watch have Z-balance with temperature compensation, the mean solar and sidereal time and an additional second dial at 6 o’clock.
one else – chronometer «TBR» (True Beat and Retrograde) freezes with a second hand.
Legacy «TBR» dates back to the days when the marine chronometers used to calculate longitude at sea.
Its historical prototype of (chronometer number 8623), was created by Roger Arnold, together with Charles Frodshamom in 1855.
It was a very unusual timepiece in which the hour and minute displays the average time on a sub-dial to the left and right symmetrical dial showing power reserve.
At the same time, the main dial takes seconds with the optional split-chronograph.
«Arnold & Son» Many of the mechanisms are the first of their kind.
In 2013, the company created the world’s thinnest tourbillon (at the time), putting it in a «UTTE» Clock (Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement).
And introduced the «Golden Wheel» Watch a couple of years – the first time that freezes the second hand is accompanied by display of “wandering hours”.
In one watch can be used several materials – brass, nickel, steel, gold and titanium.
The metal from which the details of the mechanism may be different depending on the version of the model and housing concrete hours.
Also, different finish can be used for different metals.
A finesse finishing «Arnold & Son» was famous since its founding.
Miniature paintings, blackening, notched enamel, engraving.
Even marine chronometers Arnold decorated with hand-engraved with floral ornaments.
It is an English-style .
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The abundance of materials and decoration, often with spectacular richness of detail – either on the dial or in the form of exquisitely decorated mechanism – and today create a unique style of «Arnold & Son».
For example, in hours «UTTE» hand-engraved tourbillon bridge and «TE8 Tourbillon Métiers dArt» whole mechanism is decorated with a unique motif engraving, created specifically for this model.
In the case of «TE8», pattern composed of complex geometric elements diverging from the mechanism center to its edges.
Each instance of clock decorated by hand engraver own «Arnold & Son».
Such thin engraving becomes even more time-consuming matter what mechanism is made of solid nickel silver, brass and not as usual.
Therefore, the engraver has to take care not to slip in the picture, and constantly sharpen tools due to high wear.
“In today’s digital world, mechanics must impress” – believe in the company.
That such steel watches «Arnold & Son Globetrotter», presented at «Baselworld» this year.
New «Globetrotter» – the first mechanism «Arnold & Son» with world time.
This is an interesting example of this strategy of the company – to take quite a traditional complication and have a bright idea.
«Globetrotter» equipped with one of the largest in the world of 3D-models of the Earth in a wristwatch.
And the Earth rotates once every 24 hours to provide a world time function.
Using chemical etching on a brass coated hemisphere different textures continents and oceans, then polished protruding “land surface”.
“Mountain areas” have undergone sandblasting, thereby creating a visual effect of depth.
“Oceans” by hand lacquered various blue hues, reflecting the depth.
Then the whole world time disc treated with a layer of transparent varnish and finally polished.
The result – a hemisphere full of realistic details.
In terms of design, the image of the northern hemisphere of the world time display itself – is not a new idea.
But to use a curved brass disk, etching and polishing to obtain a 3D-view – it is a real rarity.
In addition, here we see not only skillful, but also sculpture and realistic image of the Earth’s hemisphere, as if the owner of the hours watching it from space.
However, with complications, too, there is a nuance .
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The basis of normal hours of world time is a rotating 24-hour dial, which allows you to read the time in different time zones, represented by the names of cities on the outer ring of the dial.
Clocks showing the time in different parts of the Earth through the actual rotating globe, are much less common, and perhaps they should consider the astronomical clock as much as with the world time clock.
According to tradition, «Arnold & Son Globetrotter» manages the new automatic caliber «A & S 6022 ‘, designed specifically for this model.
Mechanism 29 operates on the stones and its blackened central rotor decorated embossed mosaic of rhombuses.
In mechanical watches have a soul – the company says.
This is a lovely, self-contained universe of tiny parts, functioning on its own.
And it brings together two aspects – the aesthetic and mechanical.
In today’s world of mass production is nice to have on your wrist work old school, wearing a handmade thing, watching the tiny wheels and gears.
The watch has a memory, and, as well as precious stones, will be valued forever.
Ironically, the hype around the smart watch has had an involuntary service traditional watchmaking.
The more progress is included in our daily lives, the more people are interested in a mechanical watch, wanting to know what happens in a fascinating microcosm of the mechanism.
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