The HMS1 collection is hailed not only as a tribute to John Arnold’s originality and skill but also to the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds itself, cradle of Swiss watchmaking and home to the Company.
The newest addition to the mid-complication HMS1 collection features an anthracite dial in an elegant steel case which will be in a limited edition of 250. The case is a classic 40mm in diameter and houses an in-house hand-wound movement which is only 2.7 mm thick. It’s also available in a stainless steel silvered dial and in rose gold with a black dial.
The Arnold & Son dynasty began in 1764 when John Arnold, a young clockmaker in London, first became noticed for his talents by King George III-who asked Arnold to join his courts. Throughout his career, Arnold was intent on trying to solve the problem of finding longitude at sea, and worked diligently on creating seafaring timepieces.
From 1767 on, he ran several trials with clocks on board ships at sea. Each one led him to new horological inventions, including the spring detent escapement, the bimetallic spring and the helical balance spring.
Two barrels
A stand out feature of the HMS1 is the presence of two barrels providing fully 80 hours of power reserve. Where most watches in this category only provide a single barrel, the use of two barrels results in greater and more constant power and force which in turn results in improved accuracy.
With further details such as hand angling and decoration of all bridges and fine hand stitching on the alligator strap, this HMS1 line is a true modern expression of the traditional search for precision combined with superior craftsmanship that Arnold & Son has always pursued. The watch retails at around US$8,300.
Specifications
Movement: Manual movement, calibre A&S1001, diameter 30mm, 2.7 mm thickness. Two barrels providing 80-hours power reserve, 21 jewels, 21’600 vibrations/h. Hour, Minute and Small Second at 6 o’clock. Côtes de Genève guilloché.
Case: 40 mm-diameter with see-through back, crown at 3 o’clock. Cambered sapphire crystal. Water resistance to 30 meters.
Strap: Black or brown alligator strap
