Meaning that from the front of the watch looking at the caseback that you see a dark reflection and no opinion of your sickly arm hair. So compare this steel “Translucent Back” variant of the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid with the very first version with the totally clear sapphire crystal caseback that I went hands with here. And yes, this “updated” version costs a bit more, of course. How much does this specially tinted sapphire crystal caseback cost you? About $2,000. It will look a bit steep following the first version in steel was released under a year before.The Arnold & Son Time Pyramid watch initially came out in 2013, and in 2014 I reviewed that the 18k rose gold version of this Time Pyramid on aBlogtoWatch here. This remains one of my favorite watches produced by Arnold & Son today due to its unique design, superbly symmetrical movement, and excellent wrist presence. The case is 44.6mm wide (water resistant to only 30 meters) and made with a crown at 6 o’clock thanks to the design of the motion. Additionally, it gives the event a more compact look as a result of the symmetry you get together with the crown posture.
Despite looking like yet another run of the mill tourbillon, the Arnold & Son UTTE (Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement) is special: the watch case is just 8.34 mm thick – and the cal. A&S8200 is a mere 2.97 mm – making it the thinnest tourbillon today.
Developed by Arnold & Son’s sister company La Joux-Perret – both companies are now owned by Citizen of Japan – the flying tourbillon movement has a power reserve of 80 hours, or about three days. In addition, the tourbillon cage is large at 14 mm wide, nearly half the movement diameter of 32 mm.
And the tourbillon carriage is positioned on a higher plane than the movement, making it level with the hands and improving its visibility. Another aesthetic feature is the lack of visible screws on the tourbillon cage.
The UTTE has a 42 mm case in either rose gold or palladium, with each metal being limited to 50 pieces. The rose gold retails for CHF68,420 while the palladium is CHF59,400. – SJX