The situation itself is large at 46mm, which is appropriate considering just how much there is to love on the dial side. Everything is on screen and demonstrates some of the most lavishly decorated elements the brand is capable of producing. The main pivoting elements such as the wheels, barrels, the tourbillon, and many others are each mounted on their bridge. The triangular, multilevel bridges (no less than thirteen) are largely skeletonized, providing a more modern sense of three-dimensional thickness to the full timepiece. The interior dial bezel is also Rhodium treated with black indexes and water resistance is ample at 30m. Indoors, the COSC-certified calibre A&S8600 works at 4Hz with the help of a double barrel system which ensure 90 hours of power reserve when fully wrapped. It is manually wound, using a main plate and bridges handled using a golden coat, echoing the aesthetics of the historic pocket watches made by John Arnold. The core of the watch, the tourbillon, features a traditional construction with a high bridge, while the mirror-polished cage has the signature Arnold & Son three-spoke layout, making a complete turn in 60 seconds.The primary plate can also be set with mirror-polished 18k gold chatons and the wheels at the gear train are adorned with curved satin finishing with chamfered and polished edges. Even the screws are beveled and feature mirror-polished heads. Though complex in its implementation, the motion allows for a tasteful and easy time-only display with running moments. Pieces like the Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement (hands on) along with the Time Pyramid (hands-on) and this, the Arnold & Son DBG Skeleton view, that offers a Double Balance and GMT complication (which is where the acronym DBG originates) along with an impressively symmetrical motion shown off in complete using a skeletonized dial and display caseback.
Launched at Baselworld 2013, the HM Perpetual Moon from Arnold & Son is one of the largest moon phase displays available today, with a moon phase disc of 29 mm.
Today is the date of the “Supermoon”, when the moon appears larger than normal, thanks to it being closest to the Earth during its elliptical orbit. In horology the HM Perpetual Moon from Arnold & Son is a contender for the wristwatch equivalent. A simple, but somewhat romantic, timepiece, the HM Perpetual Moon has the hours and minutes, and also a moon phase in grand detail and scale. The watch case is 42 mm in diameter, but the moon phase disc is 29 mm and the moon itself is 11.2 mm, taking up half the dial. It depicts the moon in realistic detail, craters and all. The moon itself is cast from a hand-engraved die and then inserted onto the moon phase disc.
Set via a pusher in the case, the moon phase is mirrored by another moon phase display on the movement. This has an easy to read graduated dial for more accurate setting of the moon phase. Like most moon phase watches, this is accurate to a day in 122.5 years.
Inside is the A&S1512 manual wind calibre, with double barrels and an 80 hour power reserve. It was developed and manufactured by movement specialist La Joux-Perret, the sister company of Arnold & Son, both of which are now owned by Citizen.
Pictured above is the HM Perpetual Moon Elegant in rose gold with a brilliant blue lacquered dial that is extremely striking, and a retail price of SFr26,200. More restrained is the Classic model (shown below), also in rose gold but with an eggshell dial; this retails for SFr25,520. Additionally, a steel version with a black dial, the HM Perpetual Moon Modern, is also available with a retail price of SFr14,000. All prices exclude taxes. – SJX
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| HM Perpetual Moon Classic |
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| HM Perpetual Moon Elegant |
