Arnold & Son Globetrotter Gold Limited Edition

With the limited edition Globetrotter Gold watch, Arnold & Son pays tribute to John Arnold’s marine chronometers, which were embarked on English naval ships in the 18th century.

The Globetrotter Gold watch measures 45mm in diameter. In its centre, the dome depicting the Northern Hemisphere is held from side to side by an immense open-worked bridge carved in red gold. This arch is the visual signature of the Globetrotter, and houses in its centre a functional ruby holding the axis of universal time.

With its Globetrotter Gold, Arnold & Son has chosen to refine the aesthetics of this major piece in a way which affirms its elegance and modernity. The appliqué indexes on two planes are faceted in red gold and painted in Super-LumiNova.

The bottom part of the dial which surrounds the map of the world has a subtle sunlit finish in shades of blue, and the ring showing universal time is in transparent sapphire. Local times are therefore read by the red hands pointing to the gold indexes, while world times are identified by visualising an imaginary longitude from the ruby in the central bridge to the24-hour sapphire ring.

The architecture of the Globetrotter Gold crossways bridge is remarkable. Classy and svelte, the bridge is formed of one central piece in solid gold, with openwork taken to the extreme.

The flat parts of the arch are polished, its sides are satin-finished and the long surfaces of its chamfers bevelled. These types of finishes and the level of quality achieved are those commonly applied to the components of Arnold & Son calibres. However, the dimensions of this bridge are considerably larger than they would be within a movement, and thus demanded exceptional care and precision.

At 45 mm, the case of the Globetrotter Gold is vast. The hemisphere was the guideline to its design and its surface area requires a certain amount of space. Above the equator are North America, Eurasia and part of Africa. In reality, the continents form a single rhodium-plated, polished sculpture. In contrast, the Atlas, Hoggar, Himalayan, Rocky, Ural and Alps mountain ranges are given a matt finish.

The oceans are hand painted with several coats of blue-pigmented lacquer enriched with pearlescent powder to bestow exceptional depth and shine. The coastlines are lighter on the blue colour scale with added Super-LumiNova, so that they stand out at night and further accentuate the relief of this small piece of manual craftsmanship.

The Globetrotter Gold is assembled on the Maison’s automatic calibre A&S6022. Like all Arnold &Son movements, it has been entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and fitted at their plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Its oscillating weight is 22-carat gold, skeletonised and features the Clou de Paris guilloché pattern.

The A&S6022 calibre is decorated with the traditional fine watchmaking motifs: stippled mainplate, radiant Côtes de Genève bridges, satin-finished wheels and bevelled, polished screws. Its specific finishes are also NAC-treated. This type of plating uses precious metals close to platinum to produce a particularly high-quality anthracite result that perfectly matches the red gold case of the Globetrotter Gold.

Technical details

Model: Arnold & Son Globetrotter Gold Limited Edition
Product reference: 1WTAR.U01C

Functions
Hours, minutes, and world times (24-hour ring)

Movement
Calibre A&S6022, mechanical self-winding
Jewels: 29
Diameter: 38.00mm
Thickness: 6.55mm
Power reserve: 45 hours
Frequency: 4 Hz/28,800 vph

Finishes
Main plate: stippled and NAC-treated
Bridges: bevelled, polished and NAC-treated radiant Côtes de Genève
Wheels: circular satin-finished and rhodium-plated
Screws: bevelled and mirror-polished
Oscillating weight: 22-carat red gold (5N), guilloché

Dial
Lacquered in shades of sunlit blue
Three-dimensional appliqués in 18-carat rose gold (4N) with Super-LumiNova

24-hour ring: sapphire crystal with traced numbers

Dome of the earth
Continents: rhodium-plated and polished with matt-finished mountain range detailing
Oceans: hand painted in blue lacquer withpearlescent powder
Coastlines: hand painted in blue lacquer with pearlescent powder and Super-LumiNova
Bridge: 18-carat red gold (5N), with polished and satin-finished sides

Case
Material: 18-carat red gold (5N)
Diameter: 45.00mm
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Back: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Water-resistance: 30 metres/100 feet

Strap
Material: hand-stitched blue alligator leather
Buckle: 18-carat red gold (5N) pin buckle

Edition
Limited edition of 28 pieces

Global retail price before tax
CHF 41,900, subject to modification