Arnold & Son has launched the new DSTB 42 watch in platinum and red gold versions. DSTB stands for ‘Dial-Side True Beat’, and these watches reveal the true-beat seconds mechanism on the dial side.
Under its openwork and finely chamfered gold bridges, its characteristic anchor powers a seconds hand at a broad rhythm. The case and movement of this essential timepiece have been entirely revised, refined and improved. With two inaugural limited series – one in red gold, the other in platinum – Arnold & Son reaffirms its historic attachment to marine chronometers.
The true-beat seconds function is characteristic of the instruments that John Arnold supplied to the Royal Navy. Their escapement used to beat at one oscillation per second, naturally indicated by a sweep-seconds hand. This explicit function inspired Arnold & Son to create one of its most iconic complications: ‘True Beat’, also known as deadbeat seconds.
The distinctive feature of the DSTB collection is that it displays this mechanism in full on the dial, hence the ‘Dial-Side True Beat’ name.
True-beat seconds require a dedicated mechanism. No escapement in a compact watch, especially one worn on the wrist, functions at a native frequency of one oscillation per second. Here, the sweep-seconds hand on the DSTB 42 jumps from second to second, powered by a mechanism similar to an escapement, developed by Arnold & Son’s watchmakers.
In the DSTB watch, true-beat seconds needed to be displayed in a way that reflects its historic importance for Arnold & Son. The choice to place it on the dial side creates an additional level in the calibre. This, in turn, required three dedicated bridges, fashioned in line with the Arnold & Son aesthetic, whose graphic design and finishes give the dial its truly unique appearance.
They are open-worked, three-dimensional and carefully crafted from red or white gold, depending on the DSTB 42 version. This true-beat seconds mechanism fills the space with its presence, balanced out by the off-centred hours dial in white opal.
The DSTB collection was one of the founding pieces in the Arnold & Son catalogue. Its first version measured 44 mm in diameter. It featured a calibre that was 7.40 mm thick, allowing a 45-hour power reserve.
The DSTB 42 improves on each of these points. The exclusive Manufacture calibre A&S6203 is 5.54 mm thick and offers 55 hours of autonomy. The case drops to 42 mm in diameter and settles for a total thickness of 12.95 mm.
The DSTB 42 Red Gold version is paired with a blue PVD-treated dial, whereas the Platinum model comes with a dial featuring a rose-gold PVD treatment known as ‘salmon’.
In both versions, the dial is sunray-brushed before being tinted, the starting point of the finish coinciding with the centre of the true-beat seconds.
The DSTB 42 Red Gold and the DSTB 42 Platinum are powered by the calibre A&S6203, which has been entirely developed, machined, assembled and adjusted in the Arnold & Son Manufacture.
Designed to work in harmony with the true-beat seconds mechanism, this calibre is self-winding thanks to an oscillating weight in 22-carat gold. It features a 55-hour power reserve and a regulating organ oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Technical details
Model: Arnold & Son DSTB 42 Platinum and DSTB 42 Red Gold
Movement
Calibre A&S6203, self-winding mechanical
Jewels: 32
Diameter: 33 mm
Thickness: 5.54 mm (8.33 mm on the bridges of the true-beat seconds)
Power reserve: 55 hours
Frequency: 4 Hz / 28,800 vph
Finishes
Main plate: palladium finish, Côtes De Genève stripes radiating from the centre
Bridges: polished and chamfered
Wheels: circular satin-finished
Screws: blued and chamfered, polished heads
Oscillating weight: 22-carat gold
True-beat seconds mechanism: 18-carat gold bridges, polished and chamfered
Functions
Hours, minutes, true-beat seconds
Dial
Sunray-brushed, with blue or salmon PVD treatment
Hours dial: White opal
Case
18-carat (5N) red gold or platinum (Pt 950) case
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 12.95 mm
Crystal: Domed sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on both sides
Case back: Sapphire with an anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 3 bar (30 metres/100 feet)
Strap
Blue alligator leather strap, hand-stitched
Clasp pin buckle, 18-carat (5N) red gold or platinum (Pt 950)
References
Red gold: 1ATCR.U01A.C200A
Platinum: 1ATCX.P01A.C200X
Limited editions
Red gold: 88 timepieces
Platinum: 38 timepieces
Swiss retail price
Red gold: CHF 42,600 incl. tax (subject to change)
Platinum: CHF 54,400 incl. tax (subject to change)
