Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium
Swiss luxury watch brand Arnold & Son presents Longitude Titanium, a sports-chic COSC-certified chronometer with a 42.5 mm titanium case. Inspired by the great English watchmaker John Arnold’s marine chronometers, this new automatic timepiece boasts a power-reserve display at 12 o’clock and an imposing seconds counter at 6 o’clock.
Available in Kingsand, Ocean Blue and Fern Green versions, Longitude Titanium’s dial is vertical satin-finished in a continuation of the bracelet’s finish, which is subtly intersected by the polished edges of its links.
The curves and profile of the case are directly inspired by the design of contemporary sailing boats. The case middle is taut like a ship’s waterline, while the case back is basin-shaped like a keel.
The base of the bezel – the ship’s rail – is graduated with 60 notches, echoing the fluted ring of John Arnold’s marine chronometers. The finishes – polished on the flanks and satin-finished on the flat surfaces – continue this high-sea influence. The crown, protected by a shoulder, is screwed down to guarantee water-resistance to 100 metres.
Each timepiece is fitted with an integrated titanium bracelet. Everything is rounded with no straight lines, even in the finer details as the links themselves are domed. The succession of gentle curves and combination of polished and satin-finished surfaces are a continuation of the case’s identity. Longitude Titanium is complemented by an interchangeable system and comes with an additional rubber strap.
The dial of Longitude Titanium has been designed in a graphic and historical spirit. This graphic aspect can be seen in the satin-finished, polished and luminescent hour-markers that recall the shape of the bracelet links.
It is also graphic in the display of its indications, which are aligned with the vertical axis of the dial: a mirror-polished power-reserve indicator shown by cut-outs in the dial at 12 o’clock, the hour and minute hands in the centre, and the imposing small seconds at 6 o’clock.
However, this layout was also chosen for its ties to John Arnold’s marine chronometers, as it was he who introduced this arrangement and established it as standard.
Cornwall, John Arnold’s birthplace, inspired the colours of the Longitude dials. The first edition, limited to 88 timepieces, is adorned with a sandy golden shade called ‘Kingsand’ in reference to the eponymous beach, which is one of the county’s hidden jewels. The second version sports an ocean blue, while the third and final series is a fern green.
At the heart of Longitude Titanium beats the new A&S6302 calibre, certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). It is wound by an oscillating weight with a design influenced by sailing. Its shape is reminiscent of the prow of an 18th-century English frigate cleaving through the water, and it is carved from a single block of 22-carat gold. Its felloe is engraved with graduations similar to those on a sextant – another maritime element.
The calibre comes with the same high standard of finishes commonly seen at Arnold & Son, such as chamfered bridges with the house’s specialty ‘Rayons de la Gloire’ motif.
Like all its movements, the A&S6302 was entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and cased up at the Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This calibre features a large barrel and an oscillation frequency of 4 Hz, providing a 60-hour power reserve.
Model: Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium
Versions
Kingsand gold: 1LTAT.J01A.N001U
Ocean blue: 1LTAT.U01A.N001U
Fern green: 1LTAT.F01A.N001U
Movement
Calibre A&S6302, self-winding mechanical, COSC-certified
Jewels: 36
Diameter: 33.00 mm
Thickness: 6.65 mm
Power reserve: 60 hours
Frequency: 4 Hz/28,000 vph
Movement finishes
Mainplate: palladium finish, circular-grained
Bridges: palladium finish, polished and chamfered, ‘Rayons de la Gloire’ motif
Wheels: golden finish, circular satin-finished
Screws: blued and chamfered, mirror-polished heads
Oscillating weight: 22-carat red gold (5N), skeletonised, chamfered, engraved
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve
Dial
Kingsand gold, ocean blue or fern green PVD treatment, vertical satin finish
Power reserve: blue PVD treatment, golden finish or rhodium-plating, mirror-polished
Small seconds: snailed
Hour-markers: rhodium-plated or golden finish, coated with Super-LumiNova
Hands: rhodium-plated or golden finish, skeletonised, coated with Super-LumiNova
Case
Material: Titanium
Diameter: 42.5 mm
Thickness: 12.25 mm (with crystal)
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective coating on both sides
Case back: Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
Water-resistance: 10 bar (100 m/330 ft)
Strap
Interchangeable bracelet in titanium
Folding clasp
Additional strap: Blue or green rubber, titanium pin buckle
Limited edition
Kingsand gold: 88 timepieces
Ocean blue: not limited
Fern green: not limited
Swiss retail price
Kingsand gold: CHF 22,600 incl. VAT (subject to change)
Ocean blue: CHF 21,500 incl. VAT (subject to change)
Fern green: CHF 21,500 incl. VAT (subject to change)
