Demonstrating its rich British history and quality Swiss craftsmanship, Arnold & Son unveils the limited edition DSTB (Dial Side True Beat). A tribute to the brand’s 250th anniversary, the DSTB is a testament to its heritage, vision and Haute Horlogerie ingenuity.
The DSTB is part of the Instrument Collection and, like every other model from Arnold & Son, features an in-house mechanical movement. The true beat seconds is a traditional complication of Arnold & Son, and this watch pays tribute to the watches produced by John Arnold during the second half of his career, when he and his son were the first to develop marine chronometers that could be produced in quantity at reasonable prices. Those technically superior, widely distributed chronometers reflected Arnold & Son’s commitment to exceptional precision and solved the problem of determining longitude at sea.
Upholding that legacy, Arnold & Son’s master watchmakers thrive on creating complicated movements for exquisite timepieces. Such is the case with the DSTB watch, a truly innovative technical and architectural achievement. The newly developed automatic movement showcases the true beat seconds' mechanism entirely on the dial side. Not just the hands, but also the lever, wheels and three rose-gold treated true beat seconds bridges are located in all their beauty on the dial side. Making the watch even more alluring is the fact that the true beat seconds lever is shaped like an anchor – paying homage to Arnold’s maritime achievements.
The true beat seconds are superbly indicated via a large sapphire dial that occupies the top left portion of the dial at 11 o’clock. At the 4 o’clock position, a white lacquered domed subdial indicates the hours and the minutes via blued hands. These generously proportioned, overlapping indications translate into a stunning three-dimensional dial.
This restructuring of the intricate mechanism yields a concept not achieved in the watch industry heretofore. The self-winding calibre A&S6003 has 229 components. In true Arnold & Son style, the movement features Haute Horlogerie finishing with hand-chamfered and satin- finished lever and bridges, polished edges and fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes. The visible dial plate is NAC grey treated with large circular finishing, and blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads.
The magnificent timepiece is housed inside a 43.5 mm 18-carat red gold case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal and caseback for viewing the superbly finished movement, complete with skeletonised oscillating weight. The 250th anniversary edition of the DSTB will be limited to just 50 timepieces – underscoring the brand’s commitment to exclusivity and excellence.
Calibre:
- A&S6003
- Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement, self-winding, 32 jewels, diameter 38 mm, thickness 7.39 mm, power reserve 50 h, 28,800 vibrations/h
Functions:
- hours, minutes, true beat seconds
Movement decoration:
- palladium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand-chamfered bridges and polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, dial plate NAC grey treated with large circular finishing, circular satin-finished wheels, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads
- True beat seconds bridges: rose gold treated, satin-finished with hand-chamfered and polished edges
- Oscillating weight: rhodium treated, skeletonised with brushed surfaces
Dial:
- domed and white lacquered, sapphire
Case:
- 18-carat red gold, diameter 43.5 mm, cambered sapphire with anti- reflective coating on both sides, see-through sapphire case back, water- resistant to 30 m
Strap:
- hand-stitched brown or black alligator leather