Hands-On With the Thinnest Tourbillon in the Market

Baselworld is the largest exhibition of luxury watches and jewelry in the world. The largest luxury watch brands from around the world are present at Baselworld and use that week to introduce their latest models. There is so much anticipation building up among watch enthusiasts the weeks leading up to Baselworld and rumors swirling about what the new models from Rolex, Patek Philippe, Panerai, and many brands will look like. Although most of the early attention is focused on these well-known brands, there are many other smaller brands that are in attendance. And oftentimes, these brands can offer the most exciting, unique, and incredible watches of the whole exhibition.

The palace is the area of Baselworld that houses the smaller luxury brands that may not be as well known as the larger brands. Just because they do not have the name recognition does not mean they do not have equally magnificent watches. One of the most attention-grabbing watches in the Palace area was a tourbillon from Arnold & Son. John Arnold was a British watchmaker in the 1700s. He was extremely talented and created timepieces for some of the wealthiest clients in Britain, including King George III. Arnold’s “No. 36” was the first piece to ever be considered a chronometer. Through his leadership, Arnold & Son watches became known as some of the most incredible timepieces of its time, and the company continues this reputation today.

The Arnold & Son UTTE (Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement) was introduced at Baselworld, breaking several records. With a height of 8.34 mm, this watch is the thinnest tourbilon watch currently on the market. It is powered by a calibre A&S8200 movement, which can be viewed through the transparent case back. The case is made of red gold and palladium. This watch was manufactured at Arnold & Son’s workshops in La Chaux-de-Fonds and is a part of the brand’s Instrument collection.

The UTTE is the perfect combination of innovation and elegant design. This watch took several years of development and research. In addition to being the thinnest tourbillon in the market, the Arnold & Son UTTE has several other incredible features. The UTTE has a power reserve of 80 hours, which is made possible by the double barrel to offer constant force. The movement is only 2.97 mm thick with a diameter of 8.34 mm and the spherical tourbillon cage is 14 mm in diameter.

Another beautiful watch from Arnold & Son is its new DBG, named after its two major complications, the double balance and GMT. It is powered by the brand’s new A&S1209 calibre. The dial features two separate time displays, which are driven by separate barrels and gear trains. This feature (double barrel and escapement) is rarely found in watches today. The idea behind it is that it allows the watch to house separate complications. The accuracy and performance of one complication will not be affected by another complication or have its energy drained.

Another impressive aspect of this watch is the aesthetic appeal. The dial is incredibly symmetrical, featuring two subdials that can be set to tell the time in separate time zones. The movement is also fairly symmetrical, with gears, trains, and bridges set symmetrically on either side of the movement. The Côtes de Genève stripes on the bottom of the dial finish the look of elegance and symmetry. The movement is made of nickel-silver and comes with a silvery-white and silvery opaline dial or a light-grey and silver opaline dial. The case is 18 carat rose gold or stainless steel with an anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal. The two strap options are hand-stitched brown or black alligator leather.

Also on display at the Arnold & Son booth at Baselworld was the newest addition to the Instrument Collection, a tribute to the East Indiamen. This collection is in honor of the Easy India trading company, whose maritime precision was reached through chronometer similar to the one John Arnold created. The mother-of-pearl dial features hand painted replicas of three maritime paintings from the National Maritime Museum in London. The watch is self-winding and has a power reserve of 50 hours. This is a limited edition collection, coming in 28 sets of 3 timepieces.

Here are several of the other incredible Arnold & Son watches that were present at Baselworld:

Arnold & Son put on an extremely impressive show at Baselworld. These watches were some of the most impressive watches at Baselworld we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to look at each individual watch!