Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold « Year Of The Dragon »

According to the traditional Chinese calendar, 2024 is a prosperous and harmonious year. Arnold & Son is marking it with a sculptural flying dragon on a dial where the artistic crafts converge. Fine watchmaking, sculpture and miniature painting compose the two versions of Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Dragon”. This limited edition comprising eight pieces features an encounter between a rose gold dragon and a mother-of-pearl moon.

The year of the Wooden Dragon starts on 10 February 2024. The dragon in this element is a harbinger of calm determination; the creature’s natural ardour is tempered by the wood. A year of questioning and control, it is also all about negotiation and generosity. These attributes coalesce to make this an eagerly-awaited year, duly celebrated by Arnold & Son with Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Dragon”.

Illumination

In the inimitable tradition of decorative horology important to Arnold & Son, this year is dedicated to a new “Chinese Zodiac” limited edition in the Perpetual Moon collection. There are two versions, each with eight pieces produced, with a large, panoramic moon illuminating a nocturnal garden setting and a sinuous rose gold (4N) dragon.

The backdrop to this scene is made from aventurine. Black or blue, the glass sparkling with metallic powder gives it a star-studded air. This is a calm union, in line with the subtleties of the Wooden Dragon. In the background stand a few stone pines with gnarled branches evoking the dragon’s shape.

Undulation

This dragon, positioned with its profile against the aventurine glass, is a supremely delicate sculpture with countless hand-crafted details. With powerful feet, dissuasive claws, open maw and whiskers flowing in the wind, this majestic creature drifts between two worlds. Depicted realistically with hand-painted shadows, the large, mother-of-pearl moon is overlaid with Super-LumiNova. It is placed against an aventurine glass sky and surrounded by the constellations of the Great Bear and Cassiopeia, which are also hand-painted and overlaid with luminescent material

The choice of these star patterns is a direct allusion to the history of marine chronometer-maker John Arnold. They have served as guiding lights since the dawn of time. In the middle distance lies the pole star, which unerringly indicates the north. Here, the importance of stars in determining periods, thresholds and symbols in the Chinese zodiac calendar constitutes a unique point of cultural and graphic convergence.

Mechanical excellence

On the case back, a secondary display of the phases of the moon allows fast and accurate adjustment of the moon age. The manuallywound A&S1512 calibre that powers the Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold “Year of the Dragon” is able to track the phases of the moon with exceptional accuracy. The total duration of a lunar cycle is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds. Arnold & Son has approached this so closely that it would take 122 years for this movement, if constantly wound up, to accumulate a 24-hour discrepancy between the display and astronomical reality.

Like all Arnold & Son’s movements, the A&S1512 calibre was entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and cased up at the manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This calibre uses a double barrel with an oscillation frequency of 3 Hz, giving a 90-hour power reserve.

Technical specifications

Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 41.5 Red Gold « Year Of The Dragon »

Reference: 1GLBR.Z07A.C263A - black aventurine

Reference: 1GLBR.Z08A.C264A - blue aventurine

Limited edition of 8 pieces per dial colour

Case

Material: 18-carat red gold (5N)
Diameter: 41.5 mm
Thickness: 11.67 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 m /100 feet)

Dial and hands

• Material: black or blue aventurine glass
• Dragon: 18-carat rose gold (4N), hand-engraved and polished finishes
• Landscape: hand-painted with rose gold powder, overlaid with Super LumiNova
• Sky: black or blue aventurine glass
• Constellations: hand painted, overlaid with Super-LumiNova
• Moon: mother-of-pearl disc with hand-painted details overlaid with Super-LumiNova

Movement

• Calibre A&S1512, hand-wound mechanical
• Number of jewels: 27
• Diameter: 34 mm
• Height: 5.35 mm
• Frequency: 21'600 vph (3 Hz)
• Power reserve of 90 hours

Finishing

• Finishes plate: rhodium-plated, radiating Côtes de Genève stripes
• bridges: polished and chamfered
• wheels: circular satin-finished
• screws: blued and chamfered, polished heads
• second moon phase indicator: rhodium-plated and circular graining

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes, astronomical moon phases, second moon-phase indicator on the back

Strap and buckle

• Black aventurine: spangled black alligator leather, red alligator leather lining, handstitched
• Blue aventurine: ink blue alligator leather, red alligator leather lining, hand-stitched
• Buckle pin buckle, 18-carat red gold (5N)

MSRP: CHF 57'000 (incl. taxes)

For more information, please visit arnoldandson.com