The symmetry of Arnold & Son’s finely skeletonized Time Pyramid placed the watch high on my list of most distinctive movement designs since its debut more than five years ago. Its sculptural presentation, an ode to old English clocks, seems to float between two sapphire crystals.
Arnold & Son was inspired by this British skeleton clock with chain driven fusee, made in England, 1830-1845.
Arnold & Son places the skeletonized caliber (A&S1615) with its balance wheel at twelve o'clock and two mainspring barrels at six o'clock. Between these two points you’ll see nearly every aspect of the gear train, which runs vertically in a linear format connecting the two barrels and the balance wheel. That the dual barrels supply an incredible ninety hours of power reserve only adds to the Time Pyramid’s many admirable technical bona fides.
Manufacture Arnold & Son A&S1615 caliber, hand-wound
Now with a darker presentation, Arnold & Son debuts this Time Pyramid Black Edition, housing the skeletonized movement inside a 44.6mm steel case with a black DLC coating. The movement itself has also been darkened to play up contrasts with rose gold. Thus, while movement’s main plate and bridges are treated in black ADLC, the various wheels of the symmetrical gear train as well as the barrels are given a rose gold treatment, as are all the hands and the frame holding the sapphire hours and minutes dial.
On this edition, the two power reserve indicators stand out quite distinctly against the blackened case treatment. These fairly unusual–some would say odd–power reserve indicators display the energy level for each barrel separately. The power reserve hands indicate the reserve level via dots printed under the top sapphire crystal. In a mini horological lesson, they demonstrate how one barrel transfers energy to the second one when needed. As the first barrel winds the second one, the power reserve indicator of the first barrel goes down, while the second one goes up. Lesson learned.
The Time Pyramid Black Edition is a limited edition of 50 pieces. Price: $31,900.
Specifications:
Arnold & Son Time Pyramid (Black Edition)
Caliber: A&S1615
Manufacture Arnold & Son skeletonized movement, hand-wound, 27 jewels, diameter 37.60 mm, thickness 4.40 mm, power reserve over 90 hours, double barrel, 21,600 vibrations/h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, double power reserve indication
Movement decoration: Skeletonized black ADLC treated movement and golden wheels with Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, Côtes de Genève, circular satin-finished wheels
Dial: Sapphire, circular grained gold treated frame with chamfered and polished edge
Hands: Golden hands, hours and minutes hands with white Super-LumiNova
Case: Stainless steel with black DLC coating, diameter 44.60 mm, cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides, translucent-grey coated sapphire case back, water-resistant to 30 meters
Strap: Hand-stitched black alligator leather