Arnold & Son has kicked off the Watches and Wonders Geneva digital show with the launch of the Luna Magna, featuring the largest moon ever created in relief for a wristwatch, and the brand's first-ever three-dimensional moon. The three-dimensional moon crafted of marble and aventurine moves with astronomical precision against a dazzling starry backdrop. With this original timepiece, the Swiss watchmaker with English roots showcases the first-class watchmaking and decorative techniques of the Arnold & Son Manufacture.
Arnold & Son employed one of the house's aesthetic signatures with this asymmetrical dial composition. Within its 44 mm red-gold case, the off-centered hours and minutes dial at 12 o’clock frees up substantial space for displaying complications, such as this spherical moon measuring 12 mm in diameter.
However, its size is not its only distinctive feature. Half of the moon is made of marble to represent the illuminated part of the Earth’s satellite, while the other half is made of goldstone to depict the darker side. Neither material has ever been used in a three-dimensional design such as this. Changing from dazzling white to a deep, starry blue, the Luna Magna’s quarters have been delicately depicted to replicate the appearance of the lunar disc.
The large moon emerges from the main plate of the A&S1021 caliber without upsetting the overall balance of the timepiece. Arnold & Son has drawn on its remarkable creativity to make Luna Magna a well-proportioned watch that showcases the incredible volume of its moon. For this reason, the lunar globe appears halfway up the movement, perfectly positioned between the top and bottom. The upper part is encased in a glass box. This technique has been repeated on the case-back side, where the sapphire crystal rests on the wrist.
By placing most of the volume in these sapphire crystals, the Luna Magna is able to offer a low 15.99 mm profile at its widest point in the middle of the case. Lastly, to bring the overall piece together, the deeply tapered lugs extend the curvature of the sapphire crystal to meet the natural curve of the wrist.
Guided by the life of John Arnold and the mark he made in the Royal Navy during the 18th century, Arnold & Son has long endeavored to depict the moon as accurately and as beautifully as possible. By completely reinventing the way the Earth’s satellite is depicted, Luna Magna elevates itself by pushing the boundaries of this astronomical and poetic watchmaking exercise.
Luna Magna is driven by the A&S1021 caliber, which has been fully developed, manufactured, assembled, and adjusted in the Arnold & Son Manufacture. This new hand-wound caliber, which has been designed with the lunar globe in mind, features a 90-hour power reserve and a regulating organ oscillating at a frequency of 3 Hz. The movement also includes a secondary display detailing the age of the moon on the case-back side. Its clearly readable markings are designed for high-precision adjustments.
The sophisticated celestial mechanics are also based on precise astronomical reality. In fact, the duration of a complete lunar cycle is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 2.8 seconds. Arnold & Son has managed to replicate it in such a way that it will take 122 years for the movement’s display to deviate from the correct celestial reading by one day. The correction required at this time will be easy to dispense, as the Luna Magna’s moon-phase function can be accessed directly by the crown. This practical feature has been made possible by Arnold & Son’s total mastery of the watchmaking process.
About Arnold & Son
Named after John Arnold, English watchmaker of the 18th century renowned for his ingenuity and work on marine chronometers, Arnold & Son perpetuates today his legacy, exploring contemporary ways to interpret traditional watch craftsmanship. From its Manufacture based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, cradle of the Swiss watchmaking industry, Arnold & Son develops its timepieces in-house including its complicated calibers. The House established iconic collections such as the Time Pyramid with its unique architecture, the Nebula featuring a fully skeletonized movement, the HM Perpetual Moon displaying one of the biggest moon phases on the market or the Globetrotter, impressive three-dimensional worldtimer. The twenty plus calibers presented to date by Arnold & Son have all been conceived, designed, developed, machined, decorated, assembled, and adjusted by its sister Manufacture, La Joux-Perret. This independence and creativity demonstrate the House’s ability to perpetuate John Arnold’s exceptional inventions. For more information, please visit: arnoldandson.com.
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