Up Close with Arnold and Son

Arnold & Son: A brief history

Born in 1736 in Cornwall, John Arnold was inspired by watches from a young age. His uncle was a gunsmith and his father a watchmaker. A talented scholar and craftsman, at 19, he left for the Netherlands after finishing his apprenticeship to perfect his watchmaking skills. Two years later he returned with excellent German speaking skills and he had affirmed himself as a quality watchmaker in London’s Strand by the time he reached 25.

One of the moments in history that gave Arnold significance, was the fact he gave the smallest watch of repeating nature ever made to King George III. After this, he quickly gathered a large and wealthy clientele. He was considered one of the most imaginative watchmakers of his generation and held a variety of patents for a bimetallic balance detent escapement and helical balance spring. His “No. 36” piece was the first to be called a chronometer, which is a specific term reserved for extremely precise watches to this day.

The Arnold & Son DSTB Limited Edition

This 18k gold Arnold & Son DSTB Limited Edition watch premiered at the Manhattan Time Service and when you go beneath the dial, you’ll discover it’s a real gem.

This watch was released to celebrate the brand’s 250th anniversary and it was limited to only 50 pieces making it a very rare piece. It houses a DSTB in-house made A&S6003 automatic movement. DSTB stands for “Dial Side True Beat”. The True Beat is a reference to the second hand ticking rather than simply sweeping.

One of the extremely distinctive design elements of this watch is the seconds’ mechanism that is mounted to the front of the dial. This is a distinct look of Arnold & Son watches and is quite eye-catching.

Beneath the dial, there are over 220 inner movement components to work on. Let’s hope it doesn’t need a repair or serving as then it will require the expert work of an in-house master watchmaker.

The well known and popular watch blogger Ariel Adams from “A Blog To Watch”, was particularly intrigued and impressed by the ticking DSTB sound. He describes it as: “Again, the gearing is designed to give the seconds hands a dead seconds style of ticking, in an off-centered display separate from the hour and minute dial. We find that the second’s hand actually moves across a lovely ring which is made from a selection of sapphire crystal.”

The Watchmaker’s View

If you’re wondering what makes this watch unique, then consider that Tom Lodowski of the “Manhattan Time Service Master Watchmaker,” says that the main thing that sets it apart is the inner workings of the movement. This is because the inner workings have been raised above the dial and main plate.

This is definitely a unique watch and a rare watch at that. It would make a special addition to any serious watch collectors watch collection.