Thursday, April 30, 2015

ARNOLD & SON – UTTE Tourbillon


ARNOLD & SON - Instrument UTTE Tourbillon Limited Edition NEW

Three New References of Arnold & Son’s Exceptional Ultra-thin Tourbillon

Arnold & Son unveils three new references of the UTTE. Two references featuring stunning mother-of-pearl dials and a third reference with a black lacquered dial. Each new reference of the UTTE houses the A&S8200 movement measuring just 2.97 mm thick and the final cased watch a mere 8.34 mm. The calibre A&S8200 was developed designed and manufactured entirely in house at the brand’s La Chaux-de-Fonds workshops.

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The UTTE is part of Arnold & Son’s Instrument Collection, wherein timepieces are easily identified by their dial design, with off-center position of the hours and minutes to allow for the display of other complications without one overlapping the other. The UTTE follows this design aesthetic, with the spherical tourbillon occupying the lower portion of the dial. The alluring, timeless lines of the stepped 42 mm case, which tapers from the top to the bottom, imbue this watch with an austere elegance.

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UTTE
Arnold & Son ultra-thin tourbillon manufacture movement A&S8200, one-minute flying tourbillon, hand-wound,
black lacquered and silvery opaline dial, palladium case, diameter 42 mm
©
Arnold & Son


The dial of the UTTE has a complex multilevel structure with different finishes that offer breathtaking depth and dimension. The three new references share the same dial design but with different finishes and materials in order to complement the respective case material. The first palladium reference has a Tahiti mother-of-pearl and silvery opaline dial and the second palladium reference has a stunning black lacquered and silvery opaline dial. The new 18-carat red gold reference has a white mother-of-pearl and silvery opaline dial.

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The UTTE is a masterful demonstration of elegant design and superb technical prowess. The ultra-thin A&S8200 movement – and the ultimate UTTE watch – is the result of several years of research and development, and boasts important features and functions.

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A&S8200
Exclusive Arnold & Son ultra-thin tourbillon movement A&S8200, one-minute flying tourbillon,
Haute Horlogerie finishing, tourbillon cage diameter 14 mm, tourbillon cage finishing: satin-finish
with hand-chamfered and polished edges
© Arnold & Son


In fact, when the brand embarked on the creation of an additional tourbillon, Arnold & Son’s team of watchmakers and engineers determined that the end result should possess unique features that would set it apart in the watch world: It had to be at the same time thin, boast a big and three-dimensional tourbillon cage and have a long power reserve.

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Utilizing the most cutting-edge technology, Arnold & Son pushed the creative envelope to achieve this goal - thus developing an exceptional timepiece. The UTTE has a movement that is just 2.97 mm thick and a case thickness of only 8.34 mm, making the UTTE one of the thinnest tourbillon watches on the market.

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Additionally, while the movement diameter is 32 mm, the tourbillon cage is a massive 14 mm in diameter – thus occupying almost half of the movement space for impressive visual appeal. To add further dramatic beauty to this already impressive watch, Arnold & Son created a totally spherical tourbillon cage – one devoid of any flat surfaces – for a magnificent three- dimensional aesthetic effect.

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In fact, the flying tourbillon cage is not inset into the calibre, but instead rises out of the movement, through the dial, and achieves the same height as the hour and minute hands. With an eye toward every detail, and the desire for harmonious appeal, the watchmakers removed all visible screws so the spherical tourbillon cage appears beautifully balanced. The only visible screws are on the regulator.

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Finally, to ensure a long power reserve of at least 90 hours, the brand implemented two barrels to offer more constant force and unprecedented power reserve for an ultra-thin tourbillon.

The UTTE references are created in either 18-carat red gold or palladium (a rare alloy in the watch world). Each movement is finished in a colour to complement the case colour, and each features a different Côtes de Genève pattern. The 18-carat red gold reference houses the movement treated in rhodium and decorated with Côtes de Genève rayonnantes.

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 In addition the tourbillon bridge of this reference is entirely hand-engraved by Arnold & Son’s master engraver. The palladium UTTE references house a NAC grey treated movement decorated with a straight Côtes de Genève pattern for a bold, contemporary appeal.

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Historical Context

The visionary UTTE is the perfect embodiment of a tourbillon escapement – a Haute Horlogerie complication that played a crucial role in Arnold & Son’s History. Arnold & Son can easily be considered the father of modern marine timekeeping. Because of its technical superiority in watchmaking, Arnold & Son developed and produced chronometers that solved the 18th-century problem of determining longitude at sea (also, thereby establishing themselves as official suppliers to the Royal Navy).

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John Arnold and A.-L. Breguet, silver cased chronometer with tourbillon and spring-detent escapement,
London, England, 1774 and Paris, France, 1808
© The Trustees of the British Museum

Clearly one of the greatest watchmakers in history, John Arnold shared his knowledge and passion with Abraham-Louis Breguet. Evidence of their partnership is Breguet’s first ever tourbillon cage (No 169) mounted in John Arnold’s No. 11 movement, a watch that can be found today in London’s British Museum.

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Technical Characteristics

Ref. 1UTAR.M01A.C120A,  white mother-of-pearl, 18-carat red gold case
Ref. 1UTAG.M02A.C121G, Tahiti mother-of-pearl, palladium case
Ref. 1UTAG.L01A.C121G, black lacquered, palladium case

Calibre:                                  
A&S8200
Exclusive Arnold & Son ultra-thin mechanical movement,
One-minute flying tourbillon, hand-wound, 29 jewels,
Diameter 32 mm, thickness 2.97 mm,
Tourbillon cage diameter 14mm,
Power reserve over 90 h, 21’600 vibrations/h
Functions:
Hours, minutes, tourbillon
Movement decoration:
18-carat red gold case models:
nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing:
unique hand-engraved tourbillon bridge,
hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes,
circular satin-finished wheels with hand-chamfered and polished edges,
blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads.
Tourbillon cage: satin-finish with chamfered and polished edges.
Movement decoration:
palladium case models:nickel-silver movement, NAC grey treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing:
hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève,
circular satin-finished wheels with hand-chamfered and polished edges,
screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads.
Tourbillon cage: satin-finish with chamfered and polished edges. 
Dial:  
white mother-of-pearl and silvery opaline or Tahiti mother-of-pearl and
silvery opaline or black lacquered and silvery opaline
Case:   
18-carat red gold or palladium,
diameter 42 mm,
cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides,
see-through sapphire case back
water-resistant to 30 m
Strap:
hand-stitched black or brown alligator leather

Limited edition of 50 timepieces

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Boulevard des Eplatures 38
CH – 2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
Switzerland
info@arnoldandson.com
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