Friday, April 20, 2012

ARNOLD & SON - TB88 True Beat

ARNOLD & SON - TB88 True Beat NEW
Heir to the noble British watchmaking traditions, the Arnold & Son TB88 is entirely in line with the prestigious creations by the famous 18th century English horologist John Arnold. It revives the magic of marine chronometry in a wristwatch size. The TB88 True Beat is distinguished by its Manufacture-made true beat seconds movement which is so impressive that it has been inverted or “turned inside out” so as to reveal through the front the beauty of its symmetrical “double 8” architecture, its 16 bridges, its large balance and its two barrels. Finally, true beat seconds mark time in jerking motion as a tribute to the first chronometer, n° 36, now displayed at the National Maritime Museum in London.
 
John Arnold was an exceptional watchmaker who had several major patents to his name and created a minor storm in precision timekeeping with the Arnold No. 36. This was the first-ever watch referred to as a 'chronometer', a term used to this day to denote a supremely accurate timepiece. 
The TB88 is compelling proof that the brand has lost none of its appetite for innovative technology or precision timekeeping, all encompassed in distinctive English design for the Royal Collection.

 ARNOLD & SON TB88 True Beat - Ref. 1TBAP.B01A.C113A 
 
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The hand-wound, 32-jewel A&S5003 calibre unites all the technical and aesthetic characteristics of a classical Arnold chronometer. The letters 'TB' stand for True Beat, a complication that permits the precision timekeeping required for navigation at sea. Unlike a conventional mechanical escapement, a True Beat escapement has an unusual single-pallet design that measures out time in complete one-second steps rather than the fractions determined by the balance frequency. This enables a navigator to determine the exact time and, consequently, his longitude.
The TB88 is also a tribute to John Arnold's earliest known pocket watch, of which the original case bears the number '88'. The number is replicated by the design of the movement in this latest model, with its perfectly symmetrical layout featuring the twin barrels at the top, the balance wheel between 4 and 5 o'clock and the True Beat seconds indicator between 7 and 8. The watch movement is 'inverted', which means that the intricate, technically interesting features are visible on the dial side of the movement instead of being hidden away on the reverse. This showcases the two barrels, which generate a full 100 hours' power reserve when fully wound, and the Breguet overcoil balance spring. Bending and fitting the spring by hand is a delicate and highly skilled operation mastered by a precious few watchmakers.

  ARNOLD & SON TB88 True Beat - Ref. 1TBAS.S01A.C113S
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But the feature that unquestionably sets Arnold & Son's new TB88 apart is its unique 'English' design, as expressed through features like the straight-cut bridges. Each of the pivoting elements in the movement is mounted on its own bridge, 16 in total. Further shining examples of watchmaking at its finest are the hand-bevelled and polished edges of the bridges and other key parts of the mechanism, together with the juxtaposition of the black ruthenium or NAC grey movement and brushed components.
The TB88 from Arnold Son is housed in either a stainless steel or rose gold case measuring 46 millimetres in diameter, with a hand-stitched alligator strap. Water-resistant to 30 metres, it features a cambered sapphire crystal with multiple anti-reflective coating and a see-through sapphire case back. Manufactured entirely in-house, the TB88 is a scintillating combination of classical styling and leading-edge technology.

 Details  Сalibre A&S5003
Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement, hand-wound, 32 jewels, diameter 37.8 mm, thickness 5.9 mm, power reserve 100 h, two barrels, 18'000 vibrations/h, Breguet spring Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, black ruthenium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges and brushed surfaces, mirror-polished screws

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MovementHand-wound, Manufacture Calibre A&S5003, independent-lever true beat seconds system, two series-coupled barrels, Breguet balance-spring, 18,000 vib/h, 32 jewels, over 100-hour power reserve, black ruthenium or grey NAC finish, hand-chamfered and decorated bridges.
FunctionsHours, minutes, true beat small seconds
Case18K pink gold or stainless steel, 46 mm
Bezel in gemset or non-gemset versions
Domed sapphire crystal with multiple anti-reflective treatments and transparent back
Water-resistant to 30 m / 3 ATM

DialOpenworked dial
Balance at 4.30
True beat small seconds at 7.30
Gilded or silver-toned hands
Bracelet/StrapBlack alligator with 18K pink gold or steel pin buckle


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