Another extraordinary piece presented during Watches & Wonders 2021 is brought forward by Arnold & Son. Although so far JLC has presented with arguably one of the best pieces in this event with their Reverso Hybris Mechanica which you can read about here, Arnold & Son have released their Luna Magna which is a 3D moon phase watch.
While moon phase watches have become more and more popular only a few have ever tackled the challenge of making a 3D moon phase watch. While there have been some notable manufactures who have done it in the past such as Ulysse Nardin and Debethune, Arnold & Son have achieved the feat of having the largest moon that has ever been manufactured into a wristwatch. To accompany the sheer size of that moon the dial of the watch face is separated and appears at the top end of the watch as a smaller clock face. The moon itself is made out of marble and aventurine which as the moon changes in its phase is beautifully contrasted with aventurine to simulate the stars seen at night. Aventurine is also used on the dial of the watch which gives a perfect balance between the off centred hours and minutes dial that is white lacquered as well as that 3D moon.
The movement that powers all of this should definitely be mentioned as the amount of work that has gone into is extraordinary. It features the manual A&S1021 movement and the casbeack of the watch also reveals the other side of the 3D moon and a secondary display the details the age of the moon. Arnold & Son also claim that only a one-day correction is needed on the moon phase every 122 years. What is even more impressive is that with that accuracy it still has a power reserve of 90 hours which is 3 days and 18 hours. The case itself is 44mm and has a 15.9mm thickness as the crystal on the watch is also domed to house the 3D moon. The case itself is made out of 18-carat red gold and has a water resistance of 30 metres. The strap is a blue alligator leather strap and is paired with a pin buckle that is also made out of 18-carat red gold.
The only disappointing news with this watch is that it is only limited 28 pieces worldwide and will be priced at CHF 43,900 excluding taxes which is just about $47,490 at the time of writing this post. While it is understandable the more complicated the watch the higher the chances the number of pieces available will be highly limited, it is still a shame that a lot of people would not be able to see this watch in person. It will be interesting to see if there are any other manufacturers that come close to what JLC or Arnold & Son have presented in the upcoming days of Watches & Wonders 2021 as it will be ending on the 13th of April.
The Watchlist 