The New Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Gold & Opal Dial

Arnold & Son packs plenty of details into its watches to be admired with a loupe or without. There is always an exquisite dial to enjoy, along with the exceptionally fine-finished movements. It is also a brand that manages to excite by releasing past references with new combinations of materials and colours, building on the success and bringing out the best of a chosen timepiece. The Ultrathin Tourbillon, introduced by Arnold & Son in 2013, is perhaps one of the brand’s most recognisable models, which was revisited a few times since to offer limited editions with a variety of case materials and dial executions. Last year Arnold & Son presented the Ultrathin Tourbillon with textured blue and green dials in gold and platinum cases with an upgraded movement; this year, the watchmaker wants us to spend hours admiring the new Ultrathin Tourbillon edition in a red gold case with a silver-toned opaline dial.

The Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon of 2022 already featured a slightly smaller diameter (41.5mm, down from 42mm) and thinner case (8.30mm, down from 8.34mm), with a notably slimmer bezel than in the previous versions. The new edition exploits the opportunity presented by a thinner case and a vast expanse of the dial and differs from last year’s models in appearance only. And what a difference it is. The layout is familiar, with the hour dial at 12 o’clock and the tourbillon aperture below at 6. The hour dial and the tourbillon are framed by red gold rings matching the case material, and the rear tourbillon bridge (partially visible dial-side) is made from yellow gold. 

This time, the small sub-dial is made of genuine white opal, while the main dial displays a silver-toned opaline finish, guiding all the attention to the ultra-thin flying tourbillon. Its carriage was designed to resemble a sextant and anchor, with a middle point to imitate the running seconds indicator as it completes a full circle in 60 seconds. 

Turn the watch over, and the movement is in full display. The Ultrathin Tourbillon Gold is all about A&S8300 calibre, which is only 2.97 mm thick and is still one of the slimmest tourbillon movements created. An upgraded version of the A&S8200 calibre featured in the earliest Ultrathin Tourbillon, the 8300 has a variable inertia balance and a better power reserve – up to 100 hours. The movement presentation is excellent, with Côtes de Genève on the mainplate, circular satin-finished wheels, blued screws with mirror-polished heads and hand-polished bridges. 

The New Arnold & Son Ultrathin Tourbillon Gold will be produced as a limited edition of 88 pieces, and the price is CHF 70,000, taxes included. For more, please visit www.arnoldandson.com.