Arnold & Son's Latest Longitude Titanium Collection
Arnold & Son's Latest Longitude Titanium Collection

The London-based Swiss watchmaker showcases a new marine chronometer inspired by the art of sailing

In a fresh new revisit to its roots, Arnold & Son have added a range of new chronometers to their Longitude collection — serving up sports-chic COSC-certified timepieces in 42.5mm titanium cases. The aesthetics and construction of John Arnold’s marine chronometers were necessarily classic and functional, and were adapted to the harsh conditions of the high seas. Longitude Titanium, a contemporary interpretation of the great English watchmaker’s work, coherently combines this naval heritage with a refined design and highly resistant materials. The movement’s ‘chronometer’ certification is an essential addition to this scene, with its historical ties to Arnold’s creations and his quest for accuracy.

 

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Highly wearable, each watch is shaped using shipbuilding design cues, resulting in case dimensions that echo the waterline and keel of modern sailboats. The shouldered crown offers 100m of water resistance, while the bezel's exterior base comes notched with sixty marks; a callback to Arnold's original designs.

The dial of Longitude Titanium has been designed in a graphic and historical spirit. This graphic aspect can be seen in the satin-finished, polished and luminescent hour-markers that recall the shape of the bracelet links. It is also graphic in the display of its indications, which are aligned with the vertical axis of the dial: a mirror-polished power reserve indicator shown by cut-outs in the dial at 12 o’clock, the hour and minute hands in the centre, and the imposing small seconds at 6 o’clock. However, this layout was also chosen for its ties to John Arnold’s marine chronometers, as it was he who introduced this arrangement and established it as standard. Cornwall, John Arnold’s birthplace, inspired the colours of the Longitude dials. The first edition, limited to 88 timepieces, is adorned with a sandy golden shade called ‘Kingsand’ in reference to the eponymous beach, which is one of the county’s hidden jewels. The second version sports an ocean blue, while the third and final series is a fern green.

 

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At the heart of Longitude Titanium beats the new A&S6302 calibre, certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC); and good for 60 hours of power at a frequency of 4hz. It is wound by an oscillating weight with a design influenced by sailing. Its shape is reminiscent of the prow of an 18th-century English frigate cleaving through the water, and it is carved from a single block of 22-carat gold. Its felloe is engraved with graduations similar to those on a sextant – another maritime element.

 

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Available at Arnold & Son retailers worldwide, the Longitude Titanium is expected to retail at Rs 20,82,667 for the 'Kingsand Gold' limited edition, and Rs 19,81,298 for the blue and green dial variants.

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