ReviewGold Class: Presenting The New Arnold & Son Globetrotter In Gold

A world map displaying an array of colours or etched in a solid hue—check; 24 time zones—check; multiple chapter rings—check. One look at any world timer wristwatch, and you’re sure to find a cocktail of these elements—overwhelming as they seem—taking pride of place on the dial, almost compelling one to understand the science behind the mechanics. While even the art of creating a ‘simple’ three-hand watch is a complex job; the world timer is a different ball game all together. After all, it takes a highly precise and ingenious mechanism to keep it ticking to serve the purpose that it’s crafted for—to indicate the time in different zones of the world. Created in the 1930s—way before commercial travel became accessible to the common public—world timers allow one to easily adjust to any time zone on the planet, without the burden of constantly having to calculate the time difference between cities. Since they usually display the time in all the 24 major cities of the world, ie 24 time zones, it provides the wearer with immense convenience to adjust time, especially when they are jet-setting around the globe.

The new Globetrotter is available in a choice of two dials—one in tonal blue, a limited-edition of 88 pieces. The other, in silvery white, lacquered with sunburst decoration as a regular edition

It is powered by the in-house, A&S6022 self-winding calibre, which is finely decorated, and features a skeletonised, NAC-coated oscillating weight with a guilloche pattern

Arnold & Son Globetrotter

₹18,90,000

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The new Arnold & Son Globetrotter Gold is another addition to the famed line of these enigmatic time-telling devices that accompany travellers on their exciting sojourns. Inspired by 18th century watchmaker, John Arnold’s marine chronometers, which were fitted onboard English naval ships back then, this chromatic timekeeper is a fine tribute to those technologically-advanced time-telling devices of yore. This new limited-edition of 28 pieces in solid 18-karat red gold is an upgrade to the already existing Globetrotter Day and Night versions in stainless steel. While the basics remain the same, a nuanced eye will be able to spot the minor differences between the gold and steel versions—the case material being the most apparent one.

The new design coordinates perfectly with the large bridge spanning the world map of the Northern Hemisphere. Offering unparalleled aesthetics, this world time complication harnesses all the design skills and finishing dexterity offered at Arnold & Son.

The watch stands out for its sleek lines, where the case forms a continuous line from the strap to the sapphire crystal dome suspended above the dial. This large transparent hemisphere follows the line of the steel arched bridge that sets the Globetrotter apart from all other timepieces

Exquisite Craftsmanship For An Extraordinary Timepiece

For a brand that embodies the spirit of British watchmaking codes coupled with Swiss ingenuity, Arnold & Son have carved a niche for themselves when it comes to crafting timepieces with endless labyrinths—mostly complex, open-worked structures. While this is their claim to fame, they are also masters of manufacturing world timers and astronomical marvels. “Today, Arnold & Son’s identity is based on the brand’s ability to produce fine watchmaking complications that are linked to the heritage of John Arnold: chronometry, astronomy and world time,” states Bertrand Savary, president of Arnold & Son.

The new Globetrotter showcases the Northern Hemisphere of our planet in its full glory. The generous, 45mm case size is apt and does justice to the detailed representation of the various land masses, mountains and oceans. Just like its predecessors, also in stainless steel, this one, too, features polished and sculpted brass plates that are used for recreating the continents, and deep lacquered, hand-painted surfaces to embody the water bodies, which serve as a backdrop to the world time and dual-time zone display. Overhanging these is an infinite arch, responsible for their rotation.

The oceans are hand-painted with blue lacquer, enriched with mother-of-pearl powder which imparts exceptional depth and shine. Also, the shores of the continents are coated with Super-LumiNova

In the new dial design, the minutes chapter ring on the outer edge of the dial has been removed, and the watch stands out for its sleek lines, polishes steel surfaces and the unique display

“As part of our world time pillar, there’s the Globetrotter, of course. It’s the timepiece best known by our Indian clientele,” says Savary. “Inspired by John Arnold’s high-precision marine chronometers, the Globetrotter reimagines the world time function in a sculptural way. Held by a large central, arched bridge across the entire diameter of the dial, the three-dimensional terrestrial dome takes centre stage and is one of the world’s largest rotating world time displays on a wristwatch,” he explains.

At its centre, the dome depicting the Northern Hemisphere is held from side to side by an immense open-worked bridge, carved in red gold. This arch is the visual signature of the Globetrotter, and houses in its centre a functional ruby holding the axis of universal time.

The new Arnold & Son Globetrotter Gold is a limited-edition of 28 pieces in solid 18-karat red gold, and is an upgrade to the already existing Globetrotter Day and Night versions in stainless steel

The Dial: Better In Blue

This new version of the Globetrotter now features a deep blue dial, which looks quite stately when framed by the new, polished stainless steel case or the 18-karat red gold case. The previous versions—the Globetrotter Day and Night—also featured a polar representation of the globe at the centre, but this was surrounded by a white disc with Roman numerals. Here, in the gold version, the Roman numeral markings have been replaced with solid red gold indexes. Even the central arched bridge is held by blued screws—one on each side. The timepiece touches upon vintage design codes but in a very contemporary manner. The appliqué indexes are faceted in red gold and painted in Super-LumiNova.

The new Globetrotter Gold is a resplendent artwork for your wrist, which showcases the Northern Hemisphere of our planet. The 45mm red gold case frames a blue dial with a 24-hour ring

The dial features hand-painted oceans in blue lacquer, while the coastlines are represented by a lighter blue with Super-LumiNova, so that they glow at night, and accentuate the relief

There’s also a subtle, sunlit finish to the blue hue, almost giving the impression of sunlight refracting on water’s surface. The 24-hour ring indicating universal time is in transparent sapphire crystal, hence local time is denoted by the red hands pointing to the gold indexes, while world time is identified by visualising an imaginary longitude, represented by the ruby in the central bridge, in relation to the 24-hour disc with the different time zones. However, in the new dial design the minutes chapter ring on the outer edge of the dial has been removed, and the watch stands out for its sleek lines, where the case forms a continuous line from the strap to the sapphire crystal dome suspended above the dial. The steel version is also marked by the absence of solid indexes, and carries only appliqué Roman numeral hour markers.

However, one might face slight difficulty while reading the time using the globe, which only showcases the Northern Hemisphere, leaving out parts of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia. But then this may just be a minor drawback, when one looks at the meticulously-sculpted timekeeper with its artisanal appeal.

Arnold & Son Globetrotter

₹15,60,000

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Modern Architecture With A Vintage Appeal

This is not a watch meant for everybody. But those who have an eye for statement pieces will surely love the aesthetics. The crown provides smooth control over functions and is fairly easy to use. The globe exudes an artisanal charm that’s complemented by a well-finished movement. Providing the much-needed balance in terms of design and symmetry is the 24-hour disc with numerals, bearing in mind the vintage vibe of the dial, which almost resembles a magnetic compass used for arduous sea voyages of yesteryears. They complement the design of the solid central bridge that’s two-pronged on either side. The flat parts of the arch are polished, its sides are satin-finished, and the long surfaces are bevelled. These types of finishes and the level of quality achieved are those commonly applied to the components of Arnold & Son calibres. However, the dimensions of this bridge are considerably larger than they would be within a movement, and thus demanded exceptional care and precision.

The Globetrotter Night version offers a realistic and meticulously rendered interpretation of the Northern Hemisphere at night

Here, the brass used for depicting the continents has undergone a deep grey galvanic treatment and hand-lacquered in a black-grey hue, while the oceans are lacquered in grey-blue

Arnold & Son Globetrotter

₹18,00,000

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Just like the previous versions, the representation of the Northern Hemisphere is the guiding principle for the Globetrotter Gold watch. Above the equator one can spot North America, Eurasia and a part of Africa—all represented in the most ingenious way. While the continents are formed using a single rhodium-plated, polished sculpture, in contrast, the Atlas, Hoggar, Himalayan, Rocky, Ural and Alp mountain ranges have been given a matt finish. Meanwhile, the oceans are hand-painted with several coats of blue-pigmented lacquer, enriched with pearlescent powder to bestow exceptional depth and shine. And the coastlines are represented by a lighter blue with added Super-LumiNova, so that they glow at night, and further accentuate the relief.

The flat parts of the arch are polished, its sides are satin-finished, and the long surfaces are bevelled. These types of finishes and the level of quality achieved are commonly applied to the components of Arnold & Son calibres

In-House Mechanics At The Core

Arnold & Son have used their manufacture automatic calibre A&S6022 for this new masterpiece. Even the Globetrotter Day and Night timepieces were powered by the same movement, which supplies energy for at least 45 hours, when fully wound. Like all their movements, this, too, has been entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and fitted at their manufactory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. On reversing the watch, one can see the skeletonised oscillating weight in 22-karat gold, featuring a Clous de Paris pattern. For the new steel versions, the oscillating weight with a guilloche pattern is skeletonised and NAC-coated, in an attempt to merge it with the movement’s overall hue. With 29 jewels and a diameter of 38mm, this movement beats at 28,800vph, and is decorated with the traditional fine watchmaking motifs: stippled main plate, radiant Cotes de Genève bridges, satin-finished and bevelled wheels, and polished screws. The bridges are NAC grey-treated—a type of plating that uses precious metals close to platinum to produce a high-quality anthracite result, which perfectly matches the red gold case of this Globetrotter. Water-resistant to 30m, the watch is presented on a hand-stitched, blue alligator leather strap with an 18-karat red gold buckle.

The Globetrotter Gold is powered by the brand's in-house automatic calibre A&S6022. On reversing the watch, one can see the skeletonised oscillating weight in 22-karat gold

The bridges are NAC grey-treated—a type of plating that uses precious metals to produce a high-quality anthracite result, which perfectly matches the red gold case of this Globetrotter

One may debate endlessly on the real purpose behind such an elaborate and dizzying complication, especially when time—even in multiple zones—can be read off easily on smartphones, whether you’re travelling to various countries or staying put in one place. However, one thing is amply clear—the horological world doesn’t play by standard rules. Even something as high-functioning as this is far from being merely a utilitarian object, if you consider the true values of fine watchmaking. And Arnold & Son’s Globetrotter Gold is the epitome of such exceptionally crafted timepieces that simply take our breath away.