SpotlightSwooning Over The Moon: Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Blue Aventurine and Cliff Grey

Just days after the Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Night Tide watch, oozing in white gold and diamonds, made it to the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie) list of nominees, the brand unveiled Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon 38 Blue Aventurine and Cliff Grey limited editions at the Geneva Watch Days 2024. The iconic lines of Perpetual Moon and Luna Magna have been testament to the brand’s longstanding affinity for the lunar phases, and their attempt to replicate the cosmos using sparkling precious gems and minerals like diamond and aventurine. Continuing this thought are the Perpetual Moon 38 Blue Aventurine and Cliff Grey editions, inbuilt with an evolved moon phase complication that when fully wound requires no manual intervention for a good 122 years!

Shimmer And Shine: Perpetual Moon 38 Blue Aventurine & Cliff Grey

As a spectator admiring the Perpetual Moon 38 Blue Aventurine and Cliff Grey versions, or any of the brand’s earlier moon-inspired iterations, the eye instantly gravitates to the fan-shaped moon phase complication. In the new duo, this complication sits as a crescent-shaped sub-dial, spread as fan starting from 10 o’clock to two o’clock on the top half of the dial. This moon is simply exquisite, with its 11.2mm surfaces hand-painted to produce light shadows that allude to the natural craters. Its mother-of-pearl surfaces gleams in iridescence, different from the glittery night skies as backdrop or the Cassiopeia and Ursa Major constellations that this moon is posited against. But that’s not all. Another layer of illumination is unlocked when the lights go off, as the Super-LumiNova applied moons and stars emit a white glow. Imagine the moment of enjoying a soiree under the night sky while wearing a miniature version of it on your wrist!

Between the two watches, the Aventurine dial version stands out for its mesmerising tone-on-tone semblance with the sub-dial background (resembling the night sky) and the dial both have sparkling aventurine glass. Exuding quiet elegance is the Perpetual Moon 38 Grey Cliff version with sunray brushed dial and the matt surfaced sub-dial in grained midnight blue PVD.

All That Gleams Is Gold

Another material that gives the watch its smooth gliding surface, especially in the aventurine version, is the presence of the 18-karat red gold as reliable outlines for the watch’s important features so they stand out. It has become the material for the 38mm cases with 10.4mm thickness, crown and lugs, the baton-style indices and hands, and moon phase border on the dial and pin buckles on the straps.

Nestled within the 38mm case is the 30mm A&S1612 calibre, a hand-wound movement, which follows the trajectory of the earlier Arnold & Son’s movements. This calibre, which beats at 21,600vph and offers 90-hour power reserve when fully wound, powers the moon phase sub-dial. The movement further impresses with its intricate mix of details and finishes such as blued and chamfered screws, satin-finished wheels, Côtes de Genève, and bridges both bevelled and polished. Both timepieces come attached to matching ink blue or warm grey alligator leather straps.

The Blue Aventurine versions are limited to 88 pieces and Cliff Grey editions are limited to 28.