ReviewRetelling Of The Hare On The Moon: The Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon ‘Year of the Rabbit’
Arnold & Son release another stunning version of their Perpetual Moon timepiece inspired by the Chinese zodiac. This one features a golden rabbit standing before a pagoda under an oversized moon
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Every new watch has a story to tell. And watches that are big on moon phase displays, mostly rely on the lunisolar Chinese calendar to bring out the drama their genesis story. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. On Chinese New Year 2023 (January 21), the tiger will retreat to its den for 12 years to make way for the water rabbit to rule fortunes for a year. Following the Perpetual Moon limited editions of ‘The Year of the Ox’ in 2021 and ‘Year of the Tiger’ 2022, Arnold & Son has released a ‘Year of the Rabbit’ 2023 timepiece of only eight pieces to mark the annual change in the Chinese zodiac. Like the tiger and ox timepieces showcasing their own stories, unique expressions and poses, the 2023 edition demonstrates the ‘Hare on the Moon’ legend with a mother-of-pearl moon shining down on a golden rabbit.
The Lucky Jade Rabbit
A symbol of endurance, prosperity, and peace, the rabbit—the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac—is perceived as incredibly lucky. Those born in the Year of the Rabbit are believed to be highly intelligent, gentle, patient, and generous. East Asian folklore has different accounts of how the rabbit got on the moon in the first place. One popular version, based on Jataka Tales, narrates how the Jade Emperor, king of the heavens, disguised himself as an old beggar and asked a monkey, jackal, otter and rabbit, for food. The monkey plucked fruit from the trees, the otter brought fish from the river, and the jackal stole food to feed the poor man. On realising he could not serve grass to a human being, the rabbit jumped into the fire to offer himself as a meal. But he did not suffer any burns! Instead, the Jade Emperor revealed his true self and rewarded him by sending him to the moon as the ‘jade rabbit’, and he became companion to the moon goddess.
The Moon And Its Portrayals
Arnold & Son are known for their exquisite, complex, and accurate moon phase watches, and the Perpetual Moon ‘Year of the Rabbit’ timepiece continues this trend. Watchmaker and inventor John Arnold—known for his marine chronometers, and highly precise complications, some still in use today—founded the brand in England, 1764. After their relaunch in 1995, Arnold & Son are now based in Switzerland and have got a new lease in fine watchmaking. Known for their moon phase complications, and oversized moons sculpted with various textures and materials, Arnold & Son have a wide array of distinctive watches in their repertoire.
Legend Depicted On A Dial
A large aperture dominates the upper half of the black aventurine dial, which displays an oversized moon in mother-of-pearl on a turning disc to indicate the moon’s stages of waxing and waning. Under this moon, in the lower half of the dial, stands a rabbit in 18-karat rose gold with hand-engraved and -burnished detailing on its fur for added depth and nuance. Behind this solitary figure is a pagoda on a hill with three waterfalls and lush foliage. The waterfalls symbolise an element associated with each animal in the zodiac. In this case, it is water that makes 2023 the ‘Year of the Water Rabbit’.
Parts of the imagery, like the rabbit’s fur, shadows on the moon, the pagoda’s windows, waterfalls and foliage, are hand-painted and coated with Super-LumiNova. While the moon, especially, can appear pale during daytime, but in lowlight or absolute darkness, the luminous silvery glow from these finer details will leave you mesmerised. Completing the dial are the silvered syringe-shaped hands for hours and minutes, and stick indexes.
Magic Within The Movement
The real magic, however, lies in the movement inside, which is visible through the sapphire crystal glass on the exhibition caseback. Set in a 41.5mm case in 18-karat rose gold is Arnold & Son’s manual winding mechanical calibre AS1512 with an impressive power reserve of 90 hours, and water resistance up to 30m. In fact, every step in the construction of the movement—conception, production, decoration, and assemblage—is entirely done in-house.
Most moon phase watches require adjustments once every few years because of the odd length of the lunar cycle. However, the Arnold & Son series are an exception, because christened as the ‘Perpetual Moon’—given how precise its movement is—the moon phase display will not require adjustments for 122 years before it deviates from the lunar cycle by a day. A secondary moon phase indicator with a more precise scale permits manual adjustments to the phases of the Earth’s satellite. Black and red, a lucky colour scheme in Chinese symbolism, is manifested here in the form of a black alligator leather watch strap with red alligator leather lining.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon ‘Year of the Rabbit’ is a limited edition of only eight pieces.
