Arnold & Son takes a decidedly Japanese art approach to the “Year of the Ox” 2021 with this new addition to their Perpetual Moon collection. This new collection will be an 8 piece limited edition with Métiers d’Art elements.
Press Release information with additional commentary in italics.
Retail price for the Perpetual Moon “Year of the Ox” is CHF 49,900 before taxes.
Commentary
Arnold & Son’s Perpetual Moon is one of the icons from the very diverse collections from the Japanese owned Swiss maison. We covered the watch in detail in our review of Perpetual Moon in 2016 here and a re-look of the 2020 model in adventurine. Its most well known is the humongous moon shown in an equally large aperture on the dial which opens up nearly half of the area to showcase the moon. The visual impact of the moon phase display is very impressive, and in a single glance, makes it clear that the watch is serious about moon phases.
The latest “Year of the Ox” iteration is loaded with additional Métiers d’Art elements in the sculpture of an imposing stance on the dial, executed in 18k gold. In the background a hand painted pagoda in pink gold powder and Super Luminova stands over a sky in black guilloché with constellations hand painted in silver powder and Super Luminova. The moon is crafted in mother of pearl. These artistic works are of a very high quality and level of execution. The masterful design conveys the strength and power of the bull over a beautiful backdrop.
These elements and the 8 piece limited edition status adds a premium to the watch – the original Perpetual Moon was SGD 39,900 in 2016, and the blue adventurine addition from 2019 was priced at CHF 31,900. This “Year of the Ox” is offered at CHF 49,900.
For some reason, the Arnold & Son press material refers to the Ox as a Buffalo.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon “Year of the Ox”
The year of the Metal Buffalo has been the inspiration behind a scintillating
production of the Perpetual Moon. Arnold & Son dreamed up a powerful animal, an immense moon, refined production drawing on the manufacture’s knowhow, and the variety of motifs offered by the mineral kingdom.
Yellow gold and specular haematite dominate by day, and at night the scene lights up. In honour of the traditional Chinese zodiacal calendar’s new year, Arnold & Son has produced an eight-piece limited series of its high-precision moon-phases model decorated with a buffalo. The year of the Metal Buffalo begins on 12 February 2021 and symbolises appeasement, dialogue and soil fertility. It is thus a powerful and docile animal that is represented on the dial of the Perpetual Moon “Year of the Ox”.
Moon phase display
Arnold & Son have installed their large moon in the night-sky that forms the dial of this exceptional time-piece. In a large aperture, a disc turns to show us the age of the heavenly body, the appearance of its crescent and its light.
This moon is crafted in mother-of-pearl, its shadows are hand-painted and it is coated with Super-LumiNova. In the daylight, it is almost white. In the dark, it lights up from within and takes on a new aspect, with details emerging. Further along on this disc, the constellation has been created using the same methods.
Métiers d’Art elements
Arnold & Son continue to make the most of the infinitely varying textures nature has to offer. After obsidian and aventurine quartz used in the dials, a specular haematite has been selected for making the dial of this Perpetual Moon. This variety of haematite is in laminated form, with layers that are naturally smooth and shiny.
As with all haematites, due to its iron composition there are silvery flakes in its totally black mass. These glittering specks have also been incorporated into the doublefaced alligator-skin strap, the outer face of which is black, flake-speckled and embellished with stitching in veritable platinum (Pt950) thread.
But the unique and exclusive signature of this limited series is the buffalo with immense horns standing, imposingly, at 6 o’clock. It is a miniature gold sculpture featuring the animal in a majestic posture. In the background is a scenery of multi-storey pagodas, hand-painted with gold powder.
Their windows have also been painted with Super-LumiNova. Thus at night-time, these temples are lit up from the interior and the Perpetual Moon takes on an inhabited aspect.
The movement: A&S1512
Like all the movements used by Arnold & Son, the calibre A&S1512 was entirely developed, produced, assembled, decorated, adjusted and cased up in the brand’s Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This calibre is based on a large barrel with an oscillation frequency of 3 Hz, giving a 90-hour power reserve.
Last but not least, the moon-phase display of this movement will remain accurate for 122 years before deviating by one day from the actual appearance of the moon in the night-sky.
Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon “Year of the Ox” Specifications
Reference 1GLAR.Z02A.C161A
Limited edition 8 timepieces
Worldwide retail price CHF 49,900 (may be subject to modifications)
Functions Hours, minutes, moon-phase indication, second moon-phase indication on the back
Movement Calibre A&S1512, hand-wound mechanical
Jewels 27
Diameter:34 mm
Depth 5.35 mm
Power reserve 90 hours
Frequency 3 Hz / 21,600 vibrations/h
Finishes main plate: rhodium-finished, Côtes de Genève stripes radiating from the centre, bridges: polished and chamfered, wheels: circular satin-finished, screws: blued and chamfered, polished heads. second moon-phase indication: rhodium-finished and circular-grained
Dial gemstone: specular haematite, buffalo: hand-engraved, 18 carat yellow gold, pagodas: hand-painted, pink gold powder with added Super-LumiNova, sky: black guilloché-work, constellations: hand-painted, silver powder with added Super-LumiNova, moon: mother-of-pearl disc, hand-painted shadows, Super-Luminova coating
Case
Material 18 carat red gold (5N)
Diameter 42 mm
Depth 12.16 mm
Crystal domed sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on both sides
Case back sapphire with an anti-reflective coating on the interior
Water-resistance 30 m /100 ft
Strap
Material black alligator-skin with glittering specks, red alligator-skin lining,
platinum (Pt950) thread, hand-sewn
Buckle pin buckle, 18 carat red gold (5N)
