Introducing the Arnold & Son TB88 dead seconds chronometer

Arnold & Son will present an interesting watch at Baselworld 2012, the TB88. “TB” stands for “true beat”, referring to the dead beat seconds at eight o’clock. Additionally the calibre has twin barrels providing 100 hours of power reserve.

This is simple yet interesting. It’s a welcome departure from the Arnold & Son watches of recent vintage which were bizarrely complicated astronomical and longitude watches. I remember one year the brand unveiled a watch that I found nearly impossible to comprehend. The A&S 5003 movement has been inverted and has no dial, so everything of interest – barrels, escapement, gear train – is revealed. This is reminiscent of the ultra high-beat 43,200 bph Audemars Piguet ChronAP. Furthemore the movement design is quite interesting. It has hints of vintage English pocket watches evident in the bridge shapes and regulator index, but that is combined the very modern ruthenium coated bridges and base plate. The watch case is 46 mm in diameter, in rose gold or steel. Retail is CHF49,000 in gold and CHF33,500 in steel, exclusive of tax.

I believe the movement is created by La Joux-Perret, which is the owner of Arnold & Son. Arnold & Son used to be sister companies with Graham in The British Masters, but since last year the two brands parted company. – SJX

Back to top.

You may also enjoy these.

New Urban Jurgensen P8 automatic calibre with detent escapement

Last year Urban Jürgensen & Sønner unveiled the P8 chronometer containing the brand’s first in-house movement, the manual wind UJS-08 with detent escapement, designed by Kari Voutilainen and Jean-Francois Mojon. This year the automatic version of the Ref. 11 chronometer with the P8 movement will be launched. According to UJS, this is the first of several calibres based on the P8 detent movement.



Urban Jurgensen P8 Chronometer Automatic in platinum



Having seen last year’s hand-wind P8 in the metal, I was somewhat disappointed. While it is a very high quality watch with a novel calibre, the finishing of the dial and hands is not as fine as that of the earlier UJS watches made by the late Peter Baumberger. The incredibly fine guilloche dials and Breguet hands of those 1990s and early 2000s watches were really something.

– SJX

The P8 calibre with detent escapement and automatic winding
The manual wind P8
Back to top.

You may also enjoy these.

Welcome to the new Watches By SJX.

Subscribe to get the latest articles and reviews delivered to your inbox.