Arnold & Son - 1LCAP.B02A.C111A

HMS1 Dragon

Case

Dial

Description

To mark the Chinese Year of the Dragon, Arnold & Son announces the launch of the latest addition to the HMS1 collection, the HMS1 Dragon Limited Edition in rose gold with a magnificent gold dragon applique.

In Chinese mythology the dragon is a divine creature signifying power and good fortune, and is the free spirit of the zodiac. As a tribute to the Year of the Dragon, which occurs once every twelve years in the Chinese calendar and begins on 23 January 2012, Arnold & Son has created a special edition of the HMS1 in rose gold featuring an exquisitely crafted gold applique of a traditional Chinese dragon on a black lacquered dial.

But this is no ordinary dragon. The figure on the dial was inspired by one of the dragons depicted on the Nine-Dragon Wall in Beihai Park, an imperial garden to the northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Wall was completed in 1756, which perhaps significantly was just eight years before John Arnold opened his clockmaking workshop in London's Strand in 1764. It just so happens that the number eight is of particular importance in many Asian cultures.

The exquisite gold dragon applique is created by a craftsman selected specially for his expertise in hand-engraving, a traditional art form that involves the use of hardened steel tools called burins in combination with other special tools. These create cuts, lines and texturing that build up entire images or, as in the case of the HMS1 Dragon Special Edition, a perfectly sculpted figure in solid 22-carat gold with a breathtaking richness of detail, which is then duplicated for the series. The three-dimensional nature of the dragon applique also provides a spectacular illusion of depth that contrasts starkly with the HMS1's ultra-slim case.

Movement

Exclusive Arnold & Son mechanical movement, hand-wound, 21 Jewels, diameter 30 mm, thickness 2.7 mm, power reserve 90 h, two barrels, 21'600 vibrations /h. Movement Decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: manually chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and 'C?tes de Geneve', blued screws.

More watches using the Arnold & Son A&S1001 CdG caliber