PERPETUAL MOON 38 WHITE GOLD

Arnold & Son’s vision of feminine watchmaking shines in all its splendour, dazzling in daylight and bewitching come nightfall. For a new edition of the Perpetual Moon 38 is joining the astronomical constellation of Switzerland’s most British watchmaking house. Its blue aventurine glass dial, peppered with gleaming fragments, evokes a starry sky. The 38 mm polished white gold case reflects a cool light, while the bezel and lugs are set with glittering white diamonds. Taking centre stage is the astronomical moon: a luminescent disc of mother-of-pearl that travels along its trajectory amid the hand-painted constellations of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia. Presented as a limited edition of 18 timepieces, the Perpetual Moon 38 White Gold, Aventurine Edition gracefully blends the poetry of light with watchmaking excellence.

Dazzling brilliance

This version dresses the Perpetual Moon 38 in a precious white gold case, embellished with exquisite gem setting. Brilliant-cut diamonds adorn the bezel, lugs and buckle, while marquise-cut diamonds highlight the appliqué hour-markers, totalling approximately 2.66 carats and bestowing remarkable radiance on the Perpetual Moon 38 White Gold, Aventurine Edition.

With its astronomical concept, this jewellery creation remains anchored in the watchmaking know-how of the La Chaux-de-Fonds Manufacture. It is powered by an extremely precise manually wound movement that perpetuates the excellence of John Arnold, the English master watchmaker whose relentless pursuit of precision defined his era.

A succession of stars

Every detail on the Perpetual Moon 38 White Gold, Aventurine Edition honours the spirit of its lunar complication. The aventurine dial, peppered with metallic fragments, evokes distant stars twinkling in the night sky. A generously sized aperture displays a broad disc, also in aventurine, that features the mother-of-pearl moon adorned with meticulously hand-painted shadows.

In keeping with the tradition of the collection, the moon is framed by the constellations of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia, which are also hand-painted and enhanced with luminescent material. This choice is a nod to the history of John Arnold, who pioneered marine timekeeping. These two constellations have guided sailors since time immemorial. Halfway between them is Polaris, the Pole Star. Its fixed position invariably points north and its altitude can be used to calculate latitude. Prior to the invention of instruments that measure longitude, it was the only reliable landmark at sea.

The Perpetual Moon 38 White Gold, Aventurine Edition thus reveals two faces: by day it displays a polished white gold case paired with a shimmering, deep blue dial; and by night, its more mysterious side emerges as its components, coated in Super-LumiNova, light up in a shade of icy blue. It is then that the moonlight eclipses the sparkle of the diamonds and fully asserts its poetic power.

A feminine mechanism

This timepiece takes the exacting watchmaking standards that have always driven Arnold & Son and transposes them to the world of women’s watches. To achieve this, the Swiss Manufacture developed a bespoke movement – the smallest in its collection. Measuring 30 mm in diameter, the A&S1612 calibre was specifically designed to fit perfectly inside the 38 mm case, which is only 10.44 mm thick. This movement with manual winding continues the house’s tradition of calibres with long power reserves by offering a remarkable 90 hours of autonomy.

Astronomical poetry

The moon phase is the star complication of the A&S1612 calibre. It is indicated by a large moon disc, in keeping with the identity of the Perpetual Moon collection. Between 10 and 2 o’clock, the different crescents exactly reproduce the visible phases of the lunar cycle.

To uphold its watchmaking tradition, Arnold & Son has endowed this complication with incredible precision: after 122 years of uninterrupted operation, its mechanism will only lag behind by one day. This feat demonstrates the Manufacture’s commitment to achieving astronomical accuracy.