Arnold & Son- Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi

Arnold & Son presents the Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi, an artful unique timepiece that skillfully blends fine watchmaking and the creative craftsmanship. The House showcases its broad spectrum of skills within a red-gold case measuring only 8.34 mm thick, with its flying tourbillon framed by hand-painted carp and sculpted lotuses  that appear to drift atop and within the mother-of-pearl dial. Here, the finest craftsmanship builds on tried-and-tested watchmaking technique in this unique wristwatch that is the only one of its kind in the world.

This new unique piece underscores the House’s skill in bespoke watchmaking. Ever attentive to the wishes of its customers, Arnold & Son now offers the chance to personalize its collections. Customers can apply substantial changes to customize a case, movement, or dial with unique engraving, gem-setting, miniature painting,  or sculpted elements.  The Ultrathin Tourbillon is particularly well-suited to customization, with its off-centered dial at 12 o’clock, an arrangement that frees up space to provide an empty canvas that can be filled with whatever decoration the customer desires.

A ripple of opportunity

Beneath this poetic depiction of pond life, Arnold & Son draws on the vast possibilities presented by the caliber A&S8200. Its thickness of 2.97 mm puts it within touching distance of the all-time records for thinness in this category. The movement displays the hours and minutes in an off-center dial at 12 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, an aperture reveals a tourbillon whose construction is special in more ways than one.

Movement in the water

First and foremost, the tourbillon is of the ‘flying’ variety, meaning that it only has a lower carriage bridge. Since the top is not held in place, a few precious millimeters of height can be saved, thus freeing up the view of this timekeeping mechanism. The balance, meanwhile, is off-centered from the carriage axis, creating a dynamic visual impression as the tourbillon rotates. Another distinctive feature is the balance bridge, which is domed and extends slightly from the dial, ensuring that the rest of the movement is unaffected by the total height. This, in turn, makes the tourbillon’s rotation all the more spectacular. The effect is further accentuated by the skeletonized main plate located just beneath the tourbillon. The resulting transparency creates an ethereal impression consistent with the refined theme of the Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi. Finally, this manually wound movement features an exceptional 90-hour power reserve – another technical signature of the House.