Arnold & Son Constant Force Tourbillon 11

It’s that time of the year. Watches & Wonders is right around the corner, and many of our favorite brands are releasing new timepieces. This year, Arnold & Son brings something exceptional to the table – a constant force tourbillon that sheds light on a fascinating chapter of watchmaking history. Limited to 11 pieces in yellow gold, this is the all-new Constant Force Tourbillon 11. 

Two of the greatest watchmakers in the Age of Enlightenment, John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet, were friends. They met face-to-face in London in the late 1700s, exchanged letters, and bonded over shared passion for watchmaking. Breguet was captivated by Arnold’s ability to create simple mechanisms that could be mass-produced without sacrificing precision and accuracy, while Arnold was drawn to Breguet for his design savviness and deep knowledge of complex kinematics. Toward the end of Arnold’s life, Breguet and Arnold discussed high chronometry via letters and Breguet’s work on the development of the tourbillon, which he mentioned in correspondence as “a rotating carriage” in 1795. In 1801, two years after Arnold’s death, Breguet patented the first tourbillon. Seven years later in 1808, Breguet created his first tourbillon regulator based on the movement of Arnold’s marine chronometer no. 11, gifting the timepiece to Arnold’s son, John Roger. Today, that timepiece lives in the British Museum.

The Constant Force Tourbillon 11 is an homage to this significant friend and history. It’s a masterclass in fine watchmaking with its 41.5mm yellow gold case, white Grand Feu enamel dial, and elaborate movement, crafted in-house at Arnold & Son’s manufacture in La-Chaux-des-Fonds. The A&S5219 movement remains as faithful to the original as possible with the general design of the carriage used by A.L. Breguet – a commemoration of their collaborative friendship. The extremely refined tourbillon features a very thin, polished and rounded-off linear carriage bridge that reveals a variable inertia balance with inertia blocks inspired by the most sophisticated oscillators used in John Arnold’s chronometers. The House also chose to incorporate a T-shaped retaining spring inspired by the one used in the ‘pare-chute’ shock protection system developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet and which can be found on the tourbillon bridge of the original instrument. However, a Swiss lever escapement, which is more practical and less sensitive to shocks, was chosen over the detent escapement of the original timepiece.

The finishes of the mainplate, bridge and tourbillon cock are virtually identical on both timepieces, while the grained and chamfered barrel bridge of the Constant Force Tourbillon 11 watch features hand-engraved inscriptions and the famous plate, which has a new text inspired by the original: “To the revered memory of John Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet. Friends in their time, legendary watchmakers always.” These words underscore the historical and horological context of this Arnold & Son edition of 11 timepieces, where friendship and the art of timekeeping were the strongest driving forces.

A stunning timepiece, sure to be a hit with collectors, we’re in awe of Arnold & Son’s work on the Constant Force Tourbillon 11.