Arnold & Son UTTE Watch Hands-On

By Osheen Arakelian

Arnold & Son recently unveiled 2 new beautiful timepieces to compliment the already impressive Instrument Collection range. Aptly named the Arnold & Son UTTE that stands for ultra-thin tourbillon escapement, the new editions have become some of the world’s thinnest wristwatches measuring in at an incredibly thin 8.34mm in overall size (and that includes the movement and tourbillon escapement, simply breathtaking). We were lucky enough to get hands on with the 18ct red gold variant for you viewing pleasure but before any wristshots here’s some more in depth detail of what the new Arnold & Son UTTE offers to the world of horology.

The Instrument collection by Arnold & Son is identified by its unique features including the off centre dial design, with off-centre positioning of the hours and minutes allowing the display of any other complications to be shown off without having any overlap. What this does is enhance the various complications and show off their amazing engineering on the dial without massive amounts of clutter and overlap. The UTTE follows this aesthetic with the tourbillon escapement occupying the lower half of the dial with the hours and minutes display sitting comfortably above in the top half of the dial.

Another wonderful feature of the UTTE is the size of the Tourbillon cage, which measures in at a whopping 14mm in diameter. What houses the Tourbillon movement is the exclusive Arnold & Son A&S8200, one minute flying tourbillon hand wound movement. The movement itself is only 2.97mm thick and has 2 different finishes depending on what colour is chosen, 18ct red gold or palladium in order to compliment the case perfectly. Another ingenious design feature is how the Tourbillon cage is built and positioned sitting not in the movement itself but rather higher on the dial almost flush with the hours and minutes markets. With only one visible screw thanks to the great engineering of the white coats at Arnold & Son, the timepiece not only has a great 3D effect but also looks unbelievably clean and gentle on the eyes.

The caseback is also beautifully presented with this particular variant housing a rhodium finished movement with gold accents and decorated with Côtes de Genève rayonnants. The Tourbillon Bridge is also decorated with hand engraving by the master engraver at Arnold & Son (A real treat on the eyes).

On the wrist it feels amazingly light and definitely draws a lot of attention especially with the way the Tourbillon dances inside the cage and stands out thanks to the positioning. It’s very comfortable and also form fit on the wrist and even though the case is 42mm in diameter it doesn’t feel big and overstated. Everything is clearly legible and beautifully presented making it a real treat to wear.

Fun Fact

The visionary UTTE is the perfect embodiment of a tourbillon escapement – a Haute Horlogerie complication that played a crucial role in Arnold & Son’s History. An exceptional watchmaker, John Arnold was an active participant in one of the most extraordinary partnerships in the world of innovative horology. Indeed, both he and Abraham-Louis Breguet worked closely together, sharing both their knowledge and passion. Evidence of their partnership is A.-L. Breguet’s first-ever tourbillon escapement mounted in John Arnold’s No.11 movement – a watch that can be found today in London’s British Museum.

For more info, please visit arnoldandson.com

Product Specifications

Caliber

• A&S8200 – Exclusive Arnold & Son ultra-thin tourbillon movement, one-minute flying tourbillon, hand-wound, 29 jewels, diameter 32 mm, thickness 2.97 mm, tourbillon cage diameter 14mm, power reserve over 90 h,