Commemorating the Chinese New Year and the “Year of the Tiger,” Swiss luxury watchmaker Arnold & Son last month unveiled its latest celebratory timepiece. Dubbed the “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon, the watch is a special, tiger-adorned take on the brand’s classic Perpetual Moon base design, its fierce look proceeding the start of its namesake year which began on February 1, 2022.
Also referred to as the “Golden Water Tiger,” the new moonphase follows in the footsteps of the Arnold & Son “Year of the Ox” Perpetual Moon unveiled last year (below), continuing a trend by the watchmaker in recognizing the yearly succession of the Chinese Zodiac Calendar. The watch represents the seemingly growing interest by Swiss watchmakers in the Chinese-related market, with the growing prominence of Chinese consumers and increased interest throughout the world in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar leading to a niche opportunity for yearly commemorative timepieces. Last year, Jaquet Droz participated in unveiling four “Year of the Ox” inspired timepieces, and this year (so far), TAG Heuer has introduced the Carrera Year of the Tiger Limited Edition.
At a glance, in the “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon we find a familiar Perpetual Moon collection sillehoute, now joining to it fresh combination of precious metals, high grade finishing, and meticulously detailed dial artwork. As in all of Arnold & Son’s modern watches, with this one we find a clear effort toward refinement, from its case to its core. The case itself is constructed of 18k rose gold and features a relatively wide diameter, at 42 mm, along with a thickness of just 12.16 mm. Its lugs and bezel have a stepped appearance, while the crown is executed in an unusual, almost flattened-onion style, complementing the wider style of the case. Offering 30 meters of water resistance, the case has a fine polished finishing throughout.
Under the anti-reflective, domed sapphire crystal lies the centerpiece of the new model in its finely executed and multi-textured dial. The dial features a luxurious composition of materials, including in the use of rose gold, specular hematite, mother-of-pearl, and aventurine. Interestingly, the dial is primarily composed of the mineral hematite, demonstrating Arnold & Son’s continued commitment to using uncommon materials in the Perpetual Moon family, as well as across its range, including watches like the Luna Magna (below), and follow-up Luna Magna Ultimate I—the first making use of aventurine and marble, while the second features opal and ruthenium crystals.
Making use of its rare material elements, the Perpetual Moon features a symbolic scene recalling the upcoming “Year of the Tiger,” which is traditionally described as being full of enthusiasm, surprises, and dynamism. A hand-engraved, golden tiger roaring and on alert is the first detail to catch attention, its prowl flanked by a bamboo-adorned, waterfall background, and altogether symbolizing the feline’s ferocity and ability for a tempered coolness. Opposite the tiger motif, the watch’s namesake moon phase slowly rotates near the top of the dial. The moon itself is constructed of mother-of-pearl with hand-painted shadows, while both the celestial body and its accompanying constellation make use of Super-Luminova paint for a bright nighttime glow.
As for regular timekeeping, we see the watch’s traditional timekeeping elements in the applied hour markers along its edge, and the matching, stylized sword hands for the hour and minute, sans any additional seconds hand. Powering the handset is the caliber A&S1512, an in-house-developed, hand-wound mechanism executed by Arnold & Son. It features a 90-hour power reserve and a frequency of 21,600 vph, and is visible behind a sapphire exhibition caseback. Its various lavishly finished elements include the main plate, rhodium-plated with côtes de Genève stripes radiating from its center; the polished and chamfered bridges; the wheels with circular brushed finishing; and the individually polished and chamfered blued screws.
The Arnold & Son “Year of the Tiger” Perpetual Moon will be limited to eight total editions, each priced at CHF 52,900 (or about $57,900) and available through Arnold & Son boutiques and authorized retailers.
To learn more or inquire for purchase, visit Arnold & Son’s website, here.