Arnold & Son

Owned by Citizen Group through Manufacture La Joux-Perret, but operating with full creative autonomy and producing all its roughly twenty calibres entirely in-house at its La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture — independent in every sense that matters to the collector. Swiss watchmaking with English roots.

Arnold & Son draws its identity from John Arnold (1736–1799) — born in Cornwall, one of the most innovative English watchmakers of his age. At 19 he left for the Netherlands and returned speaking fluent German, which served him at the court of King George III, to whom he presented a ring containing the smallest half-quarter repeater ever made (1764). His marine chronometer No. 3 accompanied James Cook on his second voyage (1772); his pocket watch No. 1/36 was praised for its precision at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (1779); and Rear Admiral Sir William Parry used Arnold's chronometer No. 2109 on his voyage toward the North Pole (1820). Arnold held patents for a detent escapement, a bimetallic compensated balance, and a helical balance spring with terminal curves — and coined the modern definition of 'chronometer.' He won multiple grants from the British Board of Longitude.

After John Arnold's death in 1799, the company passed to his son John Roger Arnold, then to Charles Frodsham. In 1995 the brand was relaunched in Switzerland; in 2010 it joined Manufacture La Joux-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fonds. All roughly twenty calibres are designed in-house and produced by sister manufacture La Joux-Perret. The collections are organised around three principles rooted in John Arnold's preoccupations: Astronomy (Luna Magna, Perpetual Moon), Chronometry (Longitude, HM, Constant Force, DSTB, Nebula, Time Pyramid, Ultrathin Tourbillon), and World Time (Globetrotter, Double Tourbillon). Complications include tourbillon, true beat seconds, double tourbillon, constant force, moon phase, worldtimer, and astronomical 3D moon phase. Dials frequently feature rare gemstones and minerals. Limited series distributed through carefully selected retailers worldwide.