October 3, 2022: Arnold & Son is known to combine materials and complications to reveal extraordinary timepieces. This time, the brand has introduced a new limited edition Luna Magna Platinum model consisting of 28 pieces.
This high watchmaking timepiece with a spherical astronomical moon is adorned with a sand-coloured, PVD-treated meteorite dial surrounded by a platinum case. To complete this limited edition’s cosmic references, the part of the moon in shadow is also made from meteorite. In a final harmonious touch, Luna Magna Platinum shines with a distinctive glow at night thanks to the Super-LumiNova coating on its moon hemisphere and opal subdial. Arnold & Son chose a meteorite from the octahedrite class that, once worked, reveals “Widmanstätten patterns”, which are instantly recognisable for their jagged crisscrossing structures.
The ever-changing moon is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Arnold & Son. With a satin circular-grained finish, the hour and minute subdial is crafted from white opal, a semiprecious gemstone known for its purity, delicacy, and befitting of Luna Magna’s complication. At 6 o’clock, the three-dimensional moon is carved from the same meteorite as the dial and Cacholong opal whose properties lend to sculpting. Lastly, the platinum case has an understated shine that gives the stage to the dial and its components.
The various materials catch the light and give this timepiece multiple different faces. The incredible shine of the platinum is tempered by the iridescence of the meteorite and the milky whiteness of the various opals. Arnold & Son selected opal for its moon-like porcelain hue and properties, which make it possible to add Super-LumiNova.
Luna Magna Platinum is driven by the A&S1021 calibre, which has been fully developed, manufactured, assembled and adjusted in the Arnold & Son Manufacture. This hand-wound calibre, designed with the lunar globe in mind, features a 90-hour power reserve and a regulating organ oscillating frequency of 3 Hz. The movement includes a secondary display detailing the moon's age on the case-back side. Its readable markings are designed for high-precision adjustments.
The sophisticated mechanics are also based on precise astronomical reality. A complete lunar cycle lasts 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds. The Manufacture has managed to replicate it so that it will take 122 years for the movement’s display to deviate from the correct celestial reading by one day – a testament to Arnold & Son's total mastery of the watchmaking process. The spectacular timepiece, the largest and most spectacular moon in the watchmaking cosmos, has garnered a nomination this year from the 2022 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, nominated in the Calendar and Astronomy Category.
