Just Dropped — The Robust And Elegantly Executed Arnold & Son Eight-Day Blue (Reference 1EDAS.U01C.S136D)

21 Jun, 2023

Just Dropped — The Robust And Elegantly Executed Arnold & Son Eight-Day Blue (Reference 1EDAS.U01C.S136D)

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Eight-Day captures Arnold & Son’s watchmaking genius in a more traditional form than other irreverently bold pieces in the maison’s collection. Conceived with a modern design language while offering infinite mechanical value, Eight-Day embraces the horological sensibilities of the marine chronometers created by John Arnold in the 18th century.

The Legacy Of John Arnold

Widely considered one of the most innovative watchmakers of all time, the legacy of John Arnold and his contributions to the horological world are indomitable. He was born in Cornwall, England and moved to the Netherlands at the age of 19 for a watchmaking apprenticeship, during which he is said to have honed both his technical skills and German diction.

Upon returning to London, it did not take long for John Arnold to establish himself as one the most recognised watchmakers of his time. In 1764, he presented a ring containing a half-quarter repeater to King George III on his birthday. Amongst his many horological pursuits were the inventions of a detent escapement, bimetallic balance, and helical balance spring. Such inventions made him the watchmaker of choice to the British Royal Navy and great explorers of that time. His excellent marine chronometers were also used by the legendary James Cook on his expeditions to the Pacific.

The most significant creation of John Arnold was the pocket chronometer No. 1/36, developed in 1779. It was greatly acknowledged by the Royal Observatory at Greenwich for its accuracy. It was the unparalleled precision of this timepiece that made the word ‘chronometer’ a paradigm within the watchmaking industry attributed only to highly-accurate mechanical watches, which today qualify the yardsticks set by Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC) in Switzerland.

Arnold & Son, relaunched in 1995, is constantly inspired by John Arnold’s passion for accuracy and his spirit of the invention. Indeed, it’s his legacy that is celebrated by the Eight-Day collection, which incorporates design elements of his marine chronometers in a highly-elegant fashion.

Mechanical Ingenuity At The Forefront

Arnold & Son is one of those watchmakers that call themselves Manufacture, a term used for entities developing watch movements. Therefore, movement is always the lodestone of Arnold & Son watches, much like the timepieces in the Eight-Day collection that uses the newly-developed calibre A&S1016. It is a manually-wound mechanical movement with two mainspring barrels, allowing the watch its staggering eight-day or 192 hours of power reserve. It is 33mm wide with just 4.70mm thickness, beating at 21,600bph frequency. There’s an open caseback revealing all the intricate details of the calibre, leaving little to the imagination. The use of côtes de Genève and perlage, the open-worked bridges, the bevelled blue-hued screws, the delicately interspersed 33 jewels set in white gold chatons, and the diligent engravings all sing praise to the maison’s peerless craft.

Arnold & Son Eight-Day In A Majestic Blue Dial

Arnold & Son Eight-Day is equally rich in aesthetical value with its guilloche dial designed to grab attention. The watches come in three primary shades – blue, black, and silver. The pattern on the dial is distinctive, mimicking sea waves that hammer home the watch’s inspiration – marine chronometers. And the blue lacquer coating on reference 1.EDAS.U01C.S136D further takes the aquatic design trope forward. The clean configuration on the dial gives the watch a balanced, streamlined appeal. Faceted hour indexes are placed on the outer minute chapter ring, indicated by faceted steel hands. The date aperture rests within seconds sub-register at six for added legibility, and in a nautical fashion, the power reserve indicator sits at noon. You’ll notice that the brand has conspicuously added ‘8 Days’ text at nine, opposite the brand signature at three.

Arnold & Son Eight-Day On The Wrist

All Eight-Day watches by Arnold & Son come in a 43mm stainless steel case, including the reference 1.EDAS.U01C.S136D. At 10.70mm in height, the watch wears elegantly on the wrist. The measurements are neither too large nor too thick, just appropriately right. The construction of the case is exceptionally detailed, with the case bands carrying a bassiné design. Additionally, the signature stepped structure is evident on the case. A domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on both sides rests on the slender bezel to protect the dial.

When the collection was originally released in 2016, all Eight-Day watches were held by complementing leather straps. However, this changed in 2021 when Arnold & Son updated the line-up with a steel bracelet. Therefore, this 2021 model — reference 1.EDAS.U01C.S136D — comes paired with a stainless steel bracelet. This three-link bracelet mirrors the polished sheen on the case and is also enhanced by a brushed finish on the centre links.

The Arnold & Son Eight-Day Blue 1.EDAS.U01C.S136D at Second Movement is a 2022-purchased timepiece. It comes with a warranty card and an original box. Although it bears light scratches on the caseback, bracelet, and clasp, it boasts an overall great condition.