In the Best Arnold & Son Royal Collection TBTE Replica Watch (True Beat Tourbillon Escapement), the watch showcases the A&S8503, a hand-finished calibre featuring a tourbillon and true-beat seconds hand (as the name indicates). The case is 44mm in diameter. If anyone from Arnold & Son is reading this, please make a smaller case. Somewhere 40mm-42mm (when the movement allows for it). Anyway, the true beat second hand is located on the dial, but the mechanism is visible through the back. The history of the complication is described by Arnold & Son below.
Here’s another new watch from Arnold & Son, one of my favorite brands by far. I personally love their designs, which are (in my opinion) impeccable. This watch is new and different, but still possess the Arnold & Son Replica Watch I have come to love. The hands are legible and the case makes the watch comfortable to wear. At the same time, their movements are also top-notch.
The TBTE not only boasts a tourbillon but also a true beat seconds mechanism. The true beat seconds is a traditional complication of Arnold & Son, a complication that alludes to the precision timekeeping required for navigation at sea. Unlike conventional mechanical watches, a true beat seconds movement measures out time in complete seconds rather than fractions dependent on the balance frequency. This watch thus pays tribute to the watches produced by John Arnold and his son, when they were the first to develop marine chronometers that could be produced in quantity at reasonable prices. Those technically superior, widely distributed chronometers reflected Arnold & Son’s commitment to exceptional precision and solved the problem of determining longitude at sea.
Interesting stuff. The Arnold & Son Replica will be a limited edition of 28 pieces with a retail price of 147,600CHF (about $150,000 USD).