Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium Ocean Blue 1LTAT.U01A.N001U

Offshore watchmaking

Arnold & Son, the benchmark for classic haute horlogerie, explores a new territory on the watchmaking map. Longitude Titanium is a COSC-certified sport chic chronometer in a 42.5 mm titanium case. Longitude Titanium’s dial is vertical satin-finish, extending the bracelet finish subtly intersected by the polished edges of the links. With a power reserve display at 12 o’clock and an imposing seconds counter at 6 o’clock, Longitude Titanium pays homage to John Arnold’s marine chronometers, his revolutionary vision and his decisive role in calculating longitude at sea.

The aesthetics and construction of John Arnold’s marine chronometers were necessarily sober and functional, adapted to the harsh conditions of the high seas. A contemporary transposition of the great English watchmaker’s work, Longitude Titanium coherently blends this naval heritage with a streamlined design and highly resistant materials. The movement’s “chronometer” certification adds an indispensable element to this picture historically linked to Arnold’s creations and his quest for precision.

Ergonomic spirit

A natural consequence of this maritime identity, Longitude features a titanium case whose curves and profile are directly inspired by the design of contemporary sailing boats. The case middle, like a waterline, is taut. The back, like a keel, is basined. The base of the bezel, the rail, is graduated by 60 notches, echoing the fluted ring of John Arnold’s marine chronometers. The finishes, polished on the sides and satin-finished on the flats, extend this seafaring language. Protected by a shoulder, the screw-down crown offers guaranteed water-resistance to 100 meters.

Curved spirit

Longitude Titanium is as comfortable to wear as it is to look at, without being stiff. Each series is mounted on an integrated titanium bracelet. Everything is rounded, with no straight lines, even in the third plane, since the links are curved. This sequence of fine curves and polished/satin-finished interplay extends the expression of the case. Longitude Titanium also features an interchangeable system and an additional rubber strap.

Watchmaking spirit

The spirit in which the Longitude Titanium dial was designed is both graphic and historical. Graphic, since the satin-finished, polished and luminescent hour-markers have the same shape as the bracelet links. Graphic, too, in the indications that follow the vertical axis of the dial: mirror-polished power reserve indicator visible in the dial cut-out at noon, hour and minute hands in the center, imposing small seconds at 6 o’clock. But this choice of layout is also a link to John Arnold’s marine chronometers. Indeed, this layout was a standard feature of Arnold’s marine chronometers.

Chromatic spirit

Cornwall, John Arnold’s birthplace, inspires the colors of the Longitude dials. The first edition, limited to 88 pieces, is dressed in a golden sandy hue named “Kingsand”, in reference to the beach of the same name, the hidden jewel of the county. The second version is ocean blue. Finally, the third series is a fern green.

Inventive spirit

In the 18th century, the main source of wealth was maritime trade. The opening of new routes on the three great oceans offered vast prospects. But ocean navigation was hampered by incomplete cartography and, above all, imprecise longitude, i.e. the position of ships on the east/west axis. In 1714, the British Parliament passed the Longitude Act, offering a prize of twenty thousand pounds to anyone who could devise a simple and reliable method for determining a ship’s longitude at sea. John Harrison invented the marine chronometer, which would be used for centuries to come. The technique consisted in measuring the difference between local time on the ship, by searching for solar noon, and that of an on-board precision clock, capable of keeping the time of the port of origin. John Arnold developed, improved and simplified Harrison’s principles. By 1771, he was delivering marine chronometers. They were sturdier, affordable and extremely accurate, and became essential for ocean navigation.

Kinetic spirit

At the heart of Longitude Titanium beats the new A&S6302 caliber, certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. It is wound by an oscillating weight whose design is influenced by sailing. Its shape evokes the prow of an 18th-century English frigate, cut in one piece from a block of 22-carat gold. Its serge is engraved with graduations reminiscent of a sextant, another maritime element.

Mechanical spirit

The caliber benefits from the advanced finishing commonly found at Arnold & Son, such as chamfered bridges marked with the “Rays of Glory” motif, a House specialty. Like all our movements, A&S6302 has been entirely developed, manufactured, decorated, assembled, adjusted and cased at the La Chaux-de-Fonds factory. The caliber features a large barrel and a 4Hz oscillation frequency for a 60-hour power reserve.