To celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Water Rabbit, Arnold & Son has given the brand’s Perpetual Moon a new artistic twist. The brand continues its annual Chinese traditional calendar celebration, launching a new limited series of eight high-precision moon phase watches. The Perpetual Moon Year of the Rabbit watch features a golden rabbit engraved against a black aventurine background standing next to a pagoda surrounded by waterfalls.
The Perpetual Moon Year of the Rabbit watch is iconic, sophisticated and allegorical. Arnold & Son have created this animal in a calm yet alert pose. It sits majestically on a black aventurine backdrop beneath a gigantic mother-of-pearl moon. In the imagery of the Chinese zodiac, the Water Rabbit is the faithful companion of the Moon. The exquisite dial shows the exquisite craftsmanship, showing the exquisite skills of Arnold & Son.
The Year of the Water Rabbit begins on Saturday, January 21, 2023. In the founding legend of the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit inhabits the white jade moon as its pet. She embodies caution and agility. In addition to the characteristic annual elemental water rabbit, this animal also portends longevity, peace and prosperity.
Celestial light
With its dial serving as the canvas of this exceptional timepiece, Arnold & Son has accommodated a large moon. In a large aperture, a turning disc reveals the waxing and waning of the night’s celestial body, the appearance of the crescent moon, and its light. It is crafted from mother-of-pearl with painted elements in relief, all enhanced with Super-LumiNova.
Pale during the day, it transforms at night, shining brightly and adorned with scintillating details. The dial’s aquatic elements add further dimension to the scene, as do the pagoda windows, each hand-painted with luminescent material. In the background, the disc bearing the star is made from deep black aventurine glass.
Artistic expression
The rabbit remains the dial’s key element. Sculpted in three dimensions, it is crafted from 18-karat rose gold. Its expression, its pose, and the details of its fur are hand-engraved and burnished to add depth and nuance. This painstaking work is worthy of the exceptional attention Arnold & Son has always paid to its limited series created in tribute to the Chinese Zodiac.
The same holds true for the dial. On a disc of black aventurine glass dotted with glittering inclusions, the foliage, and pagoda decorations are hand-painted with gold powder. To complete this narrative tableau, the Perpetual Moon “Year of the Rabbit” model is mounted on a glistening black alligator leather strap with visible platinum stitching and a lining of auspicious red alligator leather.
Expert watchmaking
Like all the movements used by Arnold & Son, the A&S1512 caliber was entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted, and finished at the brand’s Manufacture located in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This caliber is powered by a double barrel with an oscillation frequency of 3 Hz, delivering a 90-hour power reserve.
Last but not least, thanks to the Manufacture’s research and development efforts, the moon phase display of this movement is so precise that it will remain accurate for 122 years before deviating from the actual lunar cycle by one day. The Perpetual Moon “Year of the Rabbit” timepiece therefore works in perfect harmony with the astronomic, astrological, and collection cycles. This sense of eternity is characteristic of all Arnold & Son creations.
