Arnold & Son: watches with a maritime pedigree

In my blogging achievements I already have quite a lot of descriptions of luxury watch brands. I have introduced the more famous ones to you in a dozen entries, but to be honest, it’s only now that I’m starting to really have fun creating texts for you. Because if everyone has heard about Rolexes, Omegas, Patki or Hublotach, the hero of my today’s text is probably known to the minority.

Arnold & Son: everything starts with the sea

John Arnold was an English watchmaker and inventor who contributed greatly to the success of the English Navy as the creator of marine chronometers. At this point it is worth adding that it would not have been possible had it not been for his predecessor, John Harisson, the creator of the first accurate chronometer. Arnold opened his workshop in 1764 in London and quickly gained the powerful patron William McGuire. Apparently, the clock collector had a problem with one of his timepieces and only Arnold knew how to fix it.

McGuire was impressed by Arnold’s skills and granted him a loan that allowed him to begin his business as a watchmaker at Devereux Court, Strand, London. However, it was not until 1787 that the Arnold & Son workshop was established when John’s son John Roger began working with his father. The admirers of Arnold & Son watchmakers’ trinkets were, among others king George III, Admiral Harland, Captain Cook and Captain Phipps. The latter two made very frequent use of John Arnold’s on-board chronometers during their expeditions.

After John Roger’s death, the Arnold family business was bought by Charles Frodsham, who renamed it the Arnold & Frodsham Chronometer Makers; in 1884, the company changed its name to Charles Frodsham & Co., and John Arnold’s legacy faded from sight for years.

Citizen reactivates the brand

Again, the Arnold & Son brand was launched in 1995 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. It is not entirely clear how Citizen bought the brand, but the fact is that since 2012 Arnold & Son has been part of this watchmaking giant. The ambassador is British long-distance runner Sir Mo Farah.

Among the many interesting proposals from Arnold & Son, I liked Globetrotter the most. As the name suggests, it is a watch for the modern traveler who travels thousands of kilometers every year. On the face of the watch we have a map of the northern hemisphere and the marking of time zones. The whole thing is covered with a convex sapphire glass. The mechanism used is an A & S6022 with automatic winding, offering approx. 45-hour power reserve.

Cena tego zegarka to ponad 60 000 zł.