ARNOLD & SON GLOBETROTTER GOLD – A WORLD OF GOLD AND LIGHT

Like a finely-crafted atlas, the Globetrotter Gold represents our Planet. The lands seen on the surface are sculpted to precision and together with the deep, handpainted seas, they serve as a backdrop to the world time dual time zone display. Overhanging these is an infinite arch which fixes their rotation.

The Globetrotter Gold measures 45 mm in diameter. In its centre, the dome depicting the Northern Hemisphere is held from side to side by an immense openworked bridge carved in red gold. This arch is the visual signature of the Globetrotter, and houses in its centre a functional ruby holding the axis of universal time.

With its Globetrotter Gold, Arnold & Son has chosen to refine the aesthetics of this major piece in a way which affirms its elegance and modernity. The appliqué indexes on two planes are faceted in red gold and painted in Super-LumiNova. The bottom part of the dial which surrounds the map of the world has a subtle sunlit finish in shades of blue, and the ring showing universal time is in transparent sapphire. Local times are therefore read by the red hands pointing to the gold indexes, while world times are identified by visualising an imaginary longitude from the ruby in the central bridge to the 24-hour sapphire ring.

The architecture of the Globetrotter Gold crossways bridge is remarkable. Classy and svelte, the bridge is formed of one central piece in solid gold, with openwork taken to the extreme. The flat parts of the arch are polished, its sides are satin-finished and the long surfaces of its chamfers bevelled. These types of finishes and the level of quality achieved are those commonly applied to the components of Arnold & Son calibres. However, the dimensions of this bridge are considerably larger than they would be within a movement, and thus demanded exceptional care and precision.

At 45 mm, the case of the Globetrotter Gold is vast. The hemisphere was the guideline to its design and its surface area requires a certain amount of space. Above the equator are North America, Eurasia and part of Africa, all represented with a wealth of detail. In reality, the continents form a single rhodium-plated, polished sculpture. In contrast, the Atlas, Hoggar, Himalayan, Rocky, Ural and Alps mountain ranges are given a matt finish. The oceans are hand painted with several coats of blue-pigmented lacquer enriched with pearlescent powder to bestow exceptional depth and shine. The coastlines are lighter on the blue colour scale with added Super-LumiNova, so that they stand out at night and further accentuate the relief of this small piece of manual craftsmanship.

The Globetrotter Gold is assembled on the Maison’s automatic calibre A&S6022. Like all Arnold & Son movements, it has been entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and fitted at their plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Its oscillating weight is 22-carat gold, skeletonised and features the Clou de Paris guilloché pattern. The A&S6022 calibre is decorated with the traditional fine watchmaking motifs: stippled main plate, radiant Côtes de Genève bridges, satin-finished wheels and bevelled, polished screws. Its specific finishes are also NAC-treated. This type of plating uses precious metals close to platinum to produce a particularly high-quality anthracite result that perfectly matches the red gold case of the Globetrotter Gold.