Arnold & Son Greets the Lunar New Year with a Limited Edition Celebrating the Goat

Published
02/18/2015 by

Individuals born in the Chinese Year of the Goat are said to appreciate life’s finer things. The latest limited edition from Arnold & Son, which combines inspiration from traditional Chinese ink wash paintings with traditional Haute Horlogerie, fits into that exclusive category. This special tribute to the eighth animal sign in the Chinese zodiac is limited to just eight timepieces.

The HM Goats Special Edition, unveiled to mark the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year, has a white mother-of-pearl dial featuring an exquisite, hand-painted miniature of a family of goats feeding on leaves. The design is inspired by traditional Chinese ink wash painting, however interpreted using the technique of miniature painting by hand. In this technique, delicate nuances of tone and shading, achieved using tiny brushstrokes and texturing, blend into an image with breathtaking richness of detail. The art of miniature painting by hand calls for infinite patience and expertise. It is a skill that takes many years of concentrated practice to fully master.

Arnold & Son is proud of this singular timepiece, as Fabien Dutriaux explains: “The light reflected from the depths of the white mother-of-pearl dial illuminates the richness of detail in the exquisite miniature and eloquently expresses our mastery of the decorative arts.” It is no small tribute to the craftsman who created it to say that the image on the dial captures all that is finest in Chinese ink wash painting.

The watch is powered by the A&S1001 movement, which is just 2.7 mm thick and manufactured entirely in-house. Housed in a 40 mm 18-carat rose gold case, it has twin barrels that generate a 90-hour power reserve, guarantee a more constant force and in turn a more constant rate and greater accuracy. All the plates and bridges in the movement are hand-chamfered and decorated – a further indication of the traditional craftsmanship upheld by Arnold & Son.

The HM Goats Special Edition is limited to just eight timepieces.