Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon “Year of the Rabbit”

The celebration of the year of the Water Rabbit in 2023 inspired Arnold & Son to create a new artistic version of the Perpetual Moon and the resulting timepiece—a sculpted the animal in a calm yet watchful pose now marks the continuation of their annual series. It sits majestically against a backdrop of black aventurine, beneath a great mother-of-pearl moon. In Chinese Zodiac iconography, the water rabbit is the moon’s loyal companion. The sophistication of this dial, showcasing the artistic crafts, demonstrates Arnold & Son’s expertise. In addition to its fine watchmaking movement complete with large astronomic moon, the timepiece also displays masterful aesthetics making The Perpetual Moon “Year of the Rabbit” timepiece powerfully symbolic, sophisticated and full of meaning.

Arnold & Son continues its celebration of the traditional Chinese calendar and to mark the dawn of the year of the Water Rabbit, the brand is releasing a new series limited to eight timepieces of its high-precision moon-phase model. The Perpetual Moon “Year of the Rabbit” timepiece features a sculpted golden rabbit set against a backdrop of black aventurine, posing next to a pagoda surrounded by waterfalls.

The year of the Water Rabbit begins on Saturday, 21 January 2023. In the founding legends of the Chinese Zodiac, the rabbit inhabits a white jade moon, to whom it serves as a pet. It embodies prudence and agility. When shown alongside the characteristic element of the year of the Water Rabbit, this animal promises longevity, peace and prosperity.

On the canvas offered by the dial 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 shines brightly at night and is transformed, its face adorned with scintillating details. To add to the scene, the dial’s aquatic elements as well as the pagoda’s windows are also hand-painted with luminescent material. In the background, the disc bearing the star is made from deep black aventurine glass.

The rabbit remains the dial’s key element. Sculpted in three dimensions, it is crafted from 18-carat 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. It is lined with red alligator leather in a nod to the lucky colour of Chinese symbolism.

Like all the movements used by Arnold & Son, the A&S1512 calibre was entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted and cased up at the brand’s Manufacture located in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This calibre 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 R&D 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.