Baselworld is still a week away but the great people at Arnold & Son know we’re an impatient lot, which is why they’ve just unveiled the new CTB.
The CTB
According to Arnold & Son the CTB is the world’s first True Beat Seconds and Chronograph Wristwatch. In layman’s terms this means that the automatic movement features both a True Beat escapement as well as column-wheel operated chronograph.
The brand is already well known for their True Beat timepieces, the most memorable one perhaps being the TB88. If you’re not overly familiar with the concept the True Beat escapement essentially measures out time in complete one-second steps rather than the fractions determined by the balance frequency. As a result the seconds hand performs a ticking motion as opposed to a sweeping one, thus making it more accurate.
The CTB however has a lot more going on than just a ticking seconds hand. The in-house A&S7103 calibre has been specially configured to ensure the layout of the dial symmetrically and aesthetically pleasing. The design is not unlike the other new Arnold & Son models we’ve already been treated to a preview of (such as the DTE and the TEC1) and is very pleasing on the eye.
At 12 o’clock an off-centered sub-dial displays the hours and minutes, and is counter-balanced nicely by the 60-minutes chronograph indicator at 6 o’clock. Big central true beat seconds and central chronographs seconds indicators complete the look, providing some much needed animation to the dial.
The CTB is presented in a 44mm stainless steel case, which has been paired beautifully with a light-grey and silvery opaline dial. In addition the movement offers the efficiency of bi-directional winding thanks to the use of ceramic ball bearings and boasts a 50-hour power reserve.
Now, I know it’s far too early to say this with any certainty but I’ve got a feeling the CTB might just end up being one of my favorite pieces from Arnold & Son this year.
The price for the steel version will be US$27,135.
Source: Arnold & Son
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Congratulations for the Arnold&Son design team. It is a splendid model. The dial is amazing and its proportions follow the golden ratio.