Introducing Arnold & Son Unveils the Longitude Titanium 5°W

Last year, Arnold & Son unveiled the Longitude Titanium, the brand’s first luxury sports collection honoring its marine chronometer legacy. Now, the company introduces a special addition to this line: the Longitude Titanium 5°W Edition. 

This timepiece pays tribute to the crucial role Arnold & Son played in aiding the British Navy’s conquest of the seas, thanks to its pioneering work in simplifying the calculation of longitude. The model features a dial inspired by the ocean hues seen from Lizard Point, the southernmost tip of mainland Great Britain, located at 5° longitude west and nearly 50° latitude north.

Long-distance sailors recount tales of Cape Horn and its towering waves, while others speak of the Cape of Good Hope, which opens onto the vast expanse of the southern oceans. Closer to home, English sailors are drawn to Lizard Point in Cornwall. This rugged outpost at the southern tip of Great Britain, coordinates 49°57’32’’ north and 5°12’23’’ west, is not only the gateway to the trade winds but also a place of peril. It was here, near the Isles of Scilly, that an English fleet was wrecked in 1707 due to the absence of accurate navigational instruments. To prevent such disasters, in 1714 the British Admiralty offered a prize of £20,000 for solving the problem of calculating longitude at sea. As a tribute to this historic site, and to the birthplace of John Arnold, Arnold & Son presents the Longitude 5°W Edition, limited to just 38 pieces.

The watch retains the 42.5 mm titanium case of previous editions, its form inspired by the sleek lines of modern sailing vessels. The midsection evokes the taut waterline of a ship, while the caseback mirrors the keel of a vessel. The bezel, traditionally marked with 60 notches in reference to John Arnold’s marine chronometers, is crafted in red gold for this edition, adding a touch of warmth and exclusivity. With polished flanks, satin-finished surfaces, and a screw-locked crown protected by shoulders, the watch ensures water resistance to 100 meters.

Around the 49th parallel, the North Atlantic often takes on a metallic grey hue as autumn storms roll in. Reflecting this, the dial of the Longitude 5°W Edition adopts the same steely tone, enhanced by a vertical satin finish. Golden hands and applied indices, polished, luminescent, and satin-finished, contrast beautifully against the dial. At 12 o’clock, a mirror-polished power-reserve indicator appears through cut-outs, while a bold small seconds subdial anchors the composition at 6 o’clock.

Like its predecessors, the Longitude 5°W Edition is powered by the A&S6302 caliber, an automatic movement chronometer-certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). The movement features an oscillating weight in solid 22-carat gold, sculpted to evoke the prow of an 18th-century English frigate cutting through the waves. Beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, the caliber is entirely developed, produced, decorated, assembled, adjusted, and cased at the Arnold & Son Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. A single large barrel delivers a power reserve of 60 hours.

The Arnold & Son Longitude Titanium 5°W Edition is limited to 38 pieces. It is offered on a titanium bracelet with a folding clasp, and an additional anthracite-grey alligator leather strap with a titanium pin buckle. The watch is priced at CHF 25,900 (approx. AED 119,200).

For more information please visit Arnold & Son’s official website.