A harmoniously arranged skeletonised calibre with an evolved and subtle watchmaking style. Arnold & Son has reworked its Nebula collection, giving it a more striking case with a universal diameter of 40 mm while retaining its remarkably finished movement and unique abundance of watchmaking tradition. Two versions – one with a rhodium-plated and black calibre, the other with golden accents – ensure that the Nebula 40 Steel shines bright. The aesthetics of the Nebula collection are unlike any other skeleton: its structure conveys watchmaking spirit, its style expresses unique elegance, and the overall effect is one of outstanding finesse.
The case of the Nebula collection has been redesigned, modernised and refined. With streamlined lugs, a softly rounded bezel, a more vertical case middle and a diameter of 40 mm in harmony with its thickness of just 9.10 mm, this steel case opens a new chapter for the collection. Featuring the A&S5201 skeletonised calibre offering an ultra-graphic layout, Nebula retains its identity as a watch whose movement fascinates, captivates and draws the eye into its depths.
Black and gold
Nebula 40 Steel is being launched in two initial steel versions. The first features a black mainplate, flange and barrel covers, designed to match a choice of three bracelets: one in steel with a three-link design, the second in alligator leather and the third in textured rubber. The second version is only available on a steel bracelet in a limited edition of 88 timepieces, with gold-coloured movement components. Both pieces showcase meticulous finishes, such as the ‘Rayons de la Gloire’ motif – one of Arnold & Son’s discreet aesthetic signatures – as well as palladium-finished skeleton bridges, which add brilliance and contrast with their satin-finished surfaces and polished corners.
Seven bridges
The new generation of Arnold & Son cases focuses on the purity of lines and curves. Softened flanks and plunging lugs strip back the aesthetics of Nebula 40 Steel to the essential: its signature movement, the central star around which the aesthetics of the collection revolve.
The calibre was born with Nebula, for which it was specifically developed. Its architecture, inspired by the nebulae from which the arms of stars radiate, is what gave the collection its name. Here, these arms are represented by seven bridges, all functional, skeletonised and harmoniously arranged. Facing the inside of the watch, they converge towards its centre, creating an incomparable impression of order, symmetry and transparency.
At the heart of the star
Behind the radiant appearance of the A&S5201 calibre, the shape of the bridges is just as important as their arrangement. They have hollowed-out centres and their chamfers, both internal and external, are carefully polished. Each bridge brings together one screw and two pins to create a rhythm that reinforces the structured appearance of the calibre. On the case back, two large intersecting ogival bridges support the movement’s functional organs at the back.
With its two large barrels arranged in series, Nebula 40 Steel offers a power reserve of 90 hours: exceptionally long for a skeletonised piece, but typical of Arnold & Son calibres. Their energy is transmitted to the gear train, whose layout follows the star-shaped arrangement of the bridges. The balance at the end oscillates at a frequency of 3 hertz. These attributes combine to make the A&S5201 calibre a rare phenomenon in the watchmaking cosmos.
