Now You Don’t – How Arnold & Son Improved the Time Pyramid

Each year at Baselworld, a few watches generate significant buzz within the circle of knowledgeable collectors and journalists attending the show. “Have you seen the…? You have to see it. It’s amazing.” Two years ago, Arnold & Son’s Time Pyramid was a virtual buzz factory, to the extent that the small booth enjoyed what seemed like a non-stop, five-deep crowd around its display.

Arnold & Son Time Pyramid 2015
Cut to 2014, and it got even better. Arnold & Son released the Time Pyramid in steel, or should we say steal, because the price easily justified that bit of timeworn wordplay. Arnold & Son Time Pyramid 2015

But alas, even in steel, the Time Pyramid suffered a flaw. It looked magnificent in the display case, and in images shot against solid backgrounds. But when viewed on the wrist, it revealed, well, the wrist, and rather a lot of it. The wide open spaces flanking the balance wheel at the top of the movement created virtual picture windows pressed tight against one of the less attractive parts of the human body. What is a watchmaker to do? There’s really only one solution – cover the windows. The difficulty is that more often than not, the solution looks like what it is – an afterthought that kills the appeal of the watch.

This year at Baselworld, Arnold & Son unveiled a new Time Pyramid with curtains of gold to obscure the fleshy view. In our estimation, the solution works. It becomes a different timepiece, and it’s one that looks like it was made to be this way, not something that was kludged together. We’ll let you be the judge…

Arnold & Son Time Pyramid 2015

Arnold & Son Time Pyramid 2015

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