Fishy, Fishy, Fishy, Fish!

Something new from Arnold & Son.  In all honesty, the keep cranking things out and releasing them, and I am starting to run out of enthusiasm. Having said that, this one is at least a wee bit different.

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

So here is the scoop, straight from the source -

Arnold & Son unites exquisite, hand-painted 

dials with the fine art of Haute Horlogerie 

The Métiers d’Art HM Koi Unique Piece from Arnold & Son will appeal to watch connoisseurs who appreciate the finest-quality watchmaking combined with beautiful arts and crafts. The hand-painted miniature represents two koi swimming in harmony. This motif is inspired by the koi depicted in traditional ink-wash paintings. The subtle, soft colours set off to perfection by the shimmer of the dial in white mother-of-pearl. The exclusive nature of this wonderful reference is underscored by its limitation to just one piece. 

Through perseverance and endurance, the koi were able to become mythical beings.  The koi fish is part of many ancient legends. Legend has it that King Shoko of Ro presented Chinese philosopher Confucius a magoy, a black carp, as a gift at the birth of his first son in 533 B.C. So impressed was Confucius by the koi’s strength and ability to swim up the falls of the yellow river that he named his son after the fish. 

Two thousand years later and the koi fish still symbolizes positive attributes in life like perseverance, endurance and courage. 

The Métiers d’Art HM Koi Unique Piece from Arnold & Son was created to celebrate this fascinating fish. Adorning the mother-of-pearl dial is a hand-painted miniature of two koi, depicted in traditional Chinese ink-wash paintings. Nuances of colours, from red-orange to blue-grey, are achieved by the tiny brushstrokes and texturing gradually to build-up the entire image with an astonishing richness of details. Each koi is executed with exquisite delicacy of touch and features fine details that evoke its shimmering skin. The art of painting miniatures by hand calls for infinite patience and consummate skill. As Philippe Boven of Arnold & Son explains: “The art of hand-painting miniatures takes many years of concentrated practice to perfect, and these exquisite koi presented our specialists with an ideal opportunity to showcase their skills.” The sumptuousness of the koi is a counterpoint to the simplicity of the white mother-of-pearl dial, which shimmers entrancingly with the play of light and perfectly mirrors the water in which the koi live. 

Courtesy of Arnold & Son

Main technical characteristics:
HM Koi Unique Piece

Calibre:
A&S1001

Arnold & Son manufacture movement, hand-wound, 21 jewels, diameter 30 mm, thickness 2.70 mm, power reserve 90 h, double barrel, 21,600 vibrations/h

Functions:
Hours, minutes

Movement decoration:
Nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with Haute Horlogerie finishing: hand-chamfered bridges with polished edges, fine circular graining and Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, blued screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads

Dial:
Hand-painted miniature on white mother-of-pearl

Case:
18-karat rose gold, diameter 40 mm, available with or without diamond-set bezel, cambered sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides, see-through sapphire case back, water-resistant to 30 m

Strap:
Hand-stitched brown or black alligator leather

Limited edition:
Unique piece

Reference:
1LCAP.M01A.C110A/111A