The Transfer Window Opens...

At Arnold & Son.

Per WatchPro -

https://www.watchpro.com/arnold-sons-replaces-ceo-bertrand-savary-with-his-vp-of-sales/

It would seem that Bertrand Savary will be pursuing other professional interests. In a move that probably came as a surprise to some,
Pascal Béchu will be running the show at Arnold & Son / Angelus with immediate effect. Let's hope this goes better for Arnold & Son and Angelus customers than it did for all of the brands who got the fuzzy end of the lollipop (not to mention rather blunt "requests" for payment for a watch show that never happened) when BaselWorld went pear-shaped. In fairness, it was one Michel Loris-Melikoff who was calling the shots, and the less said about Mr. Loris-Melikoff, the better.


So Pascal Béchu, we wish you the best of success in moving forward, and Mr. Savary we wish you Godspeed.

A Pre-BaselWorld Offering from Angelus

This is the U21 Tourbillon from Angelus -

Courtesy of Angelus

Here are the pertinents, straight from Angelus-

Reference:
OTCAD.B01A.C004R

Limited Edition:
18 pieces

FUNCTIONS
Central hours and minutes, one-minute flying tourbillon, haute horlogerie
manufacture movement with NPT carbon-fiber main plate and gold bridges

CALIBRE
Angelus A-250, manual-winding with flying tourbillon, NPT carbon-fiber main plate
and solid 18-karat red gold bridges

Jewels:
18, set in solid gold chatons

Diameter:
32.60 mm

Thickness:
5.78 mm

Power Reserve:
90 hours
 
Frequency:
21,600 vph / 3 Hz
 
Balance:
Variable inertia regulated by four gold weights, minimal air-resistant design
 
Escapement:
Swiss lever
 
Gear train:
Exclusive Angelus 6-spoke design to maximize rigidity
 
Complications:
One-minute flying tourbillon 

Tourbillon cage:
Steel, hand-chamfered and hand-polished
 
Movement finishing:
Haute horlogerie, all steel component with hand-chamfered and hand-polished
edges, flat surfaces mirror-polished or satin-finished


CASE:

Material:
NPT carbon-fiber and 18-karat red gold

Diameter:
42.0 mm

Height:
10.30 mm including sapphire crystals

Crystals:
Sapphire crystal dome with anti-reflective coating on inside surface

Water resistance:
30 m/ 100'/ 3 atm

The U10 Tourbillon Calavera

From Angelus -

Courtesy of Angelus

This is their latest offering.

The U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante

From Angelus -

Courtesy of Angelus

This is their latest offering -

U30 Tourbillon Rattrapante Technical Specifications

Features and Indications

Central hours and minutes, tourbillon, fly-back and split-seconds (rattrapante) column wheel chronograph, power reserve indicator

Movement and Finishing
Calibre:
A-150, mechanical self-winding tourbillon split-seconds chronograph

Complications:
One-minute tourbillon, fly-back chronograph, split-seconds, power reserve indicator
Jewels:
38
Diameter:
37.60 mm
Height:
9.35 mm
Power reserve:
45 hours
Frequency:
4 Hz / 28,800 vph
Balance wheel:

Black gold-treated copper-beryllium
Escapement:
Swiss lever
Regulated:
Set to 5 positions
Gear train:
Wheels with exclusive Angelus six-spoke design to maximize rigidity
Screws:
Angelus three-point design torque-optimizing heads
Main plate and automatic bridge:

Grey NAC-treated to maximize contrast and depth

Upper bridges:
Black ADLC-treated
Column wheels:
Black ADLC-treated and mirror-polished. Both the split-seconds’ column wheel on the dial side and chronograph column wheel on the back are visible
Tourbillon cage:
Hand-chamfered and hand-polished. Black ADLC-treated second pointer
Movement finishing:
Chamfered and polished edges, flat surfaces either satin-finished or sand- blasted
Rotor:
Black ADLC-treated with solid 22-karat white gold segment 

  

Dial

Chapter ring:

Hours, minutes and chronograph seconds markers

Counters: 

30-minute counter laser engraved onto the upper chronograph bridge and rhodium treated. Power reserve indicator laser engraved onto the power reserve bridge, rhodium treated and filled with green and red lacquer
Hands: 

Skeletonized, sand-blasted with polished top hour and minute hands, sand- blasted chronograph second hand with red tip, satin-finished split-seconds hand, sand-blasted with polished top power reserve hand, polished 30-minute counter hand with red line 

Case 

Material:
47 mm
Thickness:

15 mm

Crown: 

Engraved with ANGELUS logo; 2 positions: 1. winding, 2. time-setting, 
split-seconds pusher integrated in the crown 

Back:

Transparent

Distance between lugs: 

22 mm

Water resistance: 

30 m / 100 ft / 3 atm

Crystals:

Box sapphire crystal (front and back) with anti-reflective coating on the inside

Limitation and reference number 

Limited edition:
25 pieces

Reference number: 

0CRAC.B01A.C003U 

 

The U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon

From Angelus

Courtesy of Angelus

Here's the scoop, straight from the source -

Angelus introduces the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon
The entire U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon watch has been conceived as a beautiful mechanical haute horlogerie sculpture. Built like a supercar, its design is streamlined and based on structural optimization. Made of sapphire, carbon and titanium, the U20 is at the forefront of cutting-edge watchmaking.
From the movement to the case design, every aspect of the U20 has been conceptualized to allow light to enter the watch and reveal the splendor of the movement’s architecture and tourbillon. The first elements one sees are the raised dome sapphire crystal of the carbon case and the mirror-polished beveled edge of the monobloc titanium lugs, all reflecting the light. 

Courtesy of Angelus

A deeper look reveals the virtually transparent movement floating in the case and allowing
A deeper look reveals the virtually transparent movement floating in the case and allowing an unobstructed view through the watch. The quest for transparency and three- dimensionality is essential in the world of ultimate high-end watchmaking. The goal is to present the essence of the movement by removing any superfluous material. What seems to look deceptively simple to achieve requires great artistic vision and engineering prowess. The more material that is removed, the more the structure of the movement has to be carefully calculated to ensure rigidity and sturdiness.

The U20 Ultra-Skeleton even goes a step further. It does not boast an ordinary movement that has been skeletonized afterwards, but a tourbillon movement that has been created from scratch to be symmetrical, transparent and resplendent.

To further enhance transparency, the U20 features a sapphire main plate. The bridges have been made of blued titanium and have been skeletonized to increase transparency even further. The bridges’ beam shape also maximizes rigidity - the latter being essential for chronometric precision. 

The discerning eye will be pleased to discover that haute horlogerie has not been sacrificed on the altar of transparency: components in the Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon have been hand- chamfered, hand-polished and hand satin-finished to ensure that they look as good as they are filigree.

And to further increase visibility into the top of the three-dimensional movement, the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon features a unique design element. The case dispenses with a bezel and instead uses a sapphire crystal dome, which also allows a sideways view onto the movement.

The U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon deserves closer inspection, which reveals many of the well- thought-out details that go into transforming a skeleton watch into an ultra-skeleton haute horlogerie watch: the variable inertia balance wheel of the tourbillon is especially designed and crafted to minimize air friction; the sapphire main plate is polished to the highest optical grade; ruby bearings are set into solid gold chatons. The ultra-light case, entirely made of carbon-fiber, titanium and sapphire, has been designed to echo the visual lightness and the technical feel of the timepiece.

The U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon is available in a limited edition of 18 pieces in carbon- fiber/titanium case.

The U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon in detail
To maximize transparency, the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon makes extensive use of sapphire in both the construction of the movement as well as the case. The movement is based on a sapphire main plate, with key components supported by beautifully hand finished, blue skeletonized satin-finished titanium bridges.

The absence of a dial and the use of a sapphire crystal dome set directly onto the carbon fiber case allow full visual access to the movement from both the top and sides, accentuating the three-dimensionality of the movement’s architecture.

The titanium lugs, which are securely attached to the carbon fiber case and reinforced with an armature of carbon fiber, have a very technical shape and echo the titanium bridges of the movement. However, the intricacy of the lugs is softened by the clever use of polished chamfered edges and contrasting satin-finished surfaces.

Special sapphire main plate
The sapphire in the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon is very specific, offering the essential characteristics necessary for use in a haute horlogerie timepiece. The sapphire main plate is first crafted from a solid block of sapphire before being painstakingly polished to be perfectly transparent. This elaborate process results in a very precise main plate with tolerances in the micron range. The latter is important as the sapphire used throughout the Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon is not decorative but 100% functional. 

Movement elements
The heart of the U20 Ultra-Skeleton Tourbillon is the flying tourbillon. The tourbillon is “flying", which means that it does not require an upper supporting bridge. This helps to maximize the three-dimensionality of the movement and allows maximum appreciation of the technical and aesthetical refinements throughout the movement.

The tourbillon’s steel cage is hand chamfered and polished with flat surfaces either mirror- polished or satin-finished.

The variable inertia balance wheel is regulated by four gold weights around its perimeter. In the quest for high performance, the rim of the balance wheel has been milled to maximize aerodynamics and 
reduce air resistance.

The highly engineered movement further features beam-type titanium bridges which are skeletonized to increase transparency even more.
The titanium mainspring barrel bridge is supported by slim pillars set directly into the sapphire main plate to optimize visual lightness.

All wheels throughout the entire gear train have a specially developed six-spoke design, again in the quest for maximum rigidity for minimum mass.

All of the rubies, which actually act as low-friction bearings, are fitted into solid gold chatons that are embedded in the sapphire main plate. Gold chatons not only look good and attest to the movement's haute horlogerie bona fides, they are also non-magnetic and corrosion resistant like the sapphire itself. 

The U10 Tourbillon Lumière

From Angelus -

Courtesy of Angelus

For now, I'm  gonna just stick to the info provided, reserving opinions and feedback until I see it in person next week.

Courtesy of Angelus

U10 Tourbillon Lumière heralds the rebirth of Swiss watch brand Angelus

Swiss watch brand Angelus has returned to the forefront of contemporary high-end watchmaking with the launch of the U10 Tourbillon Lumière. Boasting a radically deconstructed movement, the U10 Tourbillon Lumière features hours, minutes, dead beat seconds and a one-minute flying tourbillon, plus a 90-hour linear power reserve indicator on the case profile. The clean, modernist displays pay tribute to Angelus’ acclaimed travel clocks as well as taking cues from iconic industrial designs and designers of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Courtesy of Angelus

Powering the U10 Tourbillon Lumière is an innovative, finely finished, in-house calibre complete with oversized, one-minute flying tourbillon, which is offset from the movement. The assertive, sculpturally-shaped case – in special annealed steel – features seven sapphire crystals. Visible from five sides in its own sapphire crystal showcase, the circular ballet of the tourbillon is on full display. 

The imaginatively engineered movement, visible also through the display back, pays homage to Angelus' 19th-century origins as a premium movement maker. The inspiration for the name U10 Tourbillon Lumière derives from the light (lumière in French) streaming through the three-dimensional sapphire windows and illuminating the mesmerizing tourbillon.

The story of Angelus began in 1891 when brothers Albert and Gustav Stolz founded the Angelus watchmaking manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland. The company quickly became renowned for developing and manufacturing pioneering movements and timepieces, both for itself and for other brands.

Over the past century, Angelus earned an illustrious reputation for creating exceptional chronograph and multi-complication wristwatches, multi-display travel clocks, and alarm watches, as well as a groundbreaking 8-day movement which was also used by other brands such as Panerai. Along the way, Angelus achieved a number of watchmaking world-firsts, including, first series wristwatch chronograph with calendar, the first wristwatch chronograph with big date, first wristwatch with alarm and date, first automatic repeater wristwatch, and first fully waterproof repeater wristwatch.

Along with many other prestigious brands, Angelus found it difficult to compete with the arrival of quartz watches and the company ceased operations in the late 1970s. 

After lying dormant for more than 30 years, Angelus has now been revived by Manufacture La Joux-Perret, which has spent four years developing the next generation of visionary timepieces, the first of which is the U10 Tourbillon Lumière. This has been developed by the new Angelus team.  The Angelus’ manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds is just a stone’s throw from where the Stolz brothers established their original manufacture.

The U10 Tourbillon Lumière is available in a limited edition of 25 pieces in stainless steel, which launches the Angelus Urban collection.

U10 Tourbillon Lumière Technical Specifications

Movement

Calibre A100, one-minute flying tourbillon movement

Hand-wound

Jewels: 38

Dimensions: 52.10 mm x 30.40 mm

Thickness: 7.50 mm

Power reserve: 90 h, double barrel

Frequency: 2.5Hz / 18,000 vph

Tourbillon: 16.25 mm cage diameter, Swiss lever escapement, screwed balance and hairspring with Breguet overcoil

Functions: hours, minutes, central dead beat seconds, one-minute flying tourbillon, linear power reserve indication

Movement decoration: nickel-silver movement, rhodium treated with haute horlogerie finishing: satin-finished main plate with laser engraved pattern, satin-finished bridges with chamfered and polished edges, plate dial side with sunray satin-finish, circular satin-finished wheels, screws with bevelled and mirror-polished heads, two laser-engraved and enamelled ratchets

Tourbillon finishing: bead-blasted and satin-finished titanium tourbillon bridge, entire tourbillon cage with hand-chamfered and polished edges and either satin-finished or mirror-polished surfaces 

Dial

Colour: translucent-grey coated concave sapphire and black outer ring

Double white (C1) Super-LumiNova dots at 12 o’clock

Single white (C1) Super-LumiNova dots at 3, 6 & 9 o’clock

Hour, minute & power reserve hands: brushed-finished, rhodium-treated, with black Super-LumiNova that glows blue in the dark

Dead beat seconds hand: white lacquered

Case

Material: BO-988 specific annealed stainless steel, bead-blasted and treated with black PVD on the inside

Dimensions: 62.75 mm x 38 mm

Thickness: 15 mm including sapphire crystals

Sapphire crystals: 7 in total, treated with anti-reflective coating

Back: see-though sapphire crystal

Water-resistant: 30 m

Strap and buckle

Strap: hand-stitched black alligator leather

Buckle: stainless steel folding buckle

Limitation and reference

Limited edition:             25 pieces

Reference:                    0LUAS.B01A.C001F

Angelus

So word has already broken elsewhere, Angelus is back and ready to reveal a new collection that some of us will see in person in a little more than a week from now.  As I don't have much to go on beyond the press release, I think we will just stick to that for now - 

The rebirth of Swiss watch brand Angelus
After lying dormant for more than 30 years, Angelus has now been revived by Manufacture La Joux-Perret, which has spent four years developing the next generation of visionary timepieces. The Angelus’ manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds is just a stone’s throw from where the Stolz brothers established their original manufacture.

Courtesy of Angelus

Dating back nearly 125 years, Angelus has been one of the most influential horological manufactures of the last century. Connoisseurs of high-end watchmaking have universally hailed Angelus' pioneering, in-house developed movements and timepieces, which continue to be coveted by collectors all over the world.

Angelus was founded in 1891 by the brothers Albert and Gustav Stolz with the establishment of the Angelus watchmaking manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland. 

Courtesy of Angelus

Over the past century, Angelus forged a fine reputation for creating exceptional chronograph and multi-complication wristwatches, multi-display travel clocks with long power reserves, and alarm watches. The brand marked several firsts along the way, including the Chronodato (1942), which was the first series wristwatch chronograph with calendar. 

Courtesy of Angelus

The Chrono-Datoluxe (1948) featured the very first big date in a chronograph wristwatch; it was also the first series chronograph wristwatch with a digital calendar – years before such a display became a standard in watchmaking. The Datalarm (1956) was the first wristwatch ever featuring both alarm and date function, while the cult timepiece the Tinkler (1958) was both the first automatic repeater wristwatch and also the first fully waterproof repeater wristwatch. 

Courtesy of Angelus

Like many other prestigious Swiss watch brands, Angelus fell victim to the quartz crisis in the 1970s and production halted. However, in 2011 Angelus was revived by the well-known and highly innovative mechanical movement specialist Manufacture La Joux-Perret SA in La Chaux-de-Fonds and its CEO Frédéric Wenger and Head of Innovation Dr Sébastien Chaulmontet. Angelus now has at its disposal a skilled and enthusiastic team committed to putting Angelus back on the pedestal of high-end watchmaking. 

Still enjoying the creative freedom afforded by having its own manufacture and using the brand’s rich history as a guiding principle and source of inspiration, Angelus has spent over four years developing the next generation of Angelus timepieces, which uphold the brand’s reputation for horological ingenuity. Featuring complications from classic watchmaking, ultra- modern materials crafted using cutting-edge techniques, highly visible movements and contemporary design cues, these innovative timepieces push the boundaries of contemporary watchmaking, while remaining true to the haute horlogerie traditions of the brand.

The Angelus manufacture

Angelus is owned by Manufacture La Joux-Perret SA, which operates out of its own manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the heart of fine Swiss watchmaking. The new Angelus base is a stone’s throw from where the Stolz brothers set up their first watchmaking manufacture in 1891. 


More to come.  My only hope is that for obvious linguistic concerns the model "Tinkler" in not revived with the same name ; )

Stay tuned!