Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber Watch Review
The Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber proves a captivating sight with its unusual dial formed of Baltic amber. However, this beautiful visage is matched by the eye-catching scene to the rear of the watch, the highly attractive A&S1001 calibre. This is yet another highly original composition from the Maison headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds and, once again, showcases the marque’s remarkable versatility.
Arnold & Son watches
The finest recording artists and the most accomplished stars of the silver screen tend to be highly versatile performers. They are not limited to singing one type of music or playing merely one role. I’m reminded of this when I look at the latest creation from Arnold & Son, the HM Steel Amber. Allow me to elaborate.
Inspired by the work of John Arnold and his son John Roger Arnold, the modern-day brand continues to place much importance on chronometry. In the 18th century, John Arnold was synonymous with making marine chronometers. However, the Englishman, a close friend of Abraham-Louis Breguet, was also a multi-talented watchmaker whose skills led to him creating a patented bimetallic compensated balance and a patented helical balance spring. Moreover, his work extended to designing terminal curves and the spring detent escapement.
Today, the modern-day brand is a paragon of versatility. Unlike some companies that appear ‘typecast’, only able to deliver one genre of watch, Arnold & Son has many strings to its bow. Its collections are grouped into ‘the three principles’, namely ‘Astronomy’, ‘Chronometry’ and ‘World Time’. Furthermore, its versatility has also led to the Maison creating an array of Métiers d’art models. Indeed, hand-engraved depictions of dragons, gem-set cases and mineral dials are just some of the artisanal delights offered by Arnold & Son in recent years.
Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber – dial
Now, the multi-talented brand has released the HM Steel Amber. Measuring 39.5 mm in diameter, its steel case plays host to a captivating ticking vista formed of Baltic amber. Amber is fossilised tree resin, in this instance obtained from conifers. It’s a scarce material that’s rarely used in watchmaking. The protracted dial making process begins with cylindrical-shaped sections being cut from a block of the brownish material and then sliced into thin wafer-like discs. Some amber will be rejected due to its fragility or because its appearance doesn’t pass muster. Each disc of material will have its own distinctive markings, imbuing each watch with a unique appearance.
Appraising the dial, the Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber model subscribes to a ‘less is more approach’. It eschews unnecessary clutter, indicating just the hours and minutes with blued hands, while a neat track fringes the dial. However, nothing distracts the wearer’s gaze from the headline act, the Baltic amber with its glossy pale yellow appearance.
Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber – movement
To the rear of the watch, a pane of sapphire crystal reveals the hand-wound movement, the A&S1001 calibre, crafted in the brand’s Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. From the development of the movement to assembly and regulation, everything is the product of in-house expertise.
Equipped with twin barrels, the movement has a power-reserve of 90 hours. Moreover, by using two barrels, the force serving the escapement is more linear, granting better rate stability and, by default, superior accuracy. But surprisingly, despite the presence of twin barrels, the movement is ultra-thin with a total thickness of just 2.7 mm. The slenderness of the movement is reflected in the slim case profile, just 7.82 mm in height, a modest figure that contributes to the model’s impressive wearer comfort.
The movement is also beautifully finished. For instance, the bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève rayonnantes, with the rays emanating from the balance staff, the ratchet wheels feature double colimaçon, the screws are blued, the mainplate is circular grained and the edges of the bridges evince a brilliant gleam.
Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber – closing remarks
Limited to 38 timepieces, the Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber is the very antithesis of mass production. Indeed, the brand’s low-volume strategy is very different from the approach adopted by the largest watch brands that focus on making vast quantities of homogenous products.
The charm of some smaller watch companies is that they can identify a niche and have the necessary expertise to satisfy the esoteric desires of watch aficionados, indulging them with interesting products. This business model requires flexibility, creativity and versatility; talents that Arnold & Son masterfully demonstrates with its latest performance.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber
- Reference: 1LCDS.Z01A.C287S
- Case: stainless steel, diameter 39.5 mm, height 7.82 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30 m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back
- Functions: hours, minutes
- Movement: A&S1001 calibre, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), 21 jewels, power reserve 90 hours
- Strap – imperial-green alligator leather strap with papaya-yellow alligator leather lining, secured with a steel pin buckle
- Swiss retail price: CHF 19,500 including taxes (RRP as of 13.5.2025)
- Limited Edition: 38 timepieces