Arnold son utte asprey special edition

WOTY2013: Arnold & Son Utte Asprey Special Edition

Earlier this year WatchPro unveiled its Watches of the Year 2013, made up of 10 winning timepieces and 90 highly commended watches that we felt boasted commercial appeal, innovation and had wowed consumers and retailers alike over the past 12 months.

Winner of the WatchPro Luxury Watch of the Year 2013 was the Arnold & Son Utte Asprey Special Edition.

The culmination of a dream partnership between British watchmakers Arnold & Son, with nearly 250 years of heritage, and fine British jewellery and luxury goods house Asprey, this watch was the obvious choice for the leading luxury timepiece of 2013.

Both companies were founded in London within 20 years of each other and share histories and reputations seeped in prestige. And now they have a standout watch in common too.

When the Arnold & Son UTTE – aka the Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Escapement – launched onto the market this year it was hailed by watch enthusiasts and industry insiders as the thinnest tourbillon on the market. Arnold & Son humbly stated in literature that it is merely “one of” the thinnest. Whether it is in fact a record breaker or simply among the thinnest tourbillons out there, with a case thickness of just 8.34mm and a movement that measures 2.97mm thick, its slimness was enough to make it a big talking point in 2013.

Then, when the watchmaker announced its special limited edition-model for Asprey of London, the bar was not just lifted but propelled into the stratosphere. The timepiece, which is said to be a tribute to the two companies’ shared values, has a palladium 8.34mm thick case and houses the ultra-thin A&S8200 movement, which was developed, designed and manufactured entirely in house at the brand’s workshops.

Understandably, it took a few years for Arnold & Son’s watchmakers and engineers to develop the UTTE after they decided that the additional tourbillon should come in a big 3D tourbillon cage and have a long power reserve. While the movement diameter is 32mm, the tourbillon cage is a significant 14mm in diameter and occupies almost half of the movement space. It is not inset into the calibre but rises out of the movement, occupying the lower half of the guilloché dial.

Not only is this watch all the more desirable once you know there are just eight of the limited editions out there, but with light and thin becoming a growing preoccupation for watchmakers and designers, the UTTE timepiece is most definitely our standout luxury watch for 2013.

 

To read a digital version of the WatchPro Watches of the Year 2013 edition click here

 

 

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