Arnold & Son introduces the HM Steel Amber

Arnold & Son is introducing the new HM Steel Amber, an elegant timepiece featuring a dial crafted from yellow-hued Baltic amber. Price: CHF 19,500

Swiss watchmaker Arnold & Son is introducing the new HM Steel Amber, an elegant timepiece featuring a dial crafted from yellow-hued Baltic amber.

Baltic amber is a little-known material in watchmaking. Formed over thousands of years by the fossilisation of conifer resin, it is light, almost laminated, fragile yet resilient. The colour changes upon contact with air and light, turning a brownish-red at the surface, while the core remains pale yellow. It is this distinctive shade that Arnold & Son has selected.

The brand spent several months sourcing the precious fossil required to create the 38 HM Steel Amber timepieces. They selected a block weighing 1.6 kilograms, fossilized over 30 million years ago. Not only is this amber rare, but it is also challenging to work with: each nodule carries a risk, as its contents’ quality cannot be determined in advance, and the material may not have been suitable for crafting the dial.

The block was carefully sliced into cylinders, each one inspected individually. Imperfect or fragile pieces were discarded, leaving only those that met the required standards for strength and appearance. Amber’s visual appeal lies in its uniqueness: no two pieces are identical, with each featuring a distinct pattern of streaks. 

Amber’s colour subtly complements the ‘imperial green’ alligator leather strap, enhancing the overall aesthetic.

Filling the entire space and complemented by blued hour and minute hands, the amber dial is framed by a slim 39.5 mm case in stainless steel, water resistant to 30 metres / 100 feet. The domed sapphire crystal protecting the dial is enhanced by a double-sided anti-reflective coating.

Visible through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback, the A&S1001 calibre, like all the house’s movements, is entirely developed and manufactured by Arnold & Son in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

This calibre features an ultra-thin design, with a total thickness of just 2.7 mm, allowing for a case depth of only 7.82 mm. With an oscillation frequency of 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour), it provides 90 hours of power reserve.

Finishes include radiating Côtes de Genève stripes that emanate from the balance staff. The corners are chamfered and polished, contrasting with the entirely circular-grained mainplate underneath.

A limited edition of only 38 pieces, the Arnold & Son HM Steel Amber, ref. 1LCDS.Z01A.C287S, has a suggested retail price of CHF 19,500. arnoldandson.com