I recently reviewed the Perpetual Moon by Arnold & Son, one of the largest moon-phase watches in the industry. It might seem too soon to write about yet another Arnold & Son, but ever since its integration with movement manufacturer La-Joux Perret under the Citizen (Miyota) holding group, the brand has released one too many pieces that tick all the right boxes for this horophile. Amongst the most visually and technically impressive from this year’s Baselworld fair is the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid.

Inspired by the regulator and skeleton clocks created by the brand’s founders John and Roger Arnold in the mid-late 18^th century, the Time Pyramid brings some English flair to the world of Swiss (and occasionally Saxon) watchmaking.

The Time Pyramid gets its name from the uniquely shaped movement it houses.  It’s beauty lies not simply in its open nature, but in its symmetry. This is honestly one of if not the most symmetrical movement and watch I have ever seen.  The balance wheel is placed at 12 o’clock, with two mainspring barrels on the opposite end at 6 o’clock. The two mainspring barrels deliver a power reserve of 90 hours when fully (manually) wound, and provide a more constant force to the vertical linear wheel train. This works by the right-side barrel providing additional power to the left barrel when its torque decreases. This ensures that the watch runs at a more constant rate throughout its power reserve. Each barrel has its own power reserve indicators, represented by “serpent” style hands and dotted markings on the underside of the top sapphire crystal.

The dial indications, like the movement, are spread through multiple layers. The off-center hours and minutes are indicated on the lower half of the dial on a silvered ring and sapphire dial with Roman numerals, complete with skeleton arrow hands. The seconds subdial is discretely placed the main dial, with a blued arrow hand placed exactly under the 12 o’clock mark.

The caseback view is equally impressive, revealing the top plate of the skeletal in-house A&S1615 movement, finished and decorated in a more traditionally Swiss aesthetic code (the brand is based in La Chaux-de-Fonds after all!) with Côtes de Genève stripes and  hand-finished chamfered brides and high-polished edges.

While I love “mystery” watches like the Rotonde de Cartier and movement layouts like Corum’s Golden Bridge, I usually can’t stand the way the look on my wrist due to how my inherently Arab arm hairs are pressed against the sapphire case back. It’s revolting. With the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid however, there’s enough movement and dial markings to occupy the space; not to mention enough depth to keep your eyes focused elsewhere than your sweaty wrist. The case measures just under 45mm but wears surprisingly smaller thanks to the relatively wide bezel and of course the placement of the crown at 6 o’clock. The entire watch feels more like a mechanical sculpture on the wrist and brings a certain old-world charm in its architecture.

Currently available solely in a red gold case, the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid is priced at a very fair 40’000 CHF.