One of the greatest issues when it comes to precision is moderating the supply of power to the regulating organ of the timepiece (in this scenario, the tourbillon featured at the lower right quadrant of the flow). The mainspring, for example any part of this size, is susceptible to certain molecular inconsistencies acquired during the creation procedure. Any internal or external inconsistency could lead to a fluctuation of power delivered to the gear train. And that’s before one even believes the drastic drop-off in torque once the mainspring sufficiently uncoils. Since the mainspring winds down, the amount of power delivered into the escapement dips. This can potentially play havoc with all the timekeeping, therefore Arnold & Son have tried to eliminate this error by installing a “constant-force” mechanism. The modern incarnation of the business that lay dormant for over a century is doing what it is to reconnect with the origin of its inspiration.Practically speaking, this element takes the location of a fuseé, which can be an age-old continuous force complication we’ve seen on aBlogtoWatch very recently in the new Zenith Academy Georges Favre-Jacot Anniversary piece (read the review), for example. The first barrel forces the equipment train, while the second barrel tops the torque up of the initial whenever it drops below the best level. But their innovation doesn’t end there.
Welcome back to an original aBlogtoWatch feature, “My First Grail Watch.” In this series, we ask prominent people in the watch industry about the first timepiece that they lusted after. Today, we’re speaking with Sebastien Chaulmontet, who heads the movement team at Arnold & Son. You’ll also note that he’s an avid collector enamored with chronographs, just like many of us.
aBlogtoWatch (ABTW): Who are you, and what is your relationship to the watch industry?
Sebastien Chaulmontet (SC): I am head of movement development at Arnold & Son, and I am also part of the design team.
ABTW: When did your fascination with watches start?
Sebastien Chaulmontet: As a child; I was 10 years old. I bought my first vintage watch (a simple ladies’ Omega) at a flea market. I wanted to give it to my mother for her birthday. It cost me 10 CHF at the time (around USD 10) and I still remember the day and place where I bought it. My mother still has the watch today and she remembers fondly that I bought my first watch for her.
ABTW: That’s a great bit of family history there. Let’s turn the focus more towards your collection – what was your first grail watch?
Sebastien Chaulmontet: I had been searching for years for a vintage Angelus Chrono-datoluxe, the first ever chronograph with a big date.
ABTW: What drew you to this particular watch?
Sebastien Chaulmontet: I am a chronograph collector and I have always been attracted to Angelus as it was a real manufacture. This watch is particularly rare and a must-have for any chronograph collector.
ABTW: Was there ever a time in your life when you could afford it – and if so, did you get it?
Sebastien Chaulmontet: Yes, absolutely, I could and did buy it. I even bought some additional versions later on.
ABTW: Do you still have it, or have you moved on to something else?
Sebastien Chaulmontet: Of course, I still have it as part of my collection. As a collector the search/quest never ends, and I continue to collect other vintage chronographs.
