There are timepieces built to serve a useful function and there are timepieces intended to dazzle the eye and draw attention to one?s wrist from across the room, and it is rare when the twain meet. But Arnold & Son ? the innovative manufacture named for British watchmaker John Arnold and now, at least in the arena of high-end traditional horology, the crown jewel of Japan?s Citizen Watch group ? has accomplished it with the Globetrotter, a visually arresting world-time watch released in 2018.
Arnold & Son Globetrotter
I discovered the Globetrotter ? which the brand describes as “a timepiece for the modern-day navigator,” taking inspiration from the high-precision marine chronometers created by John Arnold in the 18th century ? at last year’s Baselworld, and made a mental note to get a hold of it as soon as possible for a wrist review. As it happens, the right time proved to be this past spring, during my reporting visit to the annual CoutureTime watch showcase in Las Vegas. Of course, as with any business trip that takes me out of my New York City office and away from the Eastern Time Zone, the watch’s multi-time-zone functionality proved to be a boon. The Globetrotter dial’s central point of interest is its 3D photorealistic globe.
The Globetrotter is something of a departure aesthetically for Arnold & Son, whose watches in the past few years have been known for more sober, technical looks, with lots of dial-side, exposed tech elem...