A technical showcase for independent watchmaking, the Nebula 41.5 Steel watch from Arnold and Son reinterprets the legacy of this prestigious horological marque with a timepiece which embraces a contemporary watch aesthetic with nuances of sporty elegance. Featuring a pared-back dial arrangement which reveals the full complexity of its mechanical components, from every aspect this superb model is demanding of further attention and it is a watch which exhibits a commanding and compelling presence on the wrist.

Presented in a 41.5mm case of polished stainless steel the profile of the housing has a slender form, wearing at a height of just 8.73mm. Beautifully finished with polished and brushed techniques and with neat curving lugs, it carries a trim bezel which frames the panorama laid out beneath the sapphire crystal.

The dial side aspect of the Nebula is breathtaking in its arrangement. Displaying superb holistic design, the dial and the calibre become one entity, on which the indication of time is enabled upon a labyrinth of exposed mechanical components.

Almost entirely open-worked, the façade of the watch has been reduced to its essentia. At the perimeter, a vivid blue chapter ring carries the applied hour indices which are facetted to match the hands.  From the outer dial, seven bridges, palladium-treated so they catch the light, emanate towards the centre, while beneath them the PVD-coated plate also rendered in bright blue,  provides a striking contrast. Crafted to ensure equipoise, the generous twin barrels on the upper sector display symmetry with the balance and escapement and the small seconds on the lower. Meticulous skeletonisation of the components ensures a full disclosure of the mechanical ballet, as tiny teeth interlock with each other on the wheels and gears, as the two barrels slowly discharge a 90 hours power reserve to the balance and escapement, which pulses hypnotically at the five o’clock position with the small seconds immediately adjacent. As a final flourish, mirror polished screws, chatons with pink rubies, as well as finely polished bevelled chamfering serve as a reminder that despite its modern architecture and appearance, the calibre retains the Haute Horlogerie characteristics for which Arnold and Son are acclaimed.

On tuning the piece over, the sapphire caseback completes the see through, three-dimensional view of the A&S5101 calibre from above and below. Beating at 21’600 vib/h from its two barrels, it boasts a ninety hours of power reserve when fully wound. An extraordinary timepiece which is flawless in its achievement and manufacture, the Arnold and Son Nebula 41.5 Steel is presented on a blue rubber strap, secured with a steel pin buckle.