Arnold & Son has prepared something for watch connoisseurs who appreciate the finest-quality watchmaking combined with beautiful arts and crafts – The Métiers d’Art HM Koi Unique Piece. This unique piece from Arnold & Son was created to celebrate this fascinating fish. Adorning the mother-of-pearl dial is a hand-painted miniature of two koi, depicted in traditional Chinese ink-wash paintings. Nuances of colours, from red-orange to blue-grey, are achieved by the tiny brushstrokes and texturing gradually to build-up the entire image with an astonishing richness of details.
Each koi is executed with exquisite delicacy of touch and features fine details that evoke its shimmering skin. The art of painting miniatures by hand calls for infinite patience and consummate skill. As Philippe Boven of Arnold & Son explains: “The art of hand-painting miniatures takes many years of concentrated practice to perfect, and these exquisite koi presented our specialists with an ideal opportunity to showcase their skills.” The sumptuousness of the koi is a counterpoint to the simplicity of the white mother-of-pearl dial, which shimmers entrancingly with the play of light and perfectly mirrors the water in which the koi live.
The Métiers d’Art HM Koi Unique Piece boasts the ultra-thin A&S1001 manufacture movement with over 90 hours of power reserve; the movement is housed in an 18-karat rose gold case, with a black alligator strap.
The exclusive nature of this wonderful reference is underscored by its limitation to just one piece. If desired, the watch is available with a diamond-set bezel.