HMS1 Dragon

As a tribute to the Year of the Dragon, Arnold & Son has created a special edition of the HMS1 in rose gold featuring an exquisitely crafted gold appliqué of a traditional Chinese dragon on a black lacquered dial. It seems like this dragon literally stands out from the dial and shines owing to its three-dimensional nature and the richness of its details.But this is no ordinary dragon. The figure on the dial was inspired by one of the dragons depicted on the Nine-Dragon Wall in Beihai Park, an imperial garden to the northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The exquisite gold dragon appliqué is created by a craftsman selected specially for his expertise in hand-engraving, a traditional art form that involves the use burins in combination with other special tools. These create cuts, lines and texturing that build up a perfectly sculpted figure with a breathtaking richness of detail, which is then duplicated in solid 22-carat gold for the series. The three-dimensional nature of the dragon appliqué also provides a spectacular illusion of depth that contrasts starkly with the HMS1's ultra-slim case.The dragon is mounted on a black lacquered dial with powdered gold indices for the minutes. Ticking away beneath the face is a hand-wound movement, manufactured entirely in-house and just 2.7 millimeters in thickness. The movement features twin barrels, which, apart from generating over 80 hour of power reserve also guarantee a more constant force and in turn a more constant rate and greater accuracy. The plate and all bridges in the movement are hand-chamfered and decorated.Limited to 50 pieces, the HMS1 Dragon is housed in a 18-carat rose gold case measuring 40 millimeters in diameter, which is water-resistant to 30 meters and secured to the wearer's wrist by a hand-stitched black alligator leather strap.