When Arnold & Son launched the Globetrotter watch back in 2018, it was only available in stainless steel. To be honest, stainless steel is a great choice for a watch that has traveling aspirations. Not only does it keep prices down, but it’s also harder than precious metals. Fortunately, for well-heeled readers who demand nothing less than gold, the Globetrotter watch is now available in red gold.
Arnold & Son didn’t just slap on a red gold case and call it a day. Oh, no, the changes are much more extensive. But first, let’s talk a little about the case. The size hasn’t changed, so what you have here is a 45mm-wide case with a heavily domed sapphire crystal. The case and crown are 5N red gold, and water resistance remains the same at 30 meters, so be sure to keep it away from liquids.
The dials, as I’m sure you would have noticed from the pictures, are now blue. Gone are the Roman numeral hour markers and, in their place, are 18k red gold applied indexes. These indexes are filled with Super-LumiNova to aid legibility in the dark. Surrounding the huge globe in the middle is a 24-hour sapphire disc. Like the stainless steel model, this red gold model also has bright red hands for the hours and minutes. It comes with a hand-stitched blue alligator strap with a matching 18k 5N red gold buckle.
The globe shows the Northern Hemisphere and starts out as a brass disc. It is then plated with rhodium and given numerous finishes and treatments to achieve its final look. The mountain ranges are matte-finished, the oceans are hand-painted with blue lacquer, and the coastlines are decorated with a lighter shade of blue with added Super-LumiNova so that the outlines of the landmasses are visible in the dark.
The movement within is the same caliber A&S6022. The main plate is NAC-treated, as are the bridges, which are also beveled and have Côtes de Genève finishing. The wheels are rhodium-plated and have a circular satin finish. The screws are polished and beveled. But the highlight has to be the large 22k red gold rotor, which is decorated with guilloché and a large Arnold & Son plate. The A&S6022 beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 45 hours.
This new red gold model exudes a warmth that was missing in the earlier model because of its combination of steel case and white dial. Press photos don’t tell the whole story, but the red gold and blue dial seem like a winning combination, albeit a safe one. Certainly, this is an interesting worldtimer watch even if not many of us are traveling around the world yet. The Arnold & Son Globetrotter Gold is limited to 28 pieces, and has a price of 41,900 Swiss Francs. For more information, visit arnoldandson.com.