Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds: Every Second Counts

At WatchTime New York 2026, taking place from October 16–18 at Gotham Hall, visitors can discover watches that explore the full spectrum of contemporary watchmaking — from independent horological creations to sophisticated complications to stand-out timepieces. 

Among the technical highlights is the Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds, which brings the precision of historic marine chronometers to a modern wristwatch. Its dial-side mechanism makes the deadbeat-seconds complication visible, while an additional stop-seconds function allows the wearer to halt the seconds hand and synchronize the time to the exact second.

A Complication in Full View

The name "DSTB" stands for Dial-Side True Beat, referring to the watch’s distinctive deadbeat-seconds display. Unlike a conventional seconds hand that moves continuously, the long, slender hand advances in distinct one-second jumps, echoing the operation of precision timekeeping instruments. Arnold & Son places the mechanism directly on the dial, where gold bridges and a release mechanism terminating in a fire-blued steel marine anchor form part of the display. The new DSTB Stop-Seconds builds on this signature complication by adding a stop-seconds function. Pulling out the crown halts the seconds hand, allowing the wearer to set the watch against a reference time. Pushing the crown back in restarts the mechanism, bringing an additional level of precision to the setting process.

Inspired by the Early Days of Marine Chronometry

The timepiece draws on the legacy of John Arnold, the English watchmaker whose precision marine chronometers helped advance navigation at sea. Accurate timekeeping was essential to determining longitude, and even small deviations from a reference time could translate into significant positional errors over long distances. The deadbeat-seconds display recalls the measured rhythm of historical chronometers, while the stop-seconds function evokes the procedures once used by navigators to synchronize their instruments with a reference signal. Although the modern automatic movement starts independently, incorporating a stop mechanism into a deadbeat-seconds complication presented a substantial technical challenge. A dedicated stop lever was developed to halt the mechanism and ensure that it resumes its operation immediately when the crown is returned to its normal position.

Two Precious Metals, Two Striking Dial Colors

Arnold & Son offers the DSTB Stop-Seconds in two 42mm case versions, each limited to 18 pieces. The 18-carat 5N red gold model features a finely grained dial treated in Cliff Grey, a shade inspired by the cliffs of John Arnold’s native Cornwall. A warm gray hand-stitched alligator leather strap completes the look.

The 950 platinum edition pairs its precious-metal case with a Kingsand dial, whose color references the gilded brass mainplates of John Arnold’s historical movements. This edition is paired with an ink-blue alligator leather strap providing contrast. Both versions feature off-centered concave white opal sub dials with Roman numerals and blued hands for the hour and minute, framed by a ring in the corresponding case material.

Self-winding Manufacture Calibre A&S6303

Inside, the in-house automatic Calibre A&S6303 provides hours, minutes and true seconds and delivers a power reserve of 55 hours. In true fashion of the brand, the finishing includes a circular-grained, palladium-plated mainplate, bridges decorated with radiating Côtes de Genève and hand-chamfered edges. Blued and chamfered screws add further detail, while the 22-carat gold oscillating weight is openworked, decorated with a striking guilloché pattern and marked with John Arnold’s anchor emblem.

The Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds is limited to 18 pieces in each version. The Swiss retail price, including VAT, is CHF46,000 for the red gold edition and CHF56,800 for the platinum model translating into $55,368 and $68,370, respectively, when converted to USD.

The Arnold & Son DSTB Stop-Seconds will be debuting at WatchTime New York 2026, taking place this weekend from October 16-18. Get your tickets, here.