A full moon, a carved dragon and a stone dial shouldn’t fit quietly into one watch. Arnold & Son’s Luna Magna Platinum Dragon Verdite proves they don’t have to.
The limited edition takes the Luna Magna’s signature three-dimensional moon phase and surrounds it with verdite, platinum and an 18-carat white gold dragon, with just eight pieces planned.
Verdite gives every dial its own terrain
The dial is made from verdite, an ornamental green stone with natural veining that makes each example visibly different.
Arnold & Son also uses verdite for one half of the 12 mm moon sphere, pairing it with 18-carat white gold for a lunar display that feels integrated into the dial rather than simply mounted above it.
The hours and minutes sit on a white opal sub-dial treated with Super-LumiNova, a small but useful detail that adds legibility without disrupting the theatrical composition.
A hand-engraved dragon in solid white gold
The dragon is carved from a solid block of 18-carat white gold and finished by hand, with detailed scales, claws, crest, beard and facial expression.
It coils around the time display and reaches toward the moon, drawing from the Asian legend of the dragon and the pearl of wisdom.
The creature follows the imperial dragon tradition, with a wingless body, an association with water and five claws on each foot.
The A&S1021 calibre keeps lunar time for generations
Inside is Arnold & Son’s in-house A&S1021 manual-winding calibre, a 37.60 mm movement running at 3 Hz with 35 jewels and a 90-hour power reserve.
The movement is 12.00 mm tall when measured with the three-dimensional moon globe, though the calibre itself drops to 4.75 mm without that sculptural display.
Its astronomical moon phase is accurate enough to need no correction for 122 years, assuming the watch is kept wound.
The moon phase can be adjusted directly through the crown, while a secondary moon-age display on the back helps with precise setting.
Finishing includes circular graining on the main plate, radiating Côtes de Genève on the bridges, chamfered edges, circular satin-finished wheels and blued screws with polished heads.
Platinum casework and an eight-piece run
The case is made from Pt 950 platinum and measures 44 mm across, with a thickness of 15.90 mm including the box sapphire crystal.
Both front and back crystals receive anti-reflective coating, while water resistance is rated to 30 metres.
The watch is paired with an imperial green alligator strap lined in black alligator leather, plus a folding clasp with a platinum cover, platinum buckle frame and titanium blades.
The Arnold & Son Luna Magna Platinum Dragon Verdite is limited to eight pieces under reference 1LMAX.Z05A.C1437C, priced at CHF 95,700 including VAT.
It isn’t aimed at the collector looking for restraint, but for someone who wants high craft, real mechanical substance and a moon phase that treats astronomy as more than decoration.
