Arnold & Son / TB88
Arnold & Son TB88
Collection profile · 2012
The TB88 is Arnold & Son’s 2012 deadbeat-seconds chronometer, named for its symmetrical “double eight” architecture and built as a modern wristwatch tribute to English marine chronometer construction associated with John Arnold.
Why it matters
TB88 matters because it translated the deadbeat-seconds behavior of historic marine chronometers into a highly architectural modern wristwatch, helping establish Arnold & Son’s modern chronometry identity before later true-beat pieces like DSTB.
Key references
Collection timeline
- 2012 — TB88 launched for Baselworld as an Arnold & Son true-beat/deadbeat-seconds chronometer with twin barrels and 100-hour reserve.
- 2012 — GPHG records TB88 with launch date 2012 and reference 1TBAP.B01A.C113A, underscoring its role as a named collection piece rather than a one-off.
- 2026 — The current Arnold & Son collection architecture emphasizes DSTB and Double Tourbillon; TB88 no longer appears as an active collection page, indicating it is a historical/discontinued line.
FAQ
What does TB88 mean?
TB stands for true beat, Arnold & Son’s preferred term for deadbeat seconds, while the 88 refers to the collection’s double-eight visual symmetry and is also linked in watch media to John Arnold heritage cues.
Is TB88 still a current Arnold & Son collection?
It appears to be a historical or discontinued collection; current Arnold & Son collection pages emphasize lines such as DSTB, Ultrathin Tourbillon, and Double Tourbillon rather than TB88.
More from Arnold & Son
- UTTE (Ultra Thin Tourbillon) — Arnold & Son’s UTTE, now presented as Ultrathin Tourbillon, is the brand’s ultra-thin flying tourbillon family, first launched in 2013 and defined by an off-centred display, marine-chronometer-inspired layout, and one of the slimmest hand-wound tourbillon calibres of its era.
- HM Perpetual Moon — Arnold & Son Perpetual Moon is the brand's astronomy-focused moon-phase collection, spanning 41.5 mm and 38 mm precious-metal references with large moon displays.
- Constant Force Tourbillon
— Arnold & Son’s Constant Force Tourbillon line is a chronometry-led high-complication family combining a patented constant-force mechanism, dead-beat seconds and a tourbillon regulator, explicitly tying modern wristwatch construction to John Arnold’s marine-chronometer legacy and his historical link with Abraham-Louis Breguet. - Longitude — Longitude is Arnold & Son’s chronometry-led sports watch family, explicitly inspired by John Arnold’s marine chronometers and the historical quest to calculate longitude at sea, with COSC-certified manufacture movement A&S6302, a 42.5 mm titanium case, and power-reserve plus large small-seconds display.