Background
John Arnold was born in 1736, in Bodmin, Cornwall, England, the United Kingdom. His father was a watchmaker and his uncle a gunsmith, which probably explains his early interest in precision engineering and metalwork.
1775
1778
1778
John Arnold was born in 1736, in Bodmin, Cornwall, England, the United Kingdom. His father was a watchmaker and his uncle a gunsmith, which probably explains his early interest in precision engineering and metalwork.
Arnold began young as an apprentice to his father and went on to become a partner. However, an argument saw the ending of their partnership and young Arnold left the country initially to work in The Hague, Holland. In 1756 John Arnold returned to Britain, this time to London where he set up a chronometer factory at Chigwell. As his skills grew, so did his reputation as a fine watchmaker, particularly of smaller timepieces. As well as watchmaking skills Arnold was also blessed with a good deal of business and social acumen.
In 1764 he made an exceedingly small repeating watch which he set in a ring and presented to George III, who was pleased to give him 500 guineas for his surpassing skill. From this date, his reputation was established. It is interesting how many clockmakers become established by the act of special workmanship.
It is said that the Empress of Russia offered 1,000 guineas for a similar watch, which Arnold declined to make. Like others, he was most interested in the possibility of making a satisfactory chronometer, but by this time Harrison had secured the offered prize. He produced a number of pocket chronometers, some of which were tested at Greenwich.
After Arnold presented the smallest repeating watch ever made to King George III and to the court, he rapidly acquired a wealthy clientele. He was one of the most inventive watchmakers of his day and held patents for a detent escapement, bimetallic balance, and helical balance spring. Arnold's "No. 36" was the first timepiece to be called a chronometer, a term reserved for unusually precise watches to this day.
Arnold made another watch for the King around 1768. It was a gold and enamel pair cased watch with a movement that had every refinement, including minute repetition and center seconds motion. In addition, Arnold fitted bi-metallic temperature compensation, and not only was every pivot hole jeweled, but the escapement also had a stone cylinder made of ruby or sapphire. Arnold designated this watch "Number 1", as he did with all watches he made that he regarded as significant, these numbering twenty in all.
John Arnold next turned his attention to the manufacture of more accurate timepieces and invented one of such quality and reliability that Captain James Cook used it on his South Sea Voyages in 1772-1775. One of the most innovative design features was the temperature compensation using a bi-metallic strip. He also solved the problem of friction in the balance spring.
In 1775, John Arnold was awarded patents for the helical spring and an improvement to the bimetallic balance. In 1780, an Arnold astronomical pendulum clock was installed at the Observatory of Mannheim, Germany. John Arnold was granted patents for helical spring terminal curves, a spring detent, and epicycloidal teeth in 1782.
Arnold also played a central role in the events of his day. Along with other watchmakers, he addressed the problem of determining longitude and won several grants and awards offered by the British Parliament. He enjoyed such respect in his profession that he became a close friend of Abraham-Louis Breguet. They exchanged ideas and even entrusted their sons to each other for their apprenticeships.
In 1787 father and son founded the firm of J. Arnold & Son, which still survives as a manufacturer of precision watches and chronometers. In 1788 they produced the first pocket chronometer which so impressed the Astronomer Royal that he decided to test it himself at Greenwich. The watch, no. 1/36 performed so well in trials that he decided to give it a new name, that of the chronometer and was thus the first person to use that term in its modern sense.
It was Thomas Earnshaw and John Arnold who really perfected the design. The two were fierce competitors and there was great controversy about Arnold’s contribution to the solution and his work was only recognized by the Board of Longitude after his death, when in 1805 his son was awarded the sum of £3000. Arnold & Son quickly became the leading supplier of timepieces to the Royal Navy. His son John Roger continued the business after his death with John Dent.
Arnold established himself as a watchmaker of repute in London's Strand by his twenties. In 1770, he became the joint winner of the Longitude Prize after dedicating six years to finding the perfect solution for measuring the longitude. By the time of Arnold’s death in 1799, he was the most famous watchmaker in the world, recognized for his preeminence as the inventor of the precision chronometer.
Arnold was a member of the Clockmakers Company from 1783 until his death in 1799.
Arnold's son John Roger Arnold was born in 1769 and served an apprenticeship with both his father and the eminent French watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet. He became Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1817.
The important French watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet was a great friend of Arnold, so much so that he gave Breguet carte blanche to incorporate or develop any of Arnold’s inventions and techniques into his own watches.
These included his balance designs, helical springs made of steel or gold, the spring detent escapement, the overcoil balance spring and even the layout of an Arnold dial design which Breguet incorporated into his own.
Both Arnold and Abraham-Louis Breguet largely invented the modern mechanical watch as we know it today.
