Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Artya Releases a Collection of One-of-a-Kind Chronographs in a Wide Variety of Materials and Colours
From steel to Damascus, titanium or carbon, mixed with dozens of possible dials.
Whether you appreciate or not the styles and designs, which can sometimes be very striking, Artya, the brainchild of Yvan Arpa, is one of the most creative brands around – even though recently, the Stairway to Heaven collection has proved less polarising. Not shy of using unconventional materials for his cases and dials, Arpa is a prolific man, to say the least. His latest creation is all about bringing options and choices to the table, with a new series of chronographs where every piece is truly one-of-a-kind, depending on the material selected for the case and the colour of the dial.
The basics are pretty straightforward. The concept starts with a chronograph watch from the Gears collection that has been redesigned for the occasion with sleeker lugs and now a fixed bezel with a tachymeter scale engraved on it. The watches are all 43mm in diameter, with a sporty racing look. The right side is home to a large crown with thin lateral guards and screwed pushers. But what matters most isn’t the classic design but what you can do with the case and the dial. More on that in a bit.
The dial of these new one-of-a-kind Artya Chronographs is entirely openworked, revealing a skeletonized movement. The base is the well-known Valjoux 7750 automatic, but reworked by Concepto to be presented in finely openworked versions. Specs are classic, with a 4Hz frequency and a 48h power reserve, and the movement chosen here is a 4-register version, with a date-by-hand at 3 o’clock alongside the small seconds and the 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Its geometrical bridges can be seen through the dial, which is composed of an openworked element that includes the enamel sub-counters and tracks. Silver or black hands can be chosen, depending on the colour of the enamel.
But let’s now move to the most interesting part… Each watch from this Artya Gears Chronograph collection will be unique, depending on the combination between the case material and the dial colour. The following materials are available for the case: stainless steel, with or without black DLC coating; Damascus steel, which uses an ancient forging technique that reveals wave-like patterns and was used in sword-making. Again, this specific steel alloy is available with or without black DLC coating.
We then move to more exotic materials, first with TiDamas, another alloy that relies on the Damascus technique but combines Grade 2 and Grade 5 titanium. Through a special thermal treatment, where the two types of titanium react differently to heat, the surface displays vibrant, iridescent patterns. Then, a classic of Artya, forged carbon, is also available, and this lightweight material with its random fibre patterns and matte finish can be ordered in an array of classic or vibrant colours – black, blue, orange, pink, red or white, to name a few. Finally, the case can be ordered in full sapphire, again a signature material of the brand.
To add even more choices, the enamel dial is available in various colours – again, classic black or white, or bold colours such as red, green or yellow. Rubber straps with DLC-coated or natural steel buckles are available in several colours. Each piece will be unique due to the vast possibilities of configuration, with prices starting from CHF 9,900 in steel, CHF 14,900 in Forged Carbon, Damascus Steel and TiDamas, and CHF 34,900 in sapphire. For more details, please visit www.artya.com.
