The Seductive Transparency of the ArtyA Curvy Purity Tourbillon

Founded by Yvan Arpa in 2010, ArtyA is synonymous with avant-garde, wildly creative watches, often incorporating unconventional raw materials like butterfly wings and real bullets. The latest direction of this independent brand, though, is far more restrained and minimalist, with elegant skeletonised movements showcased in transparent sapphire crystal cases congregated in the Purity collection. Among these pieces is the remarkable Tiny Purity Tourbillon Chameleon in a round sapphire crystal case that changes colour depending on the light. For the record, the Tiny Purity Tourbillon is a candidate in the Men’s Complications category in the upcoming GPGH awards ceremony. The new Curvy Purity Tourbillon uses the same skeletonised double-barrel tourbillon movement but has been redesigned to fit inside a new, more streamlined tonneau-shaped sapphire case.

Combining transparency, scratch resistance and durability, sapphire crystal ranks 9 on the Mohs scale, making it the third hardest natural material after diamond and mossanite. Adopted by Yvan Arpa in 2016, he was one of the first watchmakers to experiment with the material. The tonneau-shaped case of the ArtyA Curvy Purity Tourbillon, designed by Yvan’s son Jérémie, reveals softer, rounded contours for heightened ergonomics. Measuring a contained 38.5mm across and 43mm in length, its streamlined cambered contours give it an almost organic, liquid-like feel offering views of the movement from every possible angle. To maintain this fluid sensation, the crown is tucked in the case at noon, and the lugs are crafted in sapphire crystal.

The curvaceous case also acts as a magnifying glass on the technical-looking skeletonised double-barrel movement with its highly symmetrical layout. The two barrels at noon are placed below the openworked structure housing the hours and minutes dial with cast-iron sandblasting and hand-bevelled finishings. Mounting the barrels in parallel reduces the thickness of the spring for a more stable torque and drives the movement for 72 hours.

The openworked hours and minutes dial relays the minutes on the outermost ring, while the interior ring indicates the hours. Forming an inverted triangle, the star of the show is the flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock with its expansive diameter of 17mm, which is roughly 50% larger than conventional tourbillons. Not only is it larger, but it beats at a high frequency of 4Hz, which is much higher than traditional tourbillon frequencies and ensures stability. Like the dial, the balance bridge is also sandblasted and angled by hand. The running seconds are displayed on the flying tourbillon that rotates 360 degrees in 60 seconds.

Fully exposed on the reverse side, the dark, curving and skeletonised bridge structure reveals a better view of the train-wheel bridge with its satin-finished surfaces and diamond-polished sides. The manual-winding movement was conceived, developed and manufactured for ArtyA in collaboration with Swiss high-end movement manufacturer Télôs SA and redesigned to fit inside the new tonneau-shaped case.

Availability & Price

The black strap of the ArtyA Curvy Purity Tourbillon is made from recycled leather and has a pin buckle. A limited edition of 13 pieces, the watch retails for CHF 135,000 or EUR 141,000.

For more information, please consult artya.com.