Arabesque Tourbillon

Description

Arabesque Tourbillon, ArtyA’s unique take on titanium In a world first, ArtyA has developed a unique hand engraved Titanium watch with flying tourbillon. Here’s exactly why it’s exceptional: Firstly, there’s the way the case have been made – engraved out of grade 5 titanium, more usually renowned for its outstanding hardness. The floral motifs draw inspiration from foliage patterns on historic gun stocks. The watch is made from as-cast titanium and inlaid with 18-carat gold. Secondly, the ArtyA-manufactured flying tourbillon has bridges that have been cut into multiple layers of carbon fibre arabesques. Is it still worth pointing out that this is something all-new from ArtyA, a first in watchmaking, and a creation that will probably inspire many imitations? Yes and no. Yes; because quite simply, this is indeed the case. But then again no, because the unique watch being announced today is typical of what the brand – one of the most creative in contemporary watchmaking – does on a daily basis. Even so, even the keenest ArtyA fans are likely to be in for a surprise: the piece unveiled by Yvan Arpa, the brand’s CEO and Creative Director, is based on a rectangular case format that is completely new to ArtyA. His name is a reflection of his uniqueness: "Arabesque Tourbillon". A first: a 100% titanium case, hand-engraved, contrasting techniques that deliver extraordinary result. This hand-produced pattern is in himself an outstanding achievement for any craftsman. But the really eye-catching exploit for any connoisseur is that for the first time in watchmaking, it is engraved in grade 5 titanium. This material is already used in watchmaking – for its hardness. So engraving patterns on it is counter-intuitive, to say the least. And that was precisely the approach that attracted Yvan Arpa: "titanium is sold to us as an absolute, the epitome of toughness: resistant to impacts, corrosion, temperature, and so on. In actual fact, it’s simply a little more resistant than the reference materials we have always been used to, such as steel. And instead of machining it clinically, it can be worked with to produce a piece of art – as I have now demonstrated." Inspiration The choice of arabesque patterns is a highly personal touch by Yvan Arpa. "I got the idea from a western," he explains. "I noticed the engraved stock of a rifle. The patterns were perfect. I drew some patterns in the same spirit then validated the model and procedure with Tech Graving, a former partner of the historic Liege School of Gunsmithing, founded in 1897 and an authority recognized worldwide for its expertise in this field; they went on to fashion this outstanding watch." The arabesque motifs on the watch were so difficult to work on that the chisel used by the master engraver had a life expectancy of just 120 seconds. Every two minutes, it needed replacing to continue the engraving – which required over 100 hours of relentless work. The final result stands in the age-old tradition of royal gunsmiths. Hot and Cold The watch is imposing and solid, made from pure titanium with hand-made engraving, featuring inset gold in its motifs, made exclusively for ArtyA by craftsman Bram Ramon. These hand inlays give a unique brightness to the watch – a combination of as-cast titanium and warmer gold. On the back, the bridges of the watch are machined in layered carbon fibre – equalled only by titanium in toughness. As a result, the rear side of the decor is fully in keeping with the dial side. The Arabesque Tourbillon has a 52.5 x 40 mm case. The piece is powered by a hand-wound Swiss-made mechanical caliber, regulated by a flying tourbillon with an outstanding three-day (72-hour) power reserve. The watch is engraved with "Pice Unique – 1/1", and fitted with a hand-engraved tang buckle on a full-skin crocodile strap.\t

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.