Chianti

Description

The Artigiano REF. 0599 is a collection that brings together Swiss watchmaking and Italian textile craftsmanship in a contemporary expression of neo-vintage style. The brand Arsène Lippens is named after the grandfather of Dries, one of the founders. The aesthetics of the collection are inspired by the vintage watch collection that Dries inherited from Arsène, while the real textile dial brings a modern and personal interpretation to this heritage.

The choice of Italian textiles is not random. Alberto, co-founder of Arsène Lippens, is Italian, and the collection was born from a personal connection to Italian textile culture. To develop these dials, Arsène Lippens worked with a local tailor known to Alberto in order to create textiles specifically adapted for use in watchmaking. The result is a watch with a deliberately minimalist design, allowing the dial to become the true protagonist.

The Swiss watchmaking dimension is carried by Martial, our in-house watchmaker, who brings more than 35 years of experience.

The Artigiano REF. 0599-CH brings together family heritage, Swiss horological precision, Italian textile culture and a contemporary approach to artisanal craftsmanship.

The Chianti model takes its name from the Tuscan region known for its rolling landscapes, vineyards and deep cultural connection to Italian craftsmanship. Rather than translating Chianti in a literal way, the dial captures an atmosphere of the warmth of its earth, the red tones of its wines, and the muted tones of the countryside.

The Chianti model features a textile dial whose appearance changes depending on distance and light. From afar, it may appear to be a brown dial; however, no brown thread is actually present. This effect is created through the weaving of beige, burgundy, blue and anthracite tones. This textile construction gives the dial its visual depth and makes every piece naturally unique, as it is almost impossible to reproduce two dials exactly alike.

The dial is produced through a specific process developed to preserve the natural appearance of the textile while ensuring its stability and long-term durability. A resin coating is applied to the back of the textile in four layers, while the visible front receives a fine resin spray treatment that retains the natural look of the fabric. This treatment also helps protect the colours over time. A deionisation process is used to remove static reactions, ensuring the fibres remain in place before the textile is laid onto a brass base, where it is securely and evenly fixed.

To ensure the textile remains stable inside the watch, the dial has been tested against humidity and temperature variations, reducing the risk of reaction, deformation, or visual alteration over time. This allows the material to retain its character while meeting the functional requirements of a watch dial.

The watch is 37.5 mm in diameter and 9.9 mm in thickness, with a 316L stainless steel case, a double-stepped bezel and a twelve-sided caseback. The finishing has been designed as a coherent language across the watch. The side of the double-stepped bezel is brushed, while the upper surface is polished. The case sides are brushed. The dauphine hands combine brushed surfaces with polished edges, relating to the same design language of the case.

The crown comes with brushed teeth, a sandblasted background and a polished AL logo. The closed caseback has been finished with circular brushing at its centre, a polished twelve-sided section and sandblasted finishing on the side of each corner, creating visual coherence between the case, bezel, hands, crown and caseback.

The Artigiano REF. 0599-CH is fitted with a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both the inside and outside, improving legibility while preserving the visual depth of the textile dial. The watch comes with a manually wound Sellita SW210-1b mechanical movement, offering an approximate power reserve of 45 hours. It displays central hours and minutes, is water-resistant to 5 ATM / 50 metres, and is fitted with an Alcantara strap and pin buckle.

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.