ArtyA makes its minimalist, sapphire intentions clear with the new Purity Stairway To Heaven HMS Wavy
Tom Austin- Masters of sapphire, Artya presents its latest full sapphire creation, the Purity Stairway To Heaven HMS Wavy.
- Featuring a reworked version of its Purity mechanism, the in-house movement features redesigned twin barrels, a cleverly designed balance wheel, and a centrally mounted, “floating” escapement.
- The case proportions and overall shape are relatively traditional, but produced in flawless sapphire crystal, drawing your eyes into nothing but the stunningly detailed movement
With watches, we often marvel at the endless complexities of modern watchmaking and where the industry is taking us. Every few years, brands will amaze us by releasing some of the most complicated movements ever devised, and others will continue to push boundaries with materials, taking incremental steps forward, which, over time, actually make for big developments. However, let us not forget the purpose of a watch. Ok, for many of us, this is a loaded topic, as it means a lot more to most, but generally, the function of a watch is to tell us the time. If we’re lucky, watch brands can do this simple task rather impressively, all while retaining that simplicity in their own way. That’s precisely what ArtyA has done with the new Purity Stairway To Heaven HMS Wavy.
Founded in 2009 by a former maths teacher by the name of Yvan Arpa, ArtyA has broken boundaries from the beginning. Case materials were one major focus, with the earliest pieces being carbon fibre, going on to become among the first brands to explore sapphire as an option for artisanal watchmaking in 2016. Having perfected this, we can now see in the Purity HMS Wavy that sapphire is the preferred material of choice over the previous steel variation of the Stairway to Heaven.
The case itself is a 40mm wide and 13mm thick affair, which, given its structure and design, is not necessarily considered on the oversized side, which a lot of watches in this genre can fall foul of. Designed by Jérémie Arpa, the son of Yvan and Dominique, it’s a wearable size. Importantly, it’s sculpted in a traditional way, with rounded sides, simple angles, and short lugs. The beauty here is in the craftsmanship, with every case machined and polished to perfection, allowing every facet and surface, inside and out, to reflect light in every direction. The skeletonised case design remains uninterrupted with a subtle hour and minute track being laser engraved into the crystal’s surface. It’s even constructed to offer 30 metres of water resistance, but I’d advise you not take this Stairway to Heaven down the Ladder to the Pool.
The beauty doesn’t stop at the case, obviously. One of the benefits of the sapphire crystal is that it allows you to see the wonderfully made, time-only movement. Firstly, it’s manually wound, so there is no oscillating weight to spoil the view, and it features a twin-barrel design, giving it 72 hours of power reserve. The movement is constructed with what ArtyA calls “extreme skeletonisation”, which is evident, with everything on show, straight through the watch. Other advancements are things like the centrally mounted escapement, which is positioned in such a way to appear as if it’s floating, plus an all-new balance wheel with redesigned regulating screws, which, importantly, remain hidden and succeed in making the movement appear more minimalistic.
The message ArtyA wanted to convey with this sapphire Stairway To Heaven is one of purity and simplicity. As far as I can tell, ArtyA has achieved this, and more. The case alone, with its flawless structure, could not be more pure. There’s something so incredibly clean and bright about a clear, uncoloured sapphire crystal. Also, the fact that it’s a “simple”, time-only watch made to such extreme levels of detail with incredible finishing and striking looks really shows what can be done with just two hands. Then, of course, there’s the retail price, which, at CHF44,900, for a full sapphire, artisan-made Swiss wristwatch is relatively impressive, even if it is “just” a time-only piece. It makes me wonder… oh, it really makes me wonder what ArtyA can do next. Sorry, not sorry, I had to squeeze that one in there.
ArtyA Purity Stairway to Heaven HMS Wavy Price & Availability
The Artya Purity “Stairway To Heaven” HMS Wavy is available now directly from Les Ateliers Créatifs ArtyA, and is limited to 99 pieces. Price: CHF 44,900
| Brand | ArtyA Geneve |
| Model | Purity Stairway To Heaven HMS Wavy |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 13mm (T) |
| Case Material | Clear sapphire crystal |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Skeletonised |
| Strap | Black nubuck leather |
| Movement | Purity HMS, manual winding |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | Limited to 99 pieces |
| Price | CHF 44,900 |