A Titanium or Colourful Sapphire Case For The Artya Purity Curvy HMS Mirror

Yvan Arpa is not your conventional Swiss watchmaker. Eccentric and imaginative, he founded his brand, ArtyA, in 2010 with a portfolio of exotic models. Arpa’s taste has matured over the years, and his latest creative direction is characterised by openworked movements housed in diaphanous cases congregated in the Purity collection. A new model, the Purity Curvy HMS Mirror, beckons on the horizon with a sleek tonneau-shaped case in titanium or (nano)sapphire crystal and the brand’s sculptural “Stairway to Heaven” escapement.

Arpa started his professional life as a maths teacher but resigned to travel the world and ended up practising Thai boxing in Bangkok before crossing New Guinea on foot. Upon his return to Switzerland, he worked with several brands, including Hublot and Romain Jérôme. Having set up shop in Geneva in 2010, his brand gained recognition for watches crafted from unusual materials, including bullets, dinosaur dung, and even a case struck by a lightning bolt generated by a giant Tesla coil.

Introduced in 2021, the Purity collection hosts several models with elaborately concocted names, including the new Purity Curvy HMS Mirror in titanium and sapphire crystal we photographed. A member of the Purity Curvy sub-family distinguished by its tonneau-shaped cases, the HMS appellation refers to the functions, namely hours, minutes and seconds. Fitted with a “Stairway to Heaven” escapement, the title of Led Zeppelin’s rock anthem refers to an openworked balance suspended in mid-air with a series of stepped bridges. The “Mirror” in the name refers to the mirrored caseback that reflects the components suspended on the dial.

The novelty of the new Purity Curvy model lies in its titanium case material, a material also used for the round Purity Wavy HMS introduced earlier this year. Measuring 38.5mm in diameter and 43mm in length, the tonneau-shaped case has a thickness of 12mm, with the crown positioned at 12 o’clock. The lightweight titanium is finished with a contemporary matte sandblasted surface, and an elegant mirror-polished contour along the edge accentuates the curvilinear forms of the case. Also offered with a black DLC treatment, the sleek, streamlined case is even more resilient to scratches and fingerprints. Although the star of the mid-summer launch is the titanium version, the case is also available in sapphire crystal and the brand’s psychedelic, chameleonic NanoSapphire that changes colour when exposed to artificial light.

Floating in a most mysterious way, the three-hand movement forms an elegant figure eight and, following the shape of the case, is arranged vertically. Developed and manufactured with high-end movement specialist Telos in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the architectural openworked movement relies on two parallel barrels placed around the crown at noon. Revealing their springs, the barrels provide a consistent driving force of 72 hours. The hour and minute ring is suspended above the twin barrels and intersected by the smaller running seconds. The lower part of the figure eight contains the famous “Stairway to Heaven” bridges over the 4Hz balance wheel. The bridges supporting the motion works and balance are frosted with cast iron microbeads and bevelled by hand.

The optional mirror caseback creates an even greater illusion of depth, attracting light to the movement and concealing wrist hairs in one fell swoop. While the caseback does not expose the movement as it does in other models, the reverse side of the mirror offers a slightly ghostly, yet opaque, view of the mechanics. If you opt for the transparent caseback or the clear sapphire crystal and NanoSapphire case options, you gain an additional view of the movement and the series of openworked “Stairway to Heaven” bridges that span the entire movement.

Each case material is a limited edition of 99 pieces. The titanium case retails for CHF 27,900; the clear sapphire crystal for CHF 47,900; and the NanoSapphire crystal for CHF 77,900. Customisation options abound, so be sure to consult the brand’s website for more information.