ArtyA is 100% independent, created in 2009 in Geneva. It is the brainchild of one man: Yvan Arpa. After holding a number of positions with institutional brands, where he created designs that have now become iconic, he broke free to give free rein to his imagination. He is disruptive and deliberately provocative, always exploring unusual materials (butterfly wings, revolver bullets, lightning-struck iron, cigars, etc.) in exclusive designs with reinvented grand complications. In Yvan Arpa’s hands, a watch becomes a unique cult object, aimed at an audience that cares about exceptional authenticity, creativity and craftsmanship. ArtyA creates prestigious timepieces with passion, and they evoke an equally passionate response in their chosen audience. The company slogan says it all: “Manufacture of Emotions”.
ArtyA
ArtyA is an independent brand that encapsulates the creativity and free spirit of its founder Yvan Arpa. Complicated, atypical, sometimes rebellious, always innovative, ArtyA’s horological style has proved to be a pillar of Geneva’s creative watchmaking scene for over a decade now.
ArtyA’s philosophy is to create unique and unexpected pieces that evoke a sense of wonder. The brand has always had the ability to absorb watchmaking traditions, in order to express them in a unique way, with boundless creativity and emotion. When Yvan Arpa created ArtyA it was to give his inventive imagination freedom to express itself, free of stereotypes and watered-down artistic guidelines. Always under intense scrutiny, and usually followed by the rest of the industry (journalists coined the term “Arpanisation” to describe the way the watchmaking industry incorporates historical relics into watch design), Yvan Arpa explores different shapes and materials. His vast universe is expressed in forms that draw inspiration from pop culture and modern technology, where watchmaking rubs shoulders with art, where the hardness of titanium is equalled only by the finesse of the engravings carved into its surface. Where his wife and creative partner brings grace and lightness to the work with painting, coral and butterfly wings, Yvan Arpa explores tourbillons, minute repeaters, skeletonisation and, most notably, sapphire, of which he was a pioneer, and of which he remains one of the most innovative specialists.
Complications
These are exceptional pieces intended for discerning collectors, equipped with the grandest of grand complications. Stamped with ArtyA’s special seal, “Unique Piece 1/1”, these pieces explore the tourbillon or minute repeater complications in original creations that combine engraved titanium, sapphire, mother-of-pearl marquetry, and large calibre gun casings.
Son of Earth
This collection celebrates nature, using elements from the natural world. Fragments of organic materials, butterfly wings and pigments combine to produce 100% unique creations. They don’t recreate nature: they contain its vital elements.
Son of Sea
ArtyA pays tribute to that most vast of elements – the sea – in a collection whose handmade dials feature treasures from the oceans such as corals, fish scales and natural pigments. A complete range of diving watches, each cutting-edge and unique, bring a more functional and sporty side to the collection, and complete the aquatic reference. The artistic and technical Depth Gauge spearheads the collection.
Son of a Gun
“Carpe diem” is a well-worked theme. ArtyA provides its own interpretation of the old adage by highlighting the constant tension between life and death in which we all exist. Some of the dials feature targets, or incorporate genuine bullets or cartridges, as a reminder that we must all make the most of the time we have.
Son of Sound
This is perhaps ArtyA’s most iconic case, designed in the shape of a guitar body. A tribute to rock music, this creation is a manifesto for a creative watchmaking aesthetic that screams individuality through spine-tingling riffs. With a movement specially designed to fit into its unusual form, the Son of Sound Guitar is already a cult classic.
Race
How do you show speed and precision in a watch? Rather than revisiting the stale codes of the chronograph, ArtyA invented a dial that rotates at high speed over the top of the movement, with the centre of its axle standing in the middle of the sapphire glass, inspired by the wheels of legendary racing cars. Spokes and hub, together in a unique watch.
Son of Gears
A skeletonised movement, a dial reduced to its simplest expression, sculpted into the shape of a sun, a star, a snowflake or an edelweiss. The Son of Gears collection explores and explodes traditional horological canons, all the better to showcase the mechanical genius of ArtyA. Playful and technical at the same time, this collection pares back watchmaking to its purest aesthetic expression.
Son of Art
Arabesques, dragons, dollar bills, lions and enamel: what does this wide range of subject matters have in common? They all belong to the Son of Art collection – a unique sandbox that brings together the eclectic influences of the husband-and-wife team, from Switzerland to Japan, with some Celtic culture thrown in. It’s a unique, multi-coloured patchwork that ties everything together.
Jewelry
Using natural motifs (snowflakes, butterflies, flowers), ArtyA explores a new naturalistic vein where mother-of-pearl, diamond and gold come together in highly exclusive limited series.
Lifestyle
Handmade leather bags, unique pens and custom motorcycles – ArtyA’s talents know no limits. In this secret world where handcrafts meet mechanics, the brand gives itself totally free rein for creative exploration, to the delight of its long-time devotees.
