ArtyA’s latest creative endeavour, the Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition, bears it all – and with a little bit of colour besides.
Welcome to Independent Watch Week! Coinciding with two major independence days – those being Canada and the United States – we at Watch Advice have decided to inform you of the incredible releases coming out of the independent scene. There’s so much more to explore in the watch world beyond your household names, so we take absolute pleasure in being able to highlight brands like ArtyaA for you.
As the watch world has grown and matured, so too has the interest in groundbreaking innovation. In the golden era of watchmaking, most of these innovations centred on convenience, such as the automatic chronograph, high-frequency movements, and the advent of quartz. With many of the practical challenges solved, horology turned to the avant-garde, pushing the limits of what is possible with a watch.
Founded in 2009 by Yvan Arpa and Dominique Arpa-Cirpka, ArtyA has become one of Switzerland’s most influential players in the haute horlogerie industry. Constantly reaching beyond tradition with highly creative designs, the brand’s artistic freedom has helped define ‘hyper horology’ for nearly two decades.
Launched in 2021, the Purity line became one of ArtyA’s modern flagship lines, paring back the brand’s aesthetic to create highly technical, refined timepieces that highlight horological mastery. This year, ArtyA has added four more watches to the line-up, each outfitted with vibrant colours that underscore the brand’s commitment to ambitious design.
A Clear Agenda
Measuring 44mm in diameter, the case of the ArtyA Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition is every bit as bold as its construction. Each watch is made from Absolute Sapphire, a perfectly pure single block of sapphire crystal meticulously crafted into the case.
Not only does this provide exceptional scratch resistance, but it also allows for a near-unobstructed view of the skeletonised movement within. The only translucent element of the watch is its coloured ring, available in four hues: Rouge Intense Red, Orange Lumineux, Turquoise Électrique, and Bleu Profond.
Should an owner ever tire of a particular colour, ArtyA’s craftsmen are more than happy to swap the ring on request. As expected, the sapphire construction also makes the watch remarkably light. Paired with a colour-matched alligator leather strap, it remains comfortable on the wrist despite its substantial dimensions.
While it is classified as a sports watch, water resistance is rated at just 30 metres. Crafting a case from a single block of sapphire is challenge enough, however, so the craftsmanship far outweighs any practical compromises.
Open For Business
As with any example of haute horlogerie or ‘hyper horology’, the ArtyA Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition is a demonstration of artistic expression taken to its extreme. Like previous Purity models, the watch dispenses with a traditional dial, allowing the movement itself to become the visual centrepiece.
The architecture embraces an asymmetrical layout, with many of the functional elements shifted towards three o’clock and the sapphire crown. The movement’s twin barrels are prominently displayed here, connected by a slender circular bridge that stretches across to nine o’clock, where an oversized 17mm flying tourbillon appears suspended in space.
As a subtle nod to traditional watchmaking, the Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport features a dauphine handset, telling the time against a laser-engraved chapter ring around the dial’s periphery. Since the tourbillon carries no seconds indication of its own, the watch instead employs a central seconds hand to improve legibility and precise timekeeping. It is a feature rarely found on flying tourbillon watches, or indeed previous Purity models, but one that feels particularly appropriate on a sports watch.
Full Transparency
Ordinarily, you would have to turn a watch over to appreciate its movement. Here, with no dial and a completely transparent case, the movement becomes the centrepiece from every angle. Framed by a halo of colour, ArtyA equips the Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition with the Calibre PUR-T1, developed in collaboration with Télôs SA. Founded the same year as ArtyA, Télôs has earned a reputation for delivering haute horlogerie solutions to a range of independent brands, including WRK, Beauregard, and Rebellion.
Beating at 4Hz (28,800VpH) with a 70-hour power reserve, the manual-wind movement performs on every front. Its twin mainspring barrels are mounted in parallel, reducing the thickness of each mainspring while delivering more consistent torque throughout the power reserve. This configuration also optimises the mainspring curve, striking an ideal balance between performance and precision. A free-sprung balance with variable inertia further improves the Calibre PUR-T1’s accuracy and shock resistance, while also allowing for longer service intervals.
Initial Thoughts
As we at Watch Advice celebrate independent watch brands alongside the national days of both Canada and the United States, it seems only fitting to take a closer look at a brand we do not often have the opportunity to cover. ArtyA is one I have been watching closely in the background, producing what I believe to be some of the industry’s most imaginative and unconventional designs while never losing sight of the principles that made traditional watchmaking so compelling.
Sure, these Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition models are certainly more extravagant than even most avant-garde haute horlogerie creations. Yet releases like these highlight why innovation remains so important to the watch world. Although the definition of a watch has evolved over time, from practical tool to artistic statement, brands like ArtyA continue to bridge both worlds. Shaping highly ambitious pieces of horology within the same fundamental framework as the watches that came before them, is no easy feat, but ArtyA’s done it for 17 years, and they don’t seem to be slowing down at all.
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | ArtyA Purity Wavy Tourbillon Sport Edition |
| Dimensions | 44mm case diameter |
| Case | Absolute Sapphire with red / orange / turquoise / blue caseback gaskets |
| Dial | Openworked skeleton |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Manual wind Cal. PUR-T1 with tourbillon complication |
| Power Reserve | 70h |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 3bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Interchangeable colour-matched alligator leather strap with steel pin buckle |