Yvan Arpa started fiddling around with skulls at a time when doing so was still held to be beyond the pale in watchmaking. Since then, as everyone knows, this particular symbol of life and death has been widely used right across the industry.
Now ArtyA’s CEO and designer have gone to the other extreme by taking on a prevailing trend in watchmaking aesthetics – the skeleton watch – and giving it the full ArtyA treatment. The result goes by the name of Shams, meaning “Sun” in Arabic.
The story is that of the sun – Shams in Arabic.
The aim of a skeleton is to reveal the movement, workings and mechanical beauty in all their glory. But that requires light. What better source of light could there be than the one that has given us life – the sun? Once again, ArtyA reconciles extremes and opens up a new creative path, combining a movement clad in the absolute minimum with all the warmth of a life-giving heavenly body.
There are different versions on offer, in limited editions & Unique pieces 1/1. They share the same 44mm Steel, Black PVD, Chocolate & Blue (2016 novelties) and Gold case, as well as a Swiss Made movement with a 52-hour power reserve.
Today, ArtyA Proposes a new version: the Shams Bicolor: a black case with an 18k gold bezel, 18k gold crown, 18k gold lateral inserts and 18k gold back screws married with black horns and open back.
They all have one thing in common – ArtyA’s secret signature on the jumper, a letter “A” formed by the lines.
Son of Gears Shams:
• Case: High-grade steel 316 L with black PVD treatment
• Bezel in 18k Gold
• ArtyA Rising Sun exclusive manual winding skeleton movement
• Hours, minutes,
• Power reserve: 52h
• Size : 44mm
• Engraved and screwed open back case
• 18k gold lateral inserts
• 18k gold crown
• 18k gold back screws
• Double anti-reflection sapphire
• High leather strap quality, (crocodile straps available)
• Edition: Unique Piece 1/1
• Price : $12,731 USD
“We were already sculpting and hollowing out movements back in 2010,” explains Yvan Arpa. “For us to move into skeletonization meant doing it our way, while still being affordable. Many brands plunged into pulling off superlative achievements that are sadly well out of the reach of common mortals. We wanted to show that we could offer something unique and creative, with a great story – and without it breaking people’s budgets.”
