Tag Archives: Yvan Arpa

ArtyA “Lion’s Head Timepiece” Combines Classical Engraving With Sculptured Figures

During the medieval Gothic period, depictions of lions were important talismans. A knight wearing a lion’s head on his breastplate or his shield channeled the power and dominance of the King of the Jungle. That’s why Yvan Arpa, CEO of Artya, was looking for the right combination of elements for his new Lion’s Head Tourbillon timepiece, and he found it when he met Bram Ramon.

Born in Flanders, Belgium, Ramon is a sculptor and engraver. A few years ago, ArtyA introduced the Brabant Tourbillon and the Arabesque Tourbillon, and a couple of years later Arpa and Ramon debuted the Lion’s Head Tourbillon.

Inspired by the neo–‐renaissance style and the armed knights of medieval times, Arpa and Ramon came up with a brand new way of engraving that combines deep chiseling with sculpture, and the result is incredible.

Ramon’s specialty is combining classical engraving with sculptured figures. As an example, the Lion’s Head at 12 o’clock is so powerful it appears to be leaping off the face of the watch, especially with its eyes of 24 ct gold.

This had never been done before in a watch, and Artya dared to pair this with one of watchmaking’s most traditional complications, the flying tourbillon. The Lion’s Head exudes power, a touch of Gothic spirit, a hint of religion and an artisan’s excellence.

Just looking at the Lion’s Head is captivating, as the eye is drawn to the mixture of grooves, crevasses and sculpted figures. And the tourbillon complication at six o’clock finishes off this exceptional, unique piece.

“I love working with Bram,” says Arpa. “We had such fun the first two times around, with the Tourbillon Arabesque and the Brabant Tourbillon, I couldn’t wait to get another project going with him. I love this piece so much –‐–‐ I don’t really want to sell it.”

Design Features:

–‐Dial and bezel entirely Hand–‐engraved with 24cts gold inlays following a 19th century style: the “Neo–‐Renaissance” style only made by a master engraver

–‐ Relief Engraving technique

–‐ Lateral insert in black PVD steel

Technical Specifications:

Dial & Bezel in High–‐grade 316L steel with 24cts gold inlays

Case: 44mm

Exclusive ArtyA flying tourbillon

manual winding

19 Jewels

Exhibition Back

Two anti–‐reflective sapphire crystals, front and back Hours, minutes, seconds

Frequency: 21,600 vph

Power reserve: 100 hrs

Genuine Crocodile strap

Unique Piece   1/1

Price: 180,000 CHF

ArtyA’s Timepiece Will Be Exhibited In Swiss Musée d’Ethnographie de Neuchâtel

ArtyAlogo

Skulls & Bones: Skulling the heights of perfection

The skull motif made popular in watchmaking by ArtyA has long been copied, resulting in a whole range of derivatives. Now, the fully independent brand has taken the helm once again. The Skulls & Bones is an extreme timepiece that pushes the creative concept to the limit.

Word has it that if you really can’t compare a Swiss watch to any other, it really is original. By that standard the Skulls & Bones is one original watch.

ArtyA’s latest creation doesn’t do things by halves, and it certainly isn’t a mass-market kind of timepiece. Critics might say that it’s rather extreme – and they wouldn’t be entirely wrong. But more objective minds will first and foremost note its wholly coherent style.

Sound of Sound Skull Watch Web

Back in the day, the Skull universe, popularized many years ago by Yvan Arpa, was decried in the world of watchmaking as being in frightfully bad taste. Since then, it’s become trendy and fashionable, as people started wearing this style of timepiece to try and stand out from the crowd – with varying degrees of success. But in most cases, the relevant styling doesn’t go much further than a dial illustration, some sort of ‘skull’ motif on the hands, and little else. Until now, that is.

C'est Pas La Mort! Poster and Exhibition Description

Skull-tural!

With the Skulls & Bones, ArtyA has embarked once again on the style trajectory it was the first to pioneer (with many following in its wake), as ArtyA’s CEO and designer Yvan Arpa guides the concept to what must surely be its ultimate destination. The skull is much more than a simple drawing: sculpted and engraved, it’s been released from the two-dimensional representations to which it’s been confined elsewhere.  As is its wont, ArtyA has suffused the Skulls & Bones symbols with new meaning, taking concepts through to their logical conclusion, and once again placing the artistic dimension at the heart of its work. The dial is fully hand-made.

Crypt- price: 6,900 CHF
Crypt- price: 6,900 CHF

Every one of the new 47 mm models is unique, featuring hand-crafted engravings and sculptures. Each includes the brand’s own movement, frequently used in its Son of a Gun collections. This results in a reliable, high-performance caliber, the heart of which is incorporated within a small central space. Its surface is covered by a rough, seemingly unfinished steel plate surface, featuring a twitchy drawing of a skull, rather like a hastily spray-painted tag.

Full Skull- price: 19,000 CHF
Full Skull- price: 19,000 CHF

This is surrounded by six hand-engraved skulls in polished steel outlined in black. The style is at once tribal and urban, modern and ancestral. ArtyA leaves the interpretation of this universal symbol to each individual’s imagination. By definition, each timepiece will be unique, with each person free to have their own take on the skull universe.

Gangs of skulls

Skulls And Bones BezelThe Skulls & Bones bezel sports another dazzling spectacle, exploring both “skulls” and “bones”. Here, ArtyA extends the core theme to encompass other graphic elements such as crosses, totems, barbed wire, guitars, and guns, expressing the whole gamut of the world of rock. Here too, ArtyA has not gone for simple cookie-cutter drawings, instead favouring genuine steel engravings. The shapes of the movement are seemingly drawn inexorably towards the bezel, each feature setting off the other.

 

 

 

Click to view on I-tunes
Click to view on I-tunes