For the Only Watch 2023 charity auction, ArtyA presents the Purity Moissanite, a unique creation.
This is the first ever watch with a case carved from a block of moissanite, the second hardest material on earth after diamond. This one-of-a-kind timepiece also introduces the brand’s new architectural Manufacture movement.
Moissanite was discovered in 1893 in a meteorite crater by Nobel Prize-winning French physicist Henri Moissan. Known for its entrancing beauty, this semi-precious mineral had never before been used in the watch industry.
Its hardness, second only to that of diamond, makes it virtually impossible to machine. It has a melting point of 2,730 degrees Celsius – compared to 1,300 for glass – and can withstand pressures up 52.1 gigapascals (equivalent to more than 500,000 ATM). Its hardness on the Mohs scale ranges between 9.25 and 9.5, making this new watch case the most scratch-resistant ever used in horology.
Having worked on all aspects of sapphire crystal, including developing NanoSaphirTM, a sapphire crystal whose hue varies depending on ambient light, the Geneva watch brand was naturally drawn to moissanite and its dazzling aesthetic properties.
Moissanite (chemical formula SiC) is a naturally occurring silicon carbide and its various crystalline polymorphs. To machine this rare mineral, ArtyA had to develop new and exclusive processes.
With a dispersion index twice that of diamond (0.104 vs. 0.044), moissanite has a transfiguring effect on the watch case, revealing an extraordinary rainbow of brilliance and scintillation, amplified by the case’s 600 facets (a traditionally cut diamond, by comparison, has 58). The painstaking faceting also creates the perception of a movement floating within a perfectly cut gemstone.
This one-of-a-kind timepiece was the brainchild of Stanislas Arpa, who joined the ArtyA team to maintain the momentum of the brand’s creative product development.
The latest iteration of the Purity Tourbillon family of high complications, the Purity builds on the exceptional architecture of its predecessors to offer a high-flying caliber with a 4Hz balance.
The manufacture movement features optimized skeletonization, prominent hand beveling, and all the savoir-faire accumulated by ArtyA.
To develop this movement, Yvan Arpa and his team joined forces with Telos in a creative and dynamic partnership. Manually wound, this new mechanical skeleton calibre has a power reserve of 72 hours. As with all Artya high complications, it showcases the most refined treatments and finishes. All bridges are sandblasted with chilled cast iron, then hand-beveled.
Technical details
Model: ArtyA Purity Moissanite Unique Piece for Only Watch 2023
Movement
Diameter: 31.40 mm
Thickness: 7 mm
Offset hour and minute dials at 3 o’clock
Double barrel in parallel, 72 hours of power reserve
Balance frequency: 4Hz (28,800 vph).
Number of jewels: 22
Number of components: 134
Maximum torque: 820 gr/mm
Traditional balance adjustment via fixed stud
NAC galvanic treatment
Bridges, dial and plate sandblasted with chilled cast iron and hand-beveled
Crown positions
Position 1 – Manual winding
Position 2 – Time setting
Case
Bezel and case middle entirely cut with more than 600 facets to magnify the moissanite’s fire (dispersion index of moissanite: 0.104 – vs. 0.044 for diamond)
Diameter: 45mm
Thickness: 13.8mm
Water resistance: 8 ATM (80 meters)
Strap
High-quality, hand-stitched leather
