Yvan Arpa’s CV makes pretty impressive reading. Over numerous years he has gained experience of watchmaking at the following prestigious companies: Sector, No Limit, Baume & Mercier, Hublot and Romain Jerome. It’s clear from recent conversations with Yvan that he’s a true visionary & innovator within the world of horology. Artya’s basic concept was to alter people’s perception of the humble timepiece. Fundamentally they’ve achieved this by producing avant-garde designs. Yvan is a great exponent of experimentation, often exploring many different media to produce bespoke dials. Apparently the process is organic resulting in unique one-of-a-kind artistic creations. This original ideology has employed many techniques used in the art world to produce some mind-blowing results. In my opinion the Quadri Rotors is a great example of this.
At 47mm the Quadri Rotors is a substantial timepiece & because of its bold design, appears larger. Surprisingly it felt comfortable to wear considering it’s made of stainless steel (grade 316) & it’s chunky dimensions. I wouldn’t say it’s the lightest piece I’ve ever worn but I would certainly be content to wear it on a daily basis. Ultimately this watch isn’t going to cater to everyone’s tastes. The design is pretty radical & definitely won’t appeal to the faint hearted. I absolutely love the fact that it pushes the design boundaries to the limit.
Visually the Quadri Rotor looks very “Flintsonesque” with it’s highly distressed case. This unique effect is called “Coup de foudre” where the case is embossed, defaced, tortured and struck by lightning. The end results are pretty awesome & highly original. This idiosyncratic theme continues with Artya’s own interpretation of the skeleton watch. Personally I found the dial utterly mesmerising even though it only displays hours & minutes. I love the precious stones delicately suspended in copper wire orbiting a beautiful gold leaf dial. All these components work in eclectic harmony & are showcased via the sapphire crystal windows.
Even though the watches’ façade might appear to be slightly eccentric the engine that powers it definitely isn’t. The Quadri Rotor is equipped with a Swiss made self-winding mechanical movement comprising 25 jewels. It also delivers a respectable 42-hour power reserve. This bespoke movement has been modified to Artya’s specifications & includes the addition of 3 smaller rotors to increase the motion.
This remarkable timepiece is a limited edition 1/1 & comes with a “Crazy frog” tanned cane toad strap. The price is $8,800.
http://artya.luxuryartpieces.com
