ArtyA pushes case material boundaries with the new Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon
Tom AustinLike any other hobby, the world of watches is full of niches. The flexible design language across the watch world allows for countless styles, each carving out its own corner of the market, and none single-handedly defines what it means to be an enthusiast. Whether your taste runs to dive watches, dress pieces, or something that looks beamed in from deep space, there is always something to appreciate. Trends ebb and flow, of course. Right now, stone-dial dress watches sit high on collectors’ wish lists, prompting some brands to chase the moment, while others remain firmly in their lane. Swiss independent ArtyA belongs to the latter camp. Now in its 17th year and no longer a newcomer, the brand continues to produce bold, unconventional watches that push material boundaries and look like little else on the market. Its latest release, the Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon, goes a step further, swapping the now-familiar sapphire case for a material never before used in watchmaking.
The case
You’ll notice the Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon has a design similar to an ArtyA piece we saw last year; however, this new model is distinctly different. The tonneau-shaped case is crafted from moissanite, a brilliant, durable silicon carbide gemstone that is almost as scratch-resistant as diamond, and creates rainbow-like refractions as the light passes through it. First discovered in 1893 by French physicist Henri Moissan in a meteorite crater, the material is now largely produced synthetically, but with a hardness between 9.25 and 9.5 on the Mohs scale, it’s incredibly challenging to machine, making the Purity Moissanite quite the feat of engineering.
Measuring 41mm across and 42mm long, minus the lugs, the watch in fact wears more pronounced than the numbers suggest, but the tonneau shape gives the impression that the case profile is surprisingly narrow on the wrist. Featuring around 65 machined facets, the slightly yellow-tinged moissanite’s effect is dazzling, as its optical behaviour refracts light into rainbow-like shards that bounce around inside the case.
The dial
Much like several other watches in ArtyA’s range, the movement occupies most of the space within the dial aperture, fully skeletonised, with everything suspended in thin air within. The polished dauphine hands are offset to the centre of the time-telling ring at 12 o’clock, which stands out particularly boldly in a copper finish. Interestingly, watches like this usually suffer from a bit of form-over-function syndrome, making it actually quite difficult to tell the time, but the layout of the Purity Moissanite makes it perfectly legible at a glance.
The lower portion of the skeletonised dial features the tourbillon, and while it does somewhat serve as a seconds indicator, it’s certainly more of an artistic display than a functioning scale. This is especially clear when it comes to the finishing, because, as in this case, everything is finished with exquisite attention to detail, which is incredibly important when everything is on show like this, but more on that in a moment.
The strap
Attention to the watch head itself is certainly high on ArtyA’s agenda, as they have opted for a particularly subtle strap for the Purity Moissanite. It arrives on a light brown nubuck leather strap, with matching brown stitching, and a signed ArtyA stainless steel pin buckle. The colour of this strap pairs well with the off-yellow tones of the moissanite case, and acts as a nice, subtle companion to the attention-grabbing case.
The movement
The watch is powered by the PUR-T3 Curvy Tourbillon, a bespoke tourbillon calibre which is designed to follow the contours of the moissanite case. Beating at 28,800 Vph, the movement delivers a consistent power reserve of 65 hours, thanks to a pair of parallel-mounted barrels positioned across the top portion of the dial, clearly visible through the skeletonisation. The tourbillon utilises traditional timing weights for regulation, enabling finer, more precise adjustment, with each weight positioned to the micron level to individually tune the rate at each position. Again, it’s this attention to detail that is important, because it can’t necessarily be seen immediately, but it’s a conscious choice made to optimise the calibre’s performance.
As it’s all on show, even in a slightly distorted way through the transparent facets of the case, the finishing needs to be top-notch. In this case, it is, but ArtyA has opted for more restrained finishing methods so as not to distract from the watch as a whole package. There’s a combination of NAC grey galvanic treatment, shot-blasted and fine-sand-blasted finishes throughout, and hand-finished bevels for those final, high-quality touches.
The verdict
In an industry that is constantly changing, with trends shifting so quickly, it’s good to see that brands like ArtyA not only stick to what they’re good at but also build on it each time. The Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon is once again a progression on from the previous models in the range, using materials nobody has ever tried before, not just for the sake of it, but as a display of technical ability. Producing watches that look like this from materials that are almost impossible to work with is not to be scoffed at. While the niche corner where these kinds of watches sit is relatively small in watch-enthusiast terms, ArtyA is clearly showing no signs of slowing down or changing course to chase whatever the latest fleeting trend is.
ArtyA Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon pricing and availability
The ArtyA Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon is now available at ArtyA boutiques, limited to 9 pieces only. Price: CHF 170,000/€189,000/US$216,000
| Brand | ArtyA |
| Model | Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (W) x 13mm (T) x 42mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Moissanite |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Skeletonised |
| Strap | Light brown nubuck leather, ArtyA pin buckle |
| Movement | PUR-T3 Curvy Tourbillon, manual winding |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, tourbillon |
| Availability | Limited to 9 pieces |
| Price | CHF 170,000/€189,000/US$216,000 |