ArtyA’s new Purity Wavy Central Tourbillon is a mesmerising merry-go-round of crazy sapphire
Borna BošnjakIf there was one thing that ArtyA has made a little (but impressively executed) niche for itself in, it would be novel uses of sapphire as a watch case material. If there was another, it would be its insistence to develop increasingly complex tourbillons. The new Purity Wavy Central Tourbillon unveils its biggest party trick with its name, but considering this is ArtyA’s work, you’d expect it to be shrink-wrapped in some mad bit of colour-changing sapphire. Surprise, surprise – that’s exactly what we got.
The dial and the movement
I’d normally hesitate to group two of these distinct areas into one sub-heading, but I’ll make an exception here, given that one is such a prominent feature of the other. These days, tourbillons come a dime a dozen – though I will note, the grand majority of these are not good tourbillons, but with the sheer number of those increasing too, it’s also becoming increasingly difficult to stand out. ArtyA once again sought the help of haute horlogerie movement wizards and long-term collaborators Télôs, and the result is pretty telling, if you’d excuse the pun.
The large flying tourbillon dominates the dial (as it should), with time-telling relegated to two floating arrows. Colour-wise, all five pieces have sapphire dials matching the colours of the case. The subtle tonal finishes mean the “hands” aren’t the most legible, and their similar size doesn’t help either, but honestly, who the hell cares when you’ve got a 19mm tourbillon cage whirring away in the centre?
Flip the Purity Wavy Central Tourbillon (or PWCT, as I’ll be calling it from now on) around, and the look is a lot more demure than I expected, especially coming from ArtyA. There are no finishing frills, as the brand opted for a uniform, media-blasted look all round. Clearly, the focus is on the front of the watch. Spec-wise, however, the PUR-T5 movement is impressive, sporting a 72-hour power reserve with dual parallel barrels and a 4Hz frequency, gaining a nomination in the Men’s Complication Category at the 2024 GPHGs.
The case
Yes, the PWCT has a big, honking tourbillon soaking up all the attention, but this is an ArtyA sapphire watch, so you do have to keep in mind that there’s likely more trickery at play. Sure, you could go for one of the clear sapphire options, but to me, that would be a little bit like getting a grey Lambo so it “blends in better”. Luckily for you, ArtyA offers the PWCT in two (or is it four?) shades of NanoSaphir, which has to be one of the coolest features in the watch world. Depending on the kind of light that’s shining onto your watch, the sapphire case will literally change colour, and you can choose between green-purple and amber-green.
For the PWCT, a third option is also available, though we didn’t have the chance to capture it, and that’s this iridescent sapphire finish. One thing’s for sure – this one will not be flying under any radars, regardless of the sapphire finish you choose. What might not be obvious from the live shots is the extreme doming of the sapphire crystal covering the dial – it balloons the case thickness all the way out to 14.5mm, and you’ve got a choice of 40mm or 43mm diameters to match that with. Water-resistance is consistent for all models and sizes, sitting at 30 metres. That isn’t sports watch territory, but any water resistance above “none” is a win in my books for a watch of this style. (Reminder: ArtyA has an “aquatic” sapphire watch in the arsenal already).
The strap
Depending on the model of your choosing, ArtyA supplies nubuck or what looks to be a crocodile or alligator leather strap. The nubuck variants are tonally stitched and feature curved spring bars to give them a sleeker fit, while all straps are consistent in their use of an ArtyA-branded pin buckle.
The verdict
Central tourbillons have become more common in the ten years since Omega’s patent expired, but still make up a tiny minority of all tourbillon-equipped watches. That means that they’re a niche within a niche, but ArtyA has applied a unique enough twist that feels properly aligned with the brand, rather than just introducing the complication for the sake of saying they did.
While I’ll admit I was previously agnostic, having witnessed the NanoSaphir cases in person, I can attest that it’s the closest thing to actual magic I’ve seen in a watch, achieved purely by exploiting good ol’ physics in a new way. These are not shy and retiring watches, but given their super-limited nature and proper novelty factor, I’ve no doubt these will find their way onto wrists. I say that meaning it, too – if you buy one of these, wear it. What a party trick a colour-changing sapphire case would be at your next watch meet-up!
ArtyA Purity Wavy Central Tourbillon pricing and availability
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The ArtyA Purity Wavy Central Tourbillon is available in five different sapphire colourways. The two clear sapphire variants are limited to nine pieces each, the two NanoSaphir pieces are unique, and we’re confirming the availability of the iridescent sapphire model. Price: CHF 135,000, ~A$263,000 (clear sapphire), CHF 140,000, ~A$272,000 (iridescent sapphire), CHF 165,000, ~A$321,000 (NanoSaphir)
| Brand | ArtyA |
| Model | Purity Central Tourbillon Wavy |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 14.5mm (T) 43mm (D) x 14.5mm (T) |
| Case Material |
Clear sapphire
Colour-changing NanoSaphir Iridescent sapphire |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Coloured sapphire, Super-LumiNova chapter ring |
| Strap | Nubuck or crocodile leather, ArtyA pin buckle |
| Movement | PUR-T5, developed by Télôs, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions |
Peripheral hours and minutes, central tourbillon, seconds on tourbillon
|
| Availability |
9 pieces per each clear sapphire colour
Piece uniques in NanoSaphir TBC in iridescent sapphire |
| Price |
CHF 135,000 (clear sapphire)
CHF 140,000 (iridescent sapphire) CHF 165,000 (NanoSaphir) |