Tag Archives: carving

A Watch That Resets The Bar On Fantastic Watchmaking

COMPLEXITY MÉTIERS D’ART
Double Cônillon 12 / 6 o’clockThe art of the human hand in combination with mechanical spectacle.
WORLD PREMIERE: DOUBLE INCLINED TOURBILLON WITH DIFFERENTIAL Limited edition of 9 pieces
The hand elevates the mechanics.
“The Complexity is an extreme and spectacular mechanical sculpture, designed to be admired from every angle while magnifying the chronometry and absolute precision that define the very essence of this watch.”YVAN ARPA, FOUNDER OF ARTYA GENÈVE

COMPLEXITY

MÉTIERS D’ART

Double Cônillon 12 / 6 o’clock   ·  The art of the human hand in combination with mechanical spectacle.

WORLD PREMIERE: DOUBLE INCLINED TOURBILLON WITH DIFFERENTIAL

Limited edition of 9 pieces

MÉTIERS D’ART EDITION

The hand elevates the mechanics.

Unveiled as a world premiere at Watches & Wonders 2026, the Complexity established an architecture never before seen in the history of watchmaking: two inclined tourbillons, two Cônillons, positioned at 12 and 6 o’clock, coupled by a differential, within a case cut entirely from sapphire. ArtyA Genève now reveals its most accomplished interpretation: the Complexity Métiers d’Art.

The principle is radical: every surface of the movement and dial becomes the territory of an artisan. Engraving, hammering, shot blasting, perlage, bevelling: the great decorative techniques of haute horlogerie are executed by hand, component by component, and orchestrated to invert the codes of the original version. Where the Complexity played on the purity of fine sandblasting, the Métiers d’Art asserts relief, texture and light.

The same world premiere. The same exceptional calibre. An entirely new skin, born of the artisan’s gesture.

“The Complexity is an extreme and spectacular mechanical sculpture, designed to be admired from every angle while magnifying the chronometry and absolute precision that define the very essence of this watch.”

YVAN ARPA, FOUNDER OF ARTYA GENÈVE

COMPLEXITY MÉTIERS D’ART, TRANSPARENT SAPPHIRE CASE, HAND ENGRAVED GRIFFE DIAL

THE DIAL

Hand engraved, sculpted by light.

The dial of the Complexity Métiers d’Art is entirely hand engraved on a finely sandblasted base. From the centre radiate scratches carved with the burin, one by one, whose varying depth multiplies the texture: under the light, the surface comes alive with a spectacular play of brilliance, changing with every tilt of the wrist.

The applied indexes carry on the dialogue between tool and hand: bevels polished by hand, flanks drawn with the cabron buff, while their upper face remains sandblasted to melt into the dial base and steal nothing from the spectacle of the engraving. Every edge breaks the light with micrometric sharpness.

THE HAND ENGRAVED GRIFFE DIAL, BEFORE FINAL TREATMENT

THE MOVEMENT

An exceptional calibre, dressed by the métiers d’art.

The Complexity-01 calibre is a manufacture movement developed with Purtec Sàrl (Vallorbe), a specialist in innovative horological complications. Its 287 components and 44 jewels are the result of thousands of hours of engineering to resolve the challenges posed by the double inclined tourbillon: dynamic balance, energy transmission through the differential, precision maintained in every position. The inclined tourbillon of the Complexity follows in the lineage of Eric Coudray, father of the gyrotourbillon and one of the world’s foremost specialists in multi-axis mechanisms, while the Cônillon finds its historical origin in the research of Andrew Holden Potter around 1860. A technical legitimacy few manufactures can claim.

Exceptional Hand Craftmanship

Upon this exceptional base, every bridge and every surface receives decoration executed by hand, in a deliberate inversion of the textures of the original version: the upper surfaces are hand shot blasted, while the lower surfaces are covered with entirely manual hammering, creating maximum relief. Two decorations specific to this edition, transforming the movement into a landscape.

Every angle is bevelled and polished by hand; the flanks are finished with the cabron buff, true to the signature of the house. The recesses of the mainplate are hand perlaged to highlight the complexity of the differential, the beating heart of the double Cônillon architecture. The centre bridge, beneath which the differential reigns, is adorned with a polished moulding that further sharpens the view of this mechanism. A dedicated zone carries a numbered plate, entirely hand engraved, exclusive to this edition. The whole movement is black rhodium plated, a dark setting from which every hand polished surface emerges like a stroke of light.

DECORATION DETAILS

Component by component.

The decoration of the Complexity Métiers d’Art is documented piece by piece, in the manner of a workshop logbook. Each component carries its own combination of gestures:

COMPONENTHAND DECORATIONTREATMENT
MainplateHand perlage of the differential zone, flanks drawn with the cabron buff, laser engraving of the jewel countBlack rhodium
Minute train bridge (dial side)Fine sandblasting, hand engraved logo and scratches, hand bevellingBlack rhodium
Barrel bridgeHand hammering of lower surfaces, hand shot blasting of upper surfaces, hand bevelling and hand engraved logo, flanks drawn with the cabron buff, Swiss Made laser engravingBlack rhodium
Power reserve bridgeHand shot blasting, hand bevelling, laser engraving of the reserve scale and technical inscriptionsBlack rhodium
Differential bridgeHand hammering of lower surfaces, hand shot blasting of upper surfaces, hand bevellingBlack rhodium
Numbered “Complexity” plateHand engraving and bevelling, drawn strokesBlack rhodium
IndexesHand bevelling, flanks drawn with the cabron buff, fine sandblasted upper faceRhodium

Laser engraving is reserved for regulatory and technical inscriptions (Swiss Made, jewel count, power reserve scale): everything else is the work of the hand.

DECORATION AT THE BENCH, PIECE BY PIECE

THE ARCHITECTURE

Double Cônillon 12 / 6 o’clock. A world premiere.

In a classical tourbillon, the balance axis describes a cylinder. In the inclined tourbillon, the Cônillon, it travels a conical trajectory, compensating for the effects of gravity across several vertical positions simultaneously. The Complexity combines two of them, at 12 and 6 o’clock: a world premiere, in an unprecedented configuration in which none of the axes of the balance, the cage or the lever are parallel.

A differential distributes the barrel’s energy in perfect balance between the two regulators and performs a kinematic averaging of their rates: chronometric optimisation through 360 degrees, which neither tourbillon alone could achieve. Each cage completes its rotation in 30 seconds, in offset directions, offering a kaleidoscopic spectacle of rare intensity. Conceived within an architecture of remarkable robustness, this construction delivers shock resistance surpassing that of devices such as the gyrotourbillon.

The case, cut entirely from solid sapphire (more than 120 hours of diamond machining, 140 hours of polishing, a mastery possible only in Switzerland), wraps the movement in a triple-concave middle with domed flanks. Its two optical domes, at 12 and 6 o’clock, act as natural magnifiers over the cages in motion. Despite its high complication, its contained dimensions of 42 × 48 mm follow the curve of the wrist with remarkable comfort.

REMARKABLE WEARABILITY, DESPITE THE HIGH COMPLICATION

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Complexity Métiers d’Art

MOVEMENT
ComplicationDouble Cônillon 12 / 6 o’clock with differential, a world premiere
CalibreProprietary Complexity-01, developed with Purtec Sàrl (Vallorbe)
WindingManual
Frequency3 Hz, 21,600 vibrations/hour
Power reserve50 hours
Components287
Jewels44 (rubies)
Movement dimensions37.5 × 38.20 mm, height 14.10 mm (Cônillon at apex)
MÉTIERS D’ART FINISHING
Upper surfacesHand shot blasting
Lower surfacesEntirely hand hammered, maximum relief
BevellingHand bevelled and polished across the entire movement
FlanksDrawn with the cabron buff
MainplateHand perlaged recesses, highlighting the differential
Centre bridgePolished moulding opening the view onto the differential
Numbered plateHand engraved, exclusive to this edition
TreatmentBlack rhodium plating
DIAL
DialEntirely hand engraved on a finely sandblasted base
IndexesApplied: hand polished bevels, cabron drawn flanks, sandblasted upper face
CASE
MaterialSynthetic sapphire, transparent through 360°, cut from the solid block
FormTriple-concave middle, sapphire domes at 12 and 6 o’clock
Dimensions42 × 48 × 13 mm
CrownFaceted, cut from the crystal
MachiningMore than 120 hours of diamond machining, more than 140 hours of polishing
EDITION
Series9 numbered pieces
StrapIntegrated rubber, ArtyA folding clasp
PriceCHF 190,000 in sapphire, CHF 220,000 in pigeon blood ruby
AvailabilityBy order, ArtyA Genève and official retailers

ARTYA GENÈVE

Independent Haute Horlogerie, Geneva, Switzerland

www.artya.com

Press: info@artya.com   ·   +41 (0)22 752 49 40 Please mention The Silo when contacting.

For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Outdoor Luxury Brazilian Furniture For Spring

Caraiva: Inspired by Caraiva, a charming Bahian village by the Brazilian sea

 Simplicity and rusticity converge at the Caraiva line. This line is composed of a recliner, a lounger, a bench, and an armchair. Simplicity and rusticity converge with the Caraiva line using variations of woven wood. The pieces have a wooden and aluminum structure with a rope finish and are meant to capture the feeling of ‘feet in the sand’ and the pleasure of enjoying the best of outdoor life. 

The Caraiva Line

Drop: Inspired by the most important natural resource on the planet, water

 The Drop Line consists of a swing chair; and has rounded shapes complemented by modern patterns of nautical rope on the sides, base, and top. Different from the Caraiva line, the Drop line uses an aluminum structure along with an upholstered seat and back. The Drop line emphasizes comfort by utilizing upholstered cushions, while giving a sense of peace with inspiration from the sea.

The Drop Line

Round: Projects gain new possibilities with the Round line

The Round line consists of two dining table models: square and rectangular in two sizes. The top is made out of stone or wood and the base is covered in nautical rope. 

The Round Line

Sahara: Inspired by the dunes’ movements in the Sahara desert.

The product pieces have an elegant design with rounded corners and a feature that adds lightness for both indoor and outdoor areas. The Sahara line includes a sofa, a chair with backrest and back support, four main modules, two side modules, and a corner module.

The Sahara Line

Shell: Inspired by the design of the seashells

 The delicate design of seashells was the starting point for creating the rounded chair designs in nautical rope for this line. The pieces include an armchair, a loveseat, and a chair – all have an upholstered seat, rope finish, wooden legs, and an aluminum structure.

The Shell Line

Split: Versatility is the strong point of the Split line

The Split line consists of seven sophisticated yet versatile modules that allow the building of different composition designs in multiple varieties of styles and sizes.

The Split 

For the Silo, Claudia Safavi.

Human Face Carved On Pebble 15000 Years Ago

There is a paucity of Palaeolithic art in the southern Levant prior to 15000 years ago. The Natufian culture (15000–11500 BP; Grosman 2013) marks a threshold in the magnitude and diversity of artistic manifestations (Bar-Yosef 1997). Nevertheless, depictions of the human form remain rare—only a few representations of the human face have been reported to date. This PDF article presents a 12000-year-old example unearthed at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II (NEGII), just east of the Sea of Galilee, Israel (see Figure 1 PDF link below). The object provides a glimpse into Natufian conventions of human representation, and opens a rare opportunity for deeper understanding of the Natufian symbolic system.
The NEGII face is carved from a limestone pebble measuring 90×60mm.

Minimalistic manipulation of the pebble’s surface creates a simple but realistic human expression. The artist used the natural form of the pebble to represent the outline of a human head, and slightly modified the stone’s perimeter with a flat band to shape the contours of the face(see Figure 2a PDF link below). The main modification engraved on the front of the pebble consists of a T-shaped linear relief that emphasizes an eyebrow ridge and nose; two low arcs that meet at the centre of the pebble form the eyebrow ridge and then turn downward to depict a straight, elongated nose.

By skillful play with line depth and curvature,the artist has achieved a soft depiction of the cheeks and deep, shaded eye sockets (see Figure 3 PDF link below). The artistic qualities of the representation are schematic, but they present a realistic and uniquely expressive human face.

Leore Grosman

The back of the pebble is not carved but is lightly modified at the edges. Microscopic analysis shows a few small, smooth and shiny areas that may have been created by gentle polishing of the surface with a soft material such as skin or fabric, or by…… continue reading this article by clicking here.  For the Silo by Leore Grosman, with Natalie Munro and Hadas Goldgeier/ academia.eu. Feature image photo by Dana Shaham.