Yvan Arpa, former director of Hublot, is a Swiss watchmaker famous for his unusual creations. He is a creator or contributor to some of the most interesting concepts in contemporary watchmaking, such as the launch of the Big Bang, or the DNA of Famous Legends concept, by Romain Jerome. In 2009, he established his own company - Luxury Artpieces – and developed two brands: Blackbeltwatch and Artya. The Blackbeltwatch is the only watch in the world the money cannot buy since it is solely reserved for black belt holders! Artya offers a concept that is no less original, as it represents a contemporary dimension in the art of watchmaking. This brand produces creative and unique masterpieces crafted by using techniques harvested from the realm of art.
This time, Artya presents unique pieces made in honor of the legendary US Rock band KISS. Three new models were actually made by request of Gene Simmons, who appreciates Yvan Arpa’s work and wanted to have him make unique models inspired by KISS. Arpa spent some time with the bend in Los Angeles, judging by the photos they had some great time, and they finally envisioned these new pieces of art representing the iconic faces of the band.
The watchcase is made of lightning struck stainless steel, which was actually struck by a lightning bolt between 100,000 and 1,000,000 volts in order to get its fully unique shaping and coloring. These are very large hard rock pieces that boast no less than 47millimeters in diameter.
One of the dials features Gene Simmons, another one depicts Paul Stanley, and the third one is made with a KISS plectrum and guitar string. To make everything a bit more exclusive, these are the actual guitar picks and strings used by Paul Stanley – which explains why this one is much more expensive than the other two.
Inside the watch ticks Swiss-made self-winding movement, built on 25 jewels and with 42 hours of power autonomy. The dial is topped with a sapphire crystal, and the same material is also used for the open case-back. The case-back is engraved with "ArtyA 1/1 unique piece", which means there is only one exemplar of each model. Water resistant to 50 meters and mounted on a crazy toad or alligator strap.
Now available from Artya's website:
- ARTYA KISS PAUL STANLEY - 3 900 CHF
- ARTYA KISS GENE SIMMONS - 3 900 CHF
- ARTYA KISS PICK - 6 900 CHF
Gene Simmons, Yvan Arpa and Paul Stanley wearing Artya Watches
Author: Marina Milojević
If you use one of my articles on your own website or blog, then please credit me and provide a link back to the original.
