Unveiled as a world premiere at Watches & Wonders 2026, ArtyA‘s Complexity set an audacious architecture in motion – two inclined tourbillons, two Cônillons, at 12 and 6 o’clock, coupled by a differential and displayed in a case cut entirely from sapphire. The new Complexity Métiers d’Art keeps the same calibre and premieres a different truth: mechanics elevated by the hand.
The dial is hand engraved on a finely sandblasted base, its radiating griffe scratched with a burin, one by one, to catch light with changing intensity. Applied indexes continue the dialogue – hand polished bevels, cabron-drawn flanks, sandblasted tops that recede so the engraving can speak. Every edge is micrometrically sharp, without shouting.
Inside, the proprietary Complexity-01 movement, developed with Purtec Sàrl in Vallorbe, counts 287 components and 44 jewels. Its double inclined tourbillon follows the lineage of Eric Coudray, while the Cônillon traces a historical line to Andrew Holden Potter around 1860. Here the finishing inverts the original model’s codes: upper surfaces hand shot blasted, lower surfaces entirely hand hammered for maximum relief. Bridges are hand bevelled and polished, flanks drawn with the cabron buff, recesses perlaged to frame the differential. A polished moulding opens the view to that heart, and a numbered plate is hand engraved. All is set in black rhodium so every polished bevel reads like a stroke of light.
The architecture is singular – none of the axes of balance, cage or lever run parallel. A differential splits the barrel’s torque to the two regulators and averages their rates, optimizing chronometry through 360 degrees. Each cage turns in 30 seconds in offset directions, a kaleidoscope with purpose. Built with notable robustness, ArtyA states shock resistance surpasses devices such as the gyrotourbillon.
The sapphire case is cut from a solid block – more than 120 hours of diamond machining and over 140 hours of polishing. Its triple-concave middle and domed flanks cradle two optical domes at 12 and 6 that naturally magnify the tourbillons. Dimensions are 42 × 48 × 13 mm, which sit more politely on the wrist than the spec sheet suggests. The faceted crown is cut from crystal; the strap is integrated rubber with an ArtyA folding clasp.
Technical notes for the bench-minded: manual winding, 3 Hz and 50 hours of power reserve. Movement dimensions are 37.5 × 38.20 mm, height 14.10 mm at the Cônillon apex. The indexes are rhodiumed with hand bevels and cabron-drawn flanks.
Edition of 9 numbered pieces. CHF 190,000 in sapphire, CHF 220,000 in pigeon blood ruby. Available by order through ArtyA Genève and official retailers. A handful of watches, and a great many hours of human touch.
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