ArtyA’s Curvy Tourbillon Gets A Cosmic Twist In Moissanite

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that ArtyA watches tend to reward the experience of seeing them in person. Photographs rarely tell us the full story. The brand’s fascination with unusual materials and unconventional case designs often produces pieces that behave very differently in person. Rest assured, the new Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon will be one of those watches you need to see in person to truly appreciate everything it has to offer.

Last September, during Geneva Watch Days, I stopped by the ArtyA boutique for a closer look at some of the brand’s recent creations. That visit was my first time seeing the Curvy case up close. The name immediately makes sense. The case flows in soft arcs from lug to lug, with no harsh edges and a shape that wraps around the wrist more naturally than the tonneau silhouette might suggest on paper. Despite the sculptural look, it felt surprisingly comfortable. The curves aren’t simply aesthetic; they clearly serve a practical purpose as well.

Now, ArtyA has taken that Curvy architecture in a new direction with the Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon. At first glance, it looks almost like a carved block of crystal. In reality, the case is crafted from moissanite, a material with an origin story as intriguing as the watch itself.

A material born far beyond Earth

Moissanite was first identified in 1893 by French chemist Henri Moissan while studying fragments of material from a meteorite crater. Although it is now produced synthetically, its discovery remains closely tied to its extraterrestrial origin. Despite its initial visual similarity to sapphire, moissanite is very different. Chemically speaking, sapphire is aluminium oxide, while moissanite is silicon carbide, meaning the two materials behave very differently.

In watchmaking terms, moissanite is an unusual choice. The material has a hardness rating of roughly 9.25 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale, placing it just below diamond and well above most materials typically used for cases. That hardness makes it extremely resistant to scratches, but it also makes shaping and finishing the material far more difficult than “conventional” sapphire.

What makes moissanite truly fascinating, though, is how it interacts with light. The material has a dispersion index of around 0.104, more than double that of diamond. In practical terms, this means it splits light into vivid spectral colors, offering a fire that diamonds can only dream of. Each faceted surface behaves like a tiny prism, creating flashes of color that shift as the watch moves. As a result, the case produces a subtle rainbow effect that changes with the viewing angle.

Curves, facets, and a constantly changing view

Returning to the Curvy case design, the geometry plays a huge role in how the material behaves. The watch measures 41mm wide and 42mm long (not including the lugs), with a case profile that gently arcs to follow the wrist. The design feels intentionally fluid rather than architectural. That fluidity works particularly well with moissanite. The case is composed of 65 individual facets, each interacting with light in a slightly different way. Combined with the curved surfaces, those facets create an effect where the movement inside appears to shift in depth depending on the angle you view it from.

From some perspectives, the movement looks almost suspended inside the crystal case. From others, the curved sides act like a magnifying lens, exaggerating the movement’s details. Many transparent-cased watches aim to visually remove the case, leaving only the movement as the focal point. This one takes a different approach. Here, the case becomes part of the spectacle. It actively shapes how you see the beating heart inside. It’s pretty clever stuff.

A movement shaped to match the case

Inside the Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon sits ArtyA’s manufacture PUR-T3 Curvy Tourbillon caliber. Rather than simply placing a conventionally shaped movement inside a curved case, the architecture follows the shape of the watch.

The layout places the hours and minutes display off to the upper portion of the dial, while the tourbillon occupies the lower section at 6 o’clock. Technically, the movement operates at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour. Power comes from a pair of barrels mounted in parallel, providing a guaranteed power reserve of 65 hours, with the potential to reach 70–72 hours depending on conditions.

The tourbillon itself uses a traditional regulation approach based on timing weights rather than a conventional regulator index. Adjusting the rate through these small weights allows very fine calibration of the balance. All this adds up to a package that doesn’t just talk the talk but also walks the walk.

A contemporary approach to finishing

The movement’s finishing feels intentionally restrained, complementing the case’s visual complexity. The skeletonized bridges are sandblasted with cast iron to create a fine matte texture, while the edges are beveled by hand to highlight the movement’s geometry.

A gray NAC treatment gives the components a darker tone that contrasts nicely against the brightness of the moissanite case. Rather than competing with the light show that the case creates, the finishing emphasises structure and depth. The overall effect is quite balanced. The case delivers the visual drama, while the movement remains layered and legible.

Seeing the light with the Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon

ArtyA has never been a brand to follow traditional paths. The company’s watches often revolve around unusual materials and bold design ideas that push watchmaking in unexpected directions.

The Purity Moissanite Curvy Tourbillon feels like a natural extension of that philosophy. By pairing the Curvy case architecture with a material as optically expressive as moissanite, ArtyA has created a watch in which the case itself becomes an active part of the visual experience. Production will be limited to just nine pieces, with each priced at CHF 170,000 / €189,000 / US$216,000.

As I discovered during my visit last September, ArtyA watches often reveal far more once you see them in person. If you happen to be in Geneva and have the opportunity to stop by the boutique, it is well worth taking a closer look. The brand will also be exhibiting during Watches and Wonders, so if you are attending the show, it is another good opportunity to experience this piece up close.

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