ne year after unveiling its inaugural model, Artime announces a new limited edition of the ART01. Identical to its predecessor but finished in luxurious red gold, white gold, and NAC, ART01-5N stands as a testament to Artime’s ongoing commitment to exceptional craftsmanship and the ultimate expression of fine watchmaking.

Luminous, sleek, and expressive, Artime beckons us to explore the aesthetics of its remarkable watch concept anew. The ART01-5N merges a red gold case with NAC – a specially treated metallic alloy producing a stunning black visual effect – finishes on the movement side, accentuating the watch’s sophisticated architecture.

The warm 5N gold against the deep NAC offers a striking contrast, highlighting the intricate geometric shapes and bold component arrangement within the movement. This new livery not only elevates the watch’s wrist presence but also showcases the beauty of the movement and enhances the design’s overall brilliance.

This interplay of spatial volumes, colours, hues, and textures, of light and shadow, was not merely an aesthetic choice but a way to reveal the technical mastery and give the whole a three-dimensional quality and visual dynamism.

The special allure of 5N red gold in the ART01-5N stems from its specific composition: it enhances the gold’s natural warmth with a vibrant red hue, a consequence of the higher copper content typical for red gold; and the inclusion of palladium is particularly noteworthy, as it imbues the alloy with a unique sheen. Importantly, it ensures that the red gold maintains its striking lustre and colour over time, distinguishing it from traditional gold alloys and elevating the timepiece’s overall aesthetic and durability.

Traditionally, watchmaking involves layering components in a specific sequence: starting with the case back, followed by bridges, gears, the mainplate, dial, bezel, crystal, and ending with the case middle. The ART01-5N disrupts this convention by intertwining these elements. Remarkably, this approach made a mainplate, even an openworked one, redundant. Instead, the bridges are directly attached to the case middle, which, in this second iteration of the ART01 concept, is made from a solid block of 5N red gold. This, combined with the 5N red gold bridges against the charcoal NAC backdrop, creates a visually striking ‘floating’ effect with its own dynamic.

The choice of red gold for the case middle and bridges introduces a warm lustre that beautifully complements the sapphire case’s crystalline sparkle and the movement’s modern architecture. The watch’s three-dimensional layout effectively displays its engineering achievements, like the dual balance spring tourbillon and ergonomic function selector, which are operated via the monopusher crown.

Retaining the original ART01’s dimensions of a 42 mm diameter and an 11.4 mm profile, the ART01-5N heralds a stylistic evolution with its strap design. Featuring a rubber strap that mimics the texture of woven fabric, complete with a Velcro fastener and a red gold keeper loop, it promises unmatched comfort and a secure fit. Available in deep anthracite or chocolate brown, the strap blends elegance with functionality for daily wear.

The result: a timepiece that showcases not only the pinnacle of watchmaking artistry and craftsmanship but also makes a bold style statement. The ART01-5N’s unexpected blend of traditional luxury with a casual elegance marks it as a seminal piece in contemporary horology, encapsulating comfort, and sophistication in an undeniably dashing ensemble.

The tourbillon cage of the ART01-5N features an original design devoid of the usual pillars, thereby providing an unobstructed space for the regulating mechanism. This unique structure displays three flared branches, evoking flower petals. The skeletonisation of the bridges extends to the edges of the cage for a captivating visual effect. This three-spoke aesthetic theme is mirrored throughout the mechanism, including the barrel positioned at twelve o’clock. The net effect is that of harmonious and engaging visual appeal.

The entire mechanism, including the yellow gold escapement wheel, beats at a rhythm of 3 hertz, powered by a variable-inertia balance wheel adorned with gold adjustment screws and two balance springs linked at the center. These hairsprings, supplied exclusively by Precision Engineering, are arranged concentrically and in phase opposition. This has several advantages: besides delivering an enhanced quality factor, increased inertia, and perfect concentricity, this arrangement reduces pivot wear and improves the movement’s accuracy. The dual balance spring system results in greater chronometric accuracy, with meticulous final adjustments that go far beyond the mere spectacular effect of the tourbillon. This setup is not just for show; it’s a testament to the art of watchmaking, where precision and beauty coalesce into a masterpiece of engineering creativity.

In the ART01-5N mechanism, innovation seamlessly merges with ergonomics through an advanced function selector that supersedes the traditional crown. Instead of the conventional pull action, a simple press allows the user to switch between operating modes: ’N’ for neutral, ’R’ for remontage (winding), and ’H’ for heure (time setting). This innovative system is complemented by a distinctive mechanism visible at four o’clock, featuring a dual-function column wheel and a vertical clutch. This setup mirrors the functionality of a chronograph, integrating display and function selection in a unified process. Such ingenuity diverges from traditional norms, embodying the caliber’s blend of technological progress and user-centric design, thereby redefining standards in watchmaking.

Regarding the aesthetics of its components, the choice of materials marks a departure from the conventional use of rhodium-plated brass or titanium. In selecting white gold, Artime’s designers elevated the caliber’s finish to unparalleled heights. Employing techniques such as sandblasting, straight graining, flank drawing, and chamfering, the finishing process receives meticulous care and attention to detail. This dedication reflects a commitment to excellence that blurs the line between functional and aesthetic design, treating materials like gold and titanium with equal reverence.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Limited edition of 20 pieces only (in red gold)
Recommended retail price: under request

• Movement: Hand-wound mechanical movement
• Red gold and NAC bridges, white gold wheels
• Components: 261
• Jewels: 25
• Semi-brilliant rubies and gold chatons
• Display/functions: Central hours and minutes
• Small seconds on the tourbillon cage
• Tourbillon: Three-dimensional architecture developed in-house, pillarless, hand-chamfered and decorated (patent pending)
• Function selector: Satellite-type, with column wheel and coaxial pinions
• Settings: N = neutral; R = remontage (winding), H = heure (setting the time)
• Barrel: Barrel with slip springs, hand-chamfered and decorated
• Power reserve: 80 hours
• Balance: In-house design, variable inertia with regulating screws
• Spring: Flat, opposite-facing double spring system by Precision Engineering AG
• Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz)
• Escapement: Right-angle lever escapement, gold escapement wheel
• Movement component decorations: A ballet of decorations: straight-grained inner and outer flanks, sandblasted inner and outer flanks, circular-grained or satin-brushed top and bottom faces, polished chamfers, polished countersinks, mirror polishes

• Case: Red gold with integrated sapphire case middle
• Proprietary 360° panoramic view system (patent pending)
• Dimensions: Diameter 42 mm, height 11.4 mm
• Bezel: Red gold, polished bevel, hand-chamfered, satin-brushed top and bottom faces, sapphire crystal
• Case back: Red gold with sapphire crystal
• Crown: Red gold with pusher to select watch functions
• Water resistance: 5 ATM (50 meters, 165 feet)

• Hands: Hand-decorated with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic (white by day/blue by night)
• Hour track: Luminescent Hyceram^® ceramic minute track inlaid in the sapphire crystal
• Round black hour markers with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic centres
• Strap: Leather or textured rubber, saddle stitching
• Buckle: Red gold, hand-chamfered and decorated