Finest described as a “horological supergroup” fashioned by six people from completely different sides of the posh watch business (all with very spectacular resumes), Artime is a reasonably new title inside the the high-end impartial scene. Very new, in actual fact, because the Swiss model was based in 2021 and didn’t formally launch its first mannequin till simply a few years in the past, in 2023. Nevertheless, an in depth historical past isn’t wanted when the merchandise actually communicate for themselves. Even those that don’t personally gravitate in direction of Artime’s avant-garde aesthetic can nonetheless respect the degrees of engineering and a focus to element which might be current in every considered one of its watches.
Among the many numerous festivities outdoors of Palexpo throughout Geneva Watch Week 2025, Artime introduced its new ART03 timepiece, which marks the model’s second assortment and ushers within the subsequent chapter of its catalog. Artime’s watches are singular creations the place the interior caliber is completely built-in with the outer case, and the model will produce a complete of 120 examples of the ART03 motion, which will probably be unfold throughout all future iterations of its ART03 tourbillon watch. As a part of the inaugural launch, the Artime ART03 is being supplied as a 10-piece restricted version in 18k yellow gold (ref. ART03-3N) and because the stainless-steel model featured right here (ref. ART03-ST), which will probably be produced as a restricted version of 30 examples.
Artime is a high-horology model that exists solely on the luxury-oriented aspect of the business, and the ART03-ST represents the primary time that Artime has produced a watch in stainless-steel. That mentioned, this humble but sturdy alloy solely accounts for a comparatively small portion of the mannequin’s general development, as the remainder of its outer case is intricately machined from clear sapphire, whereas the gears and bridges of its motion are all crafted from stable white gold. Regardless of being characterised by the identical basic design language because the model’s unique ART01 collection, the ART03 is a totally new watch. It deviates from its predecessor in two key areas that intention to deal with the most typical critiques of the model’s first mannequin.
At 42mm in diameter with a tonneau-shaped case, the unique ART01 was a reasonably sizable creation, and in our overview of the model’s rose gold ART01-5N, you possibly can see that the watch is completely pushing the higher limits of what’s attainable on my 6.5 to six.75-inch wrist. Against this, the brand new Artime ART03 opts for a noticeably extra compact general profile with a case diameter of 39mm, though it stays the identical 11.4mm top as its bigger counterpart with an an identical 50 meters of water resistance. The watch business usually locations an emphasis on thinness, however I personally wouldn’t need Artime’s fashions to be a lot thinner, as any discount in top would additionally cut back the distinctive “window” impact of the sapphire case part, which lets you look fully by the aspect of the watch.
On condition that tonneau-shaped watches at all times put on bigger than round fashions with the identical on-paper diameter, the ART03 remains to be a reasonably large timepiece that provides ample presence on the wrist. That mentioned, to additional cut back its proportions, the perform selector change has been relocated to a separate pusher at 4 o’clock, relatively than being built-in into the construction of the winding crown like on the ART01 fashions. Together with permitting Artime to lower the bodily measurement of the crown, relocating the perform selector to a separate pusher additionally prevents customers from inadvertently switching between modes of operation when the crown comes into contact with the again of their hand. All issues thought of, the ART03 remains to be a large watch, however its discount in measurement is instantly obvious, and its smaller format helps broaden Artime’s catalog to a wider vary of consumers.
Past its measurement, the second most typical critique of Artime’s unique ART01 collection was that the mannequin was just too skeletonized for some individuals’s preferences. With clear sapphire forming a lot of the case’s construction and open-worked bridges extending inward from the perimeter of its silhouette, the ART01 is a really hanging creation, however a big share of its look is totally clear. Much like the ART01, the Artime ART03 is a singular object, the place the bridges of its motion connect on to the case (relatively than the usual method of getting a motion mounted inside a separate housing). Nevertheless, Artime has opted for an deliberately less-skeletonized design for the ART03 that also manages to disclose everything of the motion’s intricate mechanics.
The blue-finished plates that kind the backdrop for the interior elements of the Artime ART03-ST should not really a part of the motion itself, and similar to the model’s unique ART01 collection, the motion’s skeletonized white gold bridges are mounted on to the inside perimeter of the case and prolong in V-shaped formations to help the white gold gears and rubies set inside contrasting yellow gold chatons. The blue-finished plates are positioned between the completely different sections of the motion in a fashion that fills the areas that will in any other case be unoccupied; nevertheless, because the plates don’t serve a structural function, none of them really obscure any of the opposite finely completed elements.
If Artime desired, the model might simply make the ART03 simply as open-worked because the ART01 by merely omitting its ornamental inside plates, and the much less skeletonized look of the ART03 collection was completely an aesthetic determination. The blue-finished plates on the ART03-ST visually fill the area inside its case, though they’re positioned across the numerous elements of the motion to additional spotlight the caliber’s sculptural structure. Since all the motion’s purposeful components are supported by its skeletonized white gold bridges, the blue-finished plates on the ART03-ST are in a position to exist solely inside the background at numerous completely different depths, and this offers the watch’s internals with the looks of seeming to drift inside the case above a multi-layered blue backdrop.
Realistically talking, a skeletonized watch won’t ever supply absolutely the most legible show, however the Artime ART03 does supply improved legibility when in comparison with its ART01 predecessors. Much like the model’s bigger ART01 collection, the pair of skeletonized fingers are furnished with luminescent ideas, and the sapphire chapter ring options cut-outs for the hour markers which might be full of matching blue-glowing Hyceram ceramic luminous materials. Whereas it’s nonetheless attainable that some wearers would possibly confuse the fingers with the motion’s skeletonized V-shaped bridges, the blue backdrop fashioned by the interior ornamental plates creates notably extra visible distinction, particularly for the minute monitor, which now incorporates a stable blue backdrop for its printed white markings.
Much like its inaugural ART01 collection, Artime’s 331-component ART03 motion incorporates a manual-wind design, and it’s constructed with no mainplate, with its white gold bridges as an alternative mounted on to the inside perimeter of the center case. Similar to the ART01, the 25-jewel Artime ART03 motion is supplied with a column wheel-operated perform selector change, together with a tourbillon that seems within the model’s patented “pillarless” design, which is fashioned by a trio of three-dimensional branches that flare outward to echo the form of the motion’s bridges. Moreover, regardless of adhering to a smaller general format, the ART03 nonetheless presents the identical on-paper specs as its bigger sibling, with an working frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) and an influence reserve of roughly 80 hours.
Sometimes solely discovered inside high-end watches, a perform selector change takes the place of the usual keyless works mechanism to allow a single crown to serve multiple perform. Moderately than having a crown that’s pulled out to have interaction completely different modes of operation inside the motion, the ART03’s crown stays flush in opposition to the aspect of its case, and the perform selector change permits customers to vary between impartial (N), winding (R), and setting (H) modes by merely urgent the extra pusher situated at 4 o’clock. The present mode of operation is displayed by a satellite-style indicator on the 3 o’clock place, and the column wheel that governs the perform selector mechanism is prominently showcased under the mechanics of the indicator.
Just like the model’s earlier ART01 fashions, the Artime ART03 is accomplished by a textured rubber strap that emulates the looks of woven cloth. On the stainless-steel ART03-ST, the usual strap possibility seems in a vivid shade of orange that creates a pointy distinction in opposition to the blue-finished plates mounted inside its case (though I’d be shocked if Artime didn’t additionally supply different strap colours for its clients). The strap for the ART03-ST makes use of a velcro-style fastening system that loops by a chunky skeletonized stainless-steel buckle, and on the up to date ART03 strap, each ends of the buckle join with velcro fasteners to allow a wider vary of adjustment and permit house owners to higher heart the buckle on the underside of their wrist.
Personally, I nonetheless really feel that Artime’s unique ART01 collection finest embodies the model’s method to watchmaking, though the ART03 is objectively a extra wearable expression of this idea. Except for the truth that the ART01 was a bit too giant for me to comfortably put on as an on a regular basis timepiece, its ultra-skeletonized construction was in the end an aesthetic that I most loved when the watch was in my fingers, relatively than when it was really on my wrist. Every time a timepiece has a considerably open-worked show, the wearer’s arm inevitably can been seen among the many numerous inside elements, and the blue-finished plates on the ART03-ST supply a wholly unobstructed view of the watch’s mechanics, whereas concurrently masking any unpleasant wrist hair that may distract from its look.
On the finish of the day, I’m nonetheless a fan of Artime’s unique ART01 collection, however the ART03 is a considerably extra wearable timepiece that manages to appropriate the primary drawbacks of its predecessor, whereas concurrently retaining the important thing qualities that made it particular. For the reason that Artime ART03-ST is crafted from stainless-steel, it’s a bit inexpensive than its yellow gold counterpart, though the 30-piece restricted version remains to be priced at 210,000 CHF (roughly $260,000 USD, on the time of writing), which locations it into the realm of “grail territory” for all however essentially the most prosperous of collectors. If I ever received the lottery, I actually wouldn’t inform anybody; nevertheless, there would undoubtedly be indicators, and considered one of them can be a bit from Artime becoming a member of my private assortment. For extra info, please go to the Artime Creations web site.
