The Wind Up – Watch News #310

It’s the end of 2024, and wow what a year it’s been. In likely the last edition of the Wind Up for the year, you would be remiss in thinking that it will be a lighter affair than usual, but no, we’ve got some absolute bangers to explore. This week, the watch industry decided not to take its foot off the pedal, with Oris dropping a stunning new Lunar New Year piece, Romain Gauthier dipping into the world of titanium, Chronoswiss painting the town red, and Artya giving us all something to think about. It’s a spectacular way to round out 2024 and, as always, I appreciate you joining me for the ride. Happy reading, fellas, and Merry Christmas!

ArtyA Chronograph Gears One-Of-A-Kind Watches

• Brand: ArtyA
• Model: Chronograph Gears One-of-a-Kind
• Diameter: 43mm
• Movement: Modified calibre 7750
• Power Reserve: 48 hours
• Water-resistance: 50 metres
• Price: CHF9,900 (steel) / CHF14,900 (Forged Carbon, Damascus Steel and TiDamas) / CHF34,900 (sapphire)

ArtyA has unveiled an assortment of new open-worked chronographs in a range of configuration options, just in time for the Christmas rush. Arriving with a trademark creative flair, the latest collection of Chronograph Gears comprises a suite of one-off releases, taking fans on a unique journey through colour, finishing and material. The aptly named One-of-a-Kind range introduces an open-worked architecture across multiple colours, meaning you can go conservative with a black-white facade or go all out with a bright pink finish.

For ArtyA, the watchmaking brainchild of Yvan Arpa, the big and bold approach is nothing new, however, the Gears collection really does capture a bit more of a global appeal. It essentially starts with a traditional chronograph design and stretches the silhouette to give the piece a slightly more sleek shape. From here, ArtyA has fitted a fixed bezel with a tachymeter scale engraved on it, which fits nicely within the 43mm case diameter. Sounds straightforward enough, but it’s what you can do with the case and dial that makes this range seriously special.

With each watch, you have the option to choose the case material from a range of alloys, including stainless steel, forged carbon, Damascus steel, TiDamas (Titanium and Damascus), or even sapphire. You can then opt to have your rubber strap in a matching colour to the open-worked dial or just go completely haywire and pick something from the extensive range there, too. If you were looking for a timepiece that is ironically and irrevocably you, ArtyA may have you covered.

Chronoswiss Delphis Firestarter

• Brand: Chronoswiss
• Model: Delphis Firestarter
• Reference: Ref. CH-1429RE.1E-BKRE
• Diameter: 42.60mm
• Thickness: 14.50mm 
• Movement: Calibre 6004
• Power Reserve: 55 hours
• Water Resistance: 100m
• Price: CHF41,800
• Availability: Limited to 50 pieces

Chronoswiss unveiled its latest and greatest with the new  Delphis Firestarter and it is an absolute visceral delight. Red Grand Feu enamel, guillochée, red ceramic, galvanic black guilloché and a red rubber strap combine for this truly awe-inspiring timepiece, alluding to the true star of the show—the case.

Made from a Titanium Core Nano Shell, a ‘world-first’ material according to Chronoswiss, the case is carved out of a solid block of composite and then polished by hand. As the brand explained, the fiery red colour is actually not a coating but rather a high-performance composite with a grade 5 titanium core. Through a unique and extensive bonding process, Chronoswiss has managed to fuse the titanium core with the 0.4mm fiery red ultra-lightweight shell, leading to the eye-catching finish that results.

The case features a variety of finishings and textures, but rest assured, the Delphis Firestarter walks the walk and talks the talk. It also features a jumping hour aperture and a retrograde minute indicator. Very cool stuff.

Oris ProPilot X Year of the Snake Limited Edition

• Brand: Oris
• Model: ProPilot X Year of the Snake Limited Edition
• Reference: Ref. 01 115 7759 7117
• Diameter: 44mm
• Material: Titanium
• Movement: Calibre 115
• Power Reserve: 240 hours
• Water Resistance: 100m
• Price: CHF8.200
• Availability: Limited to 88 pieces

Oris welcomes the Chinese New Year with its latest piece, the ProPilot X Year of the Snake Limited Edition. Drawing inspiration from the animals of the zodiac and Chinese cultural traditions, the new ProPilot X Year of the Snake Limited Edition boasts a titanium case with a new vibrant colourway. Sporting a rich cyan hue, which is said to represent the wood theme of this year’s zodiac, the new ProPilot is a remarkably distinctive piece that exudes more snake-like quality than you might pick up at first glance.

Sleek and stylish, Oris has crafted a watch that feels inherently timeliness, despite its overarching Zodiac theme. Certain elements have been adjusted subtly to not labour the point and bring a refined sensibility to the limited edition. The power reserve indicator hand, for example, has been redesigned in the shape of a snake’s tongue.

Oris has ensured that this stunning new piece remains ultra-exclusive, releasing just 88 editions in total. The full-titanium watch, which measures in at a solid 44mm, is powered by the Oris in-house Calibre 115 manually wound movement and boasts a whopping 10-day power reserve. It’s a work of art that will surely go quickly

C by Romain Gauthier Titanium Edition Bracelet Ref. MON00584

• Brand: Romain Gauthier
• Model: C By Romain Gauthier Titanium Editions
• Reference: Ref. MON00584
• Diameter: 41mm
• Thickness: 9.55mm
• Material: Titanium
• Movement: In-house manual winding
• Power Reserve: 60 hours
• Price: CHF 52,000

Romain Gauthier has offered its brilliant integrated bracelet sports watch in titanium with either a close black dial or an open-worked dial. Both references are modelled on the original piece, but these pieces are crafted in titanium and boast matching titanium bracelets, giving a new modern edge to the classic silhouette.

These references have a black titanium dial, one with 3D-grained horizontal grooves and the other with some slight openworking and light blue small seconds register at 7 o’clock. Each piece is indicative of Romain Gauthier’s astute eye and meticulous hand working, with both finished to the nth degree.

Inside, both pieces are powered by a Romain Gauthier-designed manual winding movement, which plays up to the house style courtesy of the horizontal, stepped finger bridges. Boasting a power reserve of 60 hours and some of the best finishes in the watchmaking industry, these stunning pieces are truly a sight to behold. I am a huge fan of the hacking seconds functionality, which utilises a somewhat unheard-of process by which an inward push of the crown turns the snail cam and gives the balance an impulse to start beating again. Of the two, I would, of course, go for the semi-openworked model, but both pieces are beyond exceptional.