ArtyA founder Yvan Arpa apparently knows how to grab my attention. If anything, one of the things Mr. Arpa is a master of is getting visual attention from even finicky watch consumers. While not everyone is an ideal ArtyA watch client, very few people can resist the head-turning “what’s that?” sentiment that the brand is so often able to evoke. For this reason, I love viewing what the brand is doing even when, at heart, some of the novelty it offers only modestly builds on what it ha done before. I’ve covered the ArytA Son Of Sea collection before, mostly recently in a review of the DLC steel Ripple model. A bit before that, I covered the all-sapphire crystal and smaller model of the Son of Sea. Today, I’d like to look at a small assortment (the actual variety in the collection is much larger) of ArytA Son of Sea Carbon Diver watches that were newly released for the Geneva-based brand as of the end of 2023.
ArtyA already offers nearly 10 color versions of its “raw” carbon cases and at least half that many different dials to pair with it for this Sea of Sea Carbon collection. Some of those dials are matching pieces of raw carbon, but other dial materials are also available, depending on your taste. A lot of ArtyA sales are to end consumers who typically have a particular preference for how they want their watches configured given that the price is more or less the same regardless of the hue.
While the base watches themselves are nice but nothing particularly exceptional for the price, the ArtyA value comes in with the art and expression. Arpa chose a very bold style of carbon to pair with the Son of Sea Carbon watches, the right texture of which is crucial for these to feel like high-end designer objects. In this article, you can see the green, red, and turquoise-blue versions of the raw carbon case material with matching dials. The textured effect comes from the composite nature of the material. Carbon is naturally black, so any color it has is due to extra pigment added in the formulation process. The partial mixing and twisting of the carbon and color pigments together make for the pleasant organic texture that we find appealing in the Son of Sea Carbon Diver watches. Other carbon-based watches may have materials created using other mixing techniques such as layering.
ArtyA rates its Son of Sea Carbon Diver watch to 300 meters of water resistance, with a uni-directional rotating bezel and flat sapphire crystal over the dial. The cases are actually modest in size (for ArtyA) 41mm wide but wear a bit larger due to the broad bezel size and design. Inside the watch is ArtyA’s “ArtyOn” Swiss Made automatic movement. The brand doesn’t offer too many more details about the movement but it is a base Swiss caliber that operates at 4Hz with about two days of power reserve, and that is decorated for ArtyA with dark-colored bridges and some skeletonization as well. A nice detail on the caseback of Sea of Sea watches is the partial sapphire crystal window that appears to be looking into the open jaws of the skeleton mandibles of a shark.
These prototype versions of the Son of Sea Carbon Diver watches came on silicone straps, I believe, but ArtyA claims the final pieces will come with colored rubber straps. These watches are ideal for folks who like playful watches from independent watchmakers who behave more like artists than horologers. ArtyA’s Yvan Arpa knows how to get a big sensation out of a relatively simple product, but his company has to charge handsomely for it given its small production numbers. The ArtyA Son of Sea Carbon Diver watches aren’t cheap, but I challenge anyone to find a dial/color combo that does not suit them. Price for each of the ArtyA Son of Sea Carbon Diver watches is 12,900 Swiss Francs. Learn more at the ArtyA watches website.
