A mirror base for an original movement.

The independent watch brand ArtyA is a true family affair. And while Dominique Arpa Cirpka may have only helped her husband and brand founder Yvan Arpa in the past, she's created the recognizable dials decorated with butterfly wings, and now their son Jérémie Arpa is getting involved in the design.

He's working on the shape of cases for the brand's novelties. While large watch companies delegate the creation of separate components to other factories or workshops, Arpa-Cirpka prefer inviting family members to contribute. Last year, Jérémie Arpa worked on cases from the Dome collection with stone dials, and also presented a transparent case for the Purity Stairway to Heaven model.

This year, ArtyA is launching it in a new format. Not only has this year's Purity Wavy HMS Mirror novelty been given a titanium case with fresh curves, now it also has a mirror caseback, shaking up perceptions of minimalist openworked movements.

The case measuring 40 mm × 13 mm is made of Grade 5 titanium, which is first polished before being given a microbead frosting. The resulting surface is reminiscent of a blanket of snow.

To cement the result, the case is given a transparent DLC-coating, which makes it harder than typical titanium (400 HV according to the Vickers hardness test) at 1200 HV. By the way, the watch also comes in a black DLC-coated version, where this spec goes all the way up to 1800 HV.

The main star here is the openworked movement with outstanding spherical architecture. The movement was developed and manufactured for ArtyA in partnership with the Swiss company Télôs SA. The twin barrels arranged in a figure eight provide a 72-hour power reserve. The watch engine runs at a frequency of 28,800 vph.

Components of the movement appear to float in mid-air: this is emphasized beautifully by the mirror base backing in the novelty. On the flip side, the caseback has been made matte. Availability is limited to 99 pieces like last year's sapphire predecessor.