Over the last twelve months designer and entrepreneur Yvan Arpa has been exceptionally busy. In addition to the eclectic brand ArtyA he has also established a company called Spero Lucem. This business was conceived in 2013 when they acquired a watchmaking specialist called SC2 SA. With a prestigious location of the Rue du Clos in Geneva, their objective is to produce a range of high-end luxury products including watches, jewellery, pens and letter openers. Judging by what I have seen so far the designs look intriguing and unlike anything else available on the market.
Back in May, I wrote an in depth review about a unique watch from ArtyA called the Quadri Rotors. As a designer the very existence of this unusual timepiece appealed to me. Previously I mentioned in my editorial the radical design of the watch won’t appeal to a wide variety of buyers. Since the article was published Yvan Arpa has devised a more cohesive series of watches. I have recently written about the Son of Sound on my website and for other publications. The special feature about these timepieces is the guitar shaped cases and wooden dials. Commercially this is the brand’s most successful range to date.
The Son of Gears is more eclectic than the Son of Sound and all the models are one of a kind. With a diameter of 47mm these watches are designed to make a really bold statement. On that basis they probably won’t appeal to the faint hearted. All the cases are exactly the same size as the Quadri Rotors and therefore should be fairly comfortable to wear. They are also constructed from stainless steel so you are aware of the watch’s presence on the wrist. Nevertheless I feel they would still be a practical option for daily usage.
As I am a huge fan of skeleton watches the general concept of the Son of Gear is seriously enticing. Yvan Arpa always tries to push the boundaries of watchmaking by offering the client something different. Although all the models have minimalistic skeleton dials, some also have bezels containing mechanical parts. I feel these compositions are the most effective and original. Obviously that is just my opinion as good design is highly subjective.
Beneath the striking exteriors lie a self-winding Swiss made caliber ETA 2671. This movement comprises 25-jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. In recent conversations with Yvan Arpa he informed me that the mechanisms have been modified by Concepto and has two registered patents. Functionally the Son of Gear collection features hour, minutes, seconds and a power reserve of 40 hours.
The Son of Gear series of watches are presented with leather straps and matching buckles. Prices range from CHF 5,900 – CHF 14,900 (approximately $6,483 – $16,372). For more information about this watch contact: http://www.watchuwant.com
