Internationally acknowledged watchmaking skills are juxtaposed with enduring myth by Artya to create and enhance its Russian Roulette collection. Just as in the real-life game, in which every bullet counts, the watch designed by Artya features real bullets on its dial.
The Russian Roulette line has four new watches with just 99 limited edition pieces of each. The new Russian Roulettes come in skeleton versions, each featuring a new take on the original theme that was such a hit when the collection was first introduced: a gun barrel mobile, open on the dial side and assembled on ball bearings, that is set spinning by the slightest movement of the wrist. The animation also includes a genuine bullet cartridge set in one of the six chambers of the mobile. The mobile piece flies as fast as a speeding bullet round the circular classic case, providing constant animation on the wrist.
To round off the effect, the genuine bullet cartridges – legendary calibers such as the Magnum 44, 357, P38, and so on – gracing the Russian Roulette’s dial are echoed on the other, movement side of the watch, on the barrel. The artistic choice of this component is anything but arbitrary: barrels on firearms house the chambers in which bullets are stored; in watchmaking, the barrel similarly distributes energy. Setting it in the same tradition, the barrel has six indentations – just like the six chambers of most handguns.
This new rendition comes in three finishes: steel, black and chocolate. Steel recalls the natural color of metal; black is the typical finish of all pistols, revolvers and handguns; and the chocolate brown version evokes the color of copper bullet cartridges, once they have darkened after being fired.
The new Son of a Gun Russian Roulettes are available in a 44mm Classic round case. Four versions of the case will be on offer: matt black, steel, chocolate and gold. The Russian Roulette mobiles positioned on the dial will also be available in matching finishes (matt steel, matt black and copper), allowing for a very wide range of combinations.
Each watch is numbered and features side inserts made from Artyor, the brand’s exclusive alloy. The addition of this gunmetal-like component to Son of a Gun watches provides an extra special touch: it’s made from the remains of actual used bullet cartridges. That’s as close as you can get to the authentic spirit of Russian Roulette.