For those unfamiliar with the work of Artisans de Genève, they are one of Switzerland’s most renowned luxury watch customizers, modifying high-end watches to the owner’s tastes. One of their most frequently requested customizations is the Rolex Daytona (much to the chagrin of purists), which they did last year in both the “Shade of Blue” and Lake Maggiore versions. They are back with the Daytona again for their latest project, the sapphire-clad “Arolla.”
As with all customizations by Artisans de Genève, inspiration comes from a private client. In this case, that client is an adventurer who specializes in exploring glaciers, and their favorite glacier is located in Switzerland and is called Arolla. The brief was therefore to create a Daytona ref. 116500 in the same shade of blue as the Arolla’s ice, also capturing the essence of its translucent nature.
A lot of experimentation took place, but the final solution was to use sapphire crystal. The bezel is set with 36 individual sapphires in an invisible gem setting (more on that here), and the dial itself is made of sapphire, allowing you to see the 4130 movement underneath. This is the blue Big Tick and the translucent Big Tick. However, to really create the impression of glacial ice, the visible elements of the movement have been given a rough texture, reminiscent of powdery snow or the ice walls of a crevasse.
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