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The ALTO ART 02 is the first permanent collection from the two-year-old independent French maison. An acronym for “Art and Limited Time Objects”, ALTO watches merge 1970s-inspired architectural design, contemporary art and geometric industrial design with mechanical art.
If you’ve an eye for the wedge-shaped car designs of the 1970s ― think Marcello Gandini’s Lancia Stratos HF Zero and Lamborghini Countach LP400, or Giorgetto Giugiaro’s Lotus Esprit ― then the ART 02 should be parked on your wrist. While these days any watch enthusiast with a half-good idea and a catchy crowdfunding campaign can launch a new watch brand, ALTO comes with serious industry cred, balancing French conceptual thinking with Swiss mechanical precision.
ALTO was established by Thibaud Guittard, an alumnus of Audemars Piguet and admirer of 1970s concept cars, art and architecture. The ART 01 was launched in 2024, affirming the concept, and under creative director Raphaël Abeillon – a former senior designer at Cartier – the ART 02 refines the original vision with more restrained proportions. Imagined as a singular form, the ART 02 features a new manufactured movement and an all-new integrated bracelet, both expressing its sculptural identity.
Key features
This 42.3 mm x 36mm shaped watch features an angular titanium case with a satin finish and an almost seamless, integrated curved and bevelled sapphire crystal. The anthracite dial features stepped, concentric hexagonal lines, complemented by an outer flange with hour markers and a subtle minute track.
The hands are faceted and skeletonised for visual elegance. At the centre is ALTO’s distinctive counterclockwise-running seconds hand. The titanium bracelet extends the design language, with each link featuring multiple satin-brushed surfaces. The new movement is visible through a single-piece sapphire caseback.
Inside
The A02 calibre is a work of art that complements the lines of its case architecture. It was conceived and manufactured in collaboration with Le Cercle des Horlogers in Les Hauts-Geneveys, Neuchâtel. The high-end movement specialist works with luxury and independent watch brands including Speake Marin, Jacob & Co and Louis Vuitton.
The A02 is a self-winding mechanical movement equipped with a micro-rotor and beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour. It delivers a power reserve of 50 hours. Its main plate is constructed from Grade 5 titanium and features satin-finished brass bridges with polished bevels.
POA, altowatches.com
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