Tag Archives: Van Cleef & Arpels

In Bloom: Meet Van Cleef & Arpels’ Flora secret watches

They say necessity is the mother of invention and the idea of secret watches was spawned when the social mores at the turn of the 20th century had deemed it inappropriate for a woman to check time in public let alone wear a wristwatch.

How times have changed yet Van Cleef & Arpels has not stopped embracing the inventive piece it created in the 1920s—reinterpreting it time and again with unparalleled creativity.

In the ensuing decade of the 1930s as wristwatches were morphing into quintessential feminine accessories, the Maison capitalised upon this to transform them into precious objects to be worn as jewellery by way of the secret watch.

As the name suggests, secret watches are created with a skilfully hidden dial that allows the wearer to tell time and experience the passage of hours in the most discreet fashion.

A requisite then and a novelty now, the secret watches that have emerged from the ateliers of Van Cleef & Arpels are defined by the convergence of its beloved tradition of mystery and wonder with haute joallerie savoir faire.

Paying homage to the Maison’s fascination with nature’s metamorphoses, its secret watches are often riffs on flora, a recurrent theme in its design annals. Appearing to be bathed in sunlight, the petals of gem-studded flowers and leaves conceal an elegant dial which is revealed in a charming game of hide-and-seek.

Indeed, the heritage of secrète watches runs deep at Van Cleef & Arpels with a treasure trove of archive pieces ranging from its signature Ludo and Cadenas bracelet designs from the 1930s and 1940s to serpent-style silhouettes hailing from 1940 and 1953, along with a Renoncule (Buttercup) floral iteration from 1945 and a secret watch ring from 1944.

Le Jardin Van Cleef & Arpels

At SIHH 2018, an invitation to visit Le Jardin Van Cleef & Arpels was issued, leading to a rediscovery of the passage of hours through the lens of awe-inspiring flora.

Amid the eight floral High Jewelry creations are five sparkling secret watches—instilled with the rhythm, freshness and perpetual evolution of nature, one of the Maison’s go-to inspirations since 1906.

Taking the spotlight, a jewel-encrusted flower is posited at the core of each secret watch: Dandelion, Chrysanthème, Marguerite, Primerose and Cosmos—the first two being unique pieces.

: Chrysanthème Secret watch

: Chrysanthème Secret watch

An unmissable beauty, the striking Chrysanthème’s ample and chiselled corolla is mesmerising. When the pink gold cover, embellished with diamonds and pink sapphires, is lifted up using a hidden mechanism, a 10 mm dial affords a decorative view of autumn-hued spessartite garnets. The petals in a subtly gradated palette unfurl and spiral gracefully outwards— accented by pink and yellow gold leaves with diamonds, and a white gold and diamond bracelet.

It is significant how this flora secret watch exemplifies the Maison’s inimitable art of blending stones of varied shades as well as its peerless skill in shaping and combining different golds.

: Marguerite Secrète watch

: Marguerite Secrète watch

In contrast, the Marguerite, Primerose and Cosmos secrète watches are paired with grosgrain straps.

Featuring the effervescent spring-like daisy—blossoming in the Maison’s oeuvre since the 1920s— the Marguerite is rendered with a yellow sapphire heart that raises to present a diamond dial, reverberating through the sparkling petals. Notable about this piece is its embodiment of the Maison’s tradition of transformable creations—the ability of the design to transform into various styles: a piece of jewellery or timepiece, lending playfulness, functionality and versatility in catering to diverse occasions and moods. The Marguerite secret watch can be worn as a clip with its centrepiece holding court amidst yellow gold foliage in polished openwork, carved using ancestral goldsmith’s techniques.

: Primrose Secrète watch

: Primrose Secrète watch

Making its floral debut in Le Jardin Van Cleef & Arpels, the hollyhock featured in the Primerose secret watch evokes youth femininity. Its vibrancy—courtesy of carefully set diamonds and shades of pink sapphires on the petals—recreates the blossom’s three-dimensional convex form. An ingenious mechanism allows the secret dial to be uncovered by gently pressing one of the petals. The hollyhock bejewelled piece is also transformable and usable as a clip atop diamond-speckled yellow and white volutes.

: Cosmos Secret watch

: Cosmos Secret watch

The Cosmos secret watch exhibits one of the Maison’s signature blooms that first appeared in its creations in the 1950s. Covered with diamonds using the techniques of serti neige-style and beaded-grain settings, the inclined petals— surrounding the diamond dial hidden in the heart of the Cosmos bloom—depict a sense of movement, volume and asymmetry. Transformable, the Cosmos secret watch can be deconstructed and worn as a clip with a refined attachment of pink gold foliage set with diamonds.

Frivole Fest

Moving on to SIHH of 2019, the Maison’s Frivole collection enters the scene with two secret watches on centre stage. Breathing life into the glittering corollas famed for their skin-illuminating gleam, the Frivole family expands its repertoire with firstly, a 7-flower bracelet. The new aesthetic comprises a polished yellow gold bangle with shimmering floral motifs of different sizes combined in a poetic manner.

Unfurling around two or three diamonds, the heart-shaped petals are enhanced with the Maison’s mirror-polishing technique for magnified brilliance, and superimposed to create a three-dimensional composition. Marking its debut as a secret watch, the Frivole piece flaunts a luminous bouquet that delicately pivots to showcase a hidden dial paved with diamonds.

: Frivole Secrète watch, yellow gold, diamonds, quartz movement

: Frivole Secrète watch, yellow gold, diamonds, quartz movement

The second Frivole secret watch manifests in a bracelet-watch, rendered in white gold and paved with diamonds. Here, delicately-pivoting corollas similarly conceal a diamond-paved dial that reflects the passing of time. Boasting the Maison’s famed transformable design, the precious bouquet can multitask as a pendant and worn on a chain, or mounted on a jewellery structure as a clip.

: Frivole Secrète watch, white gold, diamonds, quartz movement

: Frivole Secrète watch, white gold, diamonds, quartz movement

Ludo Secret

At SIHH last year, Van Cleef & Arpels revisited one of its earliest sources of inspiration since being founded in Place Vendôme in 1906: couture. Replicated into the Ludo bracelet and subsequently, Ludo secret watch, the Ludo straddles High Jewelry and Watchmaking.

An emblematic Maison creation that became an instant hit after it was created in the 1934, it incidentally (and interestingly) bears the nickname of co-founder Louis Arpels.

Forwarding to 2020, the Maison launched the Ludo Secret range of five watches, segregated in two different styles. The set is now staged for the Maison’s resplendent golds and gemstones to light up the first Ludo series, starting with its trademark ruby or sapphire studding the hexagonal links of the belt-shaped flexible mesh, punctuated by a jewel-encrusted motif in lieu of the buckle.

Encapsulating three secret watches—each imbued with a captivating symmetrical rose motif, the design flaunts a luminous interplay of material and colour combinations. Think rose and yellow gold partnered with a myriad of gemstones from rubies and coral to chrysoprase, emeralds and sapphires, and lapis lazuli and blue and pink sapphires. The petals of the precious bloom come alive, depicted by gems of different sizes blossoming around a generous hard stone cabochon, circled with diamonds.

: Ludo Secret watch, yellow gold, blue and pink sapphires, lapis lazuli, white mother-of-pearl, diamonds, quartz movement

: Ludo Secret watch, yellow gold, blue and pink sapphires, lapis lazuli, white mother-of-pearl, diamonds, quartz movement

Again, the Ludo Secret watches are transformable; it can be worn sans the glimmering dial, replaced on the bracelet by a hexagonal mesh buckle set with precious stones. The bejewelled rose can also be detached and converted into a clip or a pendant to accessorise a long chain.

It goes without saying that the wonder of a secret watch and its hidden treasures are evergreen, everlasting and ever beautiful.

Visit vancleefarpels.com to find out more.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

Watches and Wonders 2022 Day 2 Highlights

It’s day 2 of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022, and we go beyond mind-blowing today. Patek Philippe was so astonishing we had to take a second appointment, but that’s for later. We begin not with a watch but with extraordinary objects. That means Van Cleef & Arpels, and a time for magic, if not the time down to the precise second. The art and craft of watchmaking enables automatons such as the Fontaine Aux Oiseaux and the Reveries de Berylline, and of course the Planetarium Automaton. That last one is a massive work that scales the much-loved Midnight Planetarium up (to the tune of half a metre, no less).

When you see something like the Fontaine Aux Oiseaux, your faith in humanity will be restored. Words can’t capture what this creation means but we’ll link a video below. In fact, there are videos for all three automatons but you’ll be no wiser for watching them. On the other hand, you might feel better about the world we live in, and that’s no small feat. But that’s for another time, because now we do have to look at a few wristwatches. Like the Van Cleef & Arpels creations — including the Lady Arpels Heures Floral, which is much more than it appears to be — the other watches we looked at today are simply inspirational.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Van Cleef & Arpels (@vancleefarpels)

READ MORE: Watches and Wonders 2022 Day 1 Highlights

The watchmaking prowess of Chanel has achieved new heights with the J12 Diamond Tourbillon Calibre 5. While Chanel has flying Tourbillons in its collection, it now has one made completely in-house. The watch deserves a better introduction and we will try to do it justice later. It has specific particularities that make it entirely a Chanel beauty, albeit a complicated one. An interesting side note here is the matte ceramic in use, which appears both technically impressive and aesthetically promising to our eyes.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial)

The wow-factor journey does not end there because we must discuss the Cartier Masse Mysterieuse, which Hodinkee’s Jack Forster calls wondrously strange. First of all, it is a mystery watch that shows all its tricks but conceals how it works. The entire movement is contained inside the oscillating mass, otherwise known as the rotor, and seems to be disconnected from the hands entirely. To understand this watch, you have to go back in time to 2011, and the magnificent Astroregulateur. I am particularly tickled here because I caught this origin when the Cartier presenter did not. Well, I am sometimes unintelligible so there is that…

READ MORE: Watches & Wonders 2022: Rolex Launches New Models

Completely intelligible is the Patek Philippe Ref. 5326G, a watch with something like eight patents hiding beneath the dial. It is an annual calendar with dual time zone function, but that explanation certainly does nothing for the wow factor. Okay, what makes this amazing is that it is virtually impossible to desynchronise the indications, whether you move the hands backwards or forwards. The main time setting function is accomplished with just one crown, although there are pushers for independent adjustment; we do not know why you would need them. Well, we kind of do know why but we want to run it by Patek Philippe again before we spill it.

We’ll close with a fourth wall break. These kinds of stories are written on the fly, often in little 15 minute breaks on a phone, without so much as a press release to inform them. We do our best to refine them and check them, but there is a price to be paid for speed. We shall certainly return to some of the watches noted here in the weeks and months to come.

For more watch reads, click here.

Van Cleef & Arpels opens “Poetry of Time” exhibition in Singapore

From February 12 to 20, Van Cleef & Arpels will bring its ‘Poetry of Time’ event to Marina Bay Sands’ Expo Hall B. We take a look at four major themes that have shaped the world of Van Cleef & Arpels since 1906, referencing pieces that will be on display at the exhibition — read on to discover the creations, and to find out how to visit the exhibition.

Love stories, modern and mythical

Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels were said to have shared one of those legendary romances – the sort that has inspired sonnets and plays throughout time. It’s little wonder that so much of the Maison’s has been informed by love stories: Take the Aïda & Radamès secret watch, for example. Inspired by Aida – a famous opera that has been sung over a thousand times since its premiere in 1871 – this fascinating piece of high jewellery belies the legend of the tragic romance between an Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian commander.

The watch is wrought of diamonds, mirror-polished gold and a deluge of blue sapphires, turquoise and lapis lazuli – echoing the warm sands of Egypt, and the famed Nile. The watch’s crowning jewel, a 5.93 ct Madagascan sapphire, hides a sliding dial adorned with fine stone marquetry – a subtle nod to the lovers’ secret romance.

Enchanting fairies, ethereal ballerinas

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Van Cleef & Arpels (@vancleefarpels)

Louis Arpels – one of the House’s original co-founders – was famed for his love of ballet. He would often bring his nephew and future scion Claude to performances at the Paris Opera. Later, Claude would continue his uncle’s legacy by collaborating with George Balanchine to create Jewels, a three-act ballet that premiered at the New York State Theatre in 1967.

Fairies, likewise, hold the same sort of ethereal fascination for Van Cleef & Arpels – as seen in the diaphanous Lady Féerie watch. But delicate muses do not preclude extraordinary technological additions: In 2021, the Lady Féerie watch won the Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, a ceremony that many have called the “Oscars of watchmaking.” The diamond-studded fairy uses her wand to indicate the minutes, thanks to a retrograde movement developed exclusively for the brand, while a window of mother-of-pearl indicates the passing hours.

Messages from the stars

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Van Cleef & Arpels (@vancleefarpels)

In 2019, the Maison introduced the Lady Arpels Zodiaque Lumineux watches, the feminine counterpart to an existing collection – inspired by the 12 signs of the Western zodiac – for men. Like the original collection for men, the Lady Arpels Zodiaque Lumineux watches utilise a special light-on- demand module that allows electrical energy to be generated mechanically: At the press of a button, the translucent enamel beads on the watch face illuminate, lighting up the corresponding constellation.

These symbolic figures are adorned with precious stones and enamel, using shades that correspond to each sign’s element: Water signs, like Pisces, are glided with blue sapphires and translucent blue enamel beads, while fire signs like Aries are given stones like yellow sapphires and spessartite garnets.

Of flora and fauna

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Van Cleef & Arpels (@vancleefarpels)

It’s not just the beauty of nature that Van Cleef & Arpels is enthralled by – it is the constant state of metamorphoses of both flora and fauna that they admire, and aim to encapsulate. See the wondrously complex Dahlia secrète watch, where dozens of corollas in yellow gold and diamonds wrap ensconce a central diamond; the high jewellery watch required over 1,000 hours of work to complete. A system of subtle articulations give movement to each individual petal when touched, giving the watch the illusion of being a live, quivering flower.

Visit this link to book your visit to The Poetry of Time.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

Van Cleef & Arpels timepieces set the Garden Of Wings alight

Over the years, Van Cleef & Arpels has been inspired by the ethereal quality of butterflies and fairies as illustrated by its Poetry Of Time artistry.

At the 2017 edition of Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, this mesmerising theme crystallised in the Maison’s Lady Arpels Papillon Automate watch from the Enchanting Nature™ line, with a 40 mm white gold case and diamonds in serti-neige setting.

Fitted with an ultra-sophisticated automaton module, the watch’s dial depicts a lush pastoral landscape where the passage of time unfolds to the spontaneous flutter of a butterfly’s wings synced to the movements of the watch’s wearer. The scene—beautifully rendered in relief with a multi-layered background using a myriad of traditional crafts and decorative techniques from the maison’s Meyrin watchmaking workshops—can also be triggered on demand at the push of a button.

Another Poetic Complications timepiece from the maison’s treasure trove is the Lady Nuit des Papillons watch—illustrated by a spectrum of shades evolving across the day to evoke time’s fleeting nature. A more diminutive 33 mm case with a rotating dial in white gold sets the scene in dark to light blue with the chromatic sparkle of diamonds and sapphires.

: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Nuit des Papillons

: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Nuit des Papillons

Meanwhile, Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire watch, from the Extraordinary Dials family, is yet another rendition of Van Cleef & Arpels’ butterfly emblem and motif, this time, enlivened by a springtime palette of shimmering hues as natures awakes. The 38mm white gold case boasts an engraved white mother-of-pearl dial decorated with techniques including gemstone sculpture and marquetry, enamelling, and stone setting with stones such as lapis lazuli and diamonds.

: Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire

: Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire savoir-faire

: Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire savoir-faire

: Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire savoir-faire

The final Poetic Complications timepiece here hails from maison’s most cherished traditions of precious ballerina and fairy clips—its first feminine figures created in the early 1940s. Here, on the Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée watch, a sculpted white gold ballerina, embellished with diamonds, white gold tutu and champlevé enamel, holds court on a guilloché purple enamel dial which sits atop a 40 mm white gold case.

Eliciting joyous splendour, the dancer transforms into a delicate butterfly, soaring gracefully with two openwork wings as the frills of her tutu arise.

: Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée

: Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée savoir-faire

: Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée savoir-faire

: Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée savoir-faire

Like a guardian of the maison’s poetic view of life, filled with dreams and emotions, this creation epitomises the art of watchmaking with an inventive and fantastical tableau, as the other three timepieces also reflect. They not only juxtapose technical innovation and masterful craftsmanship, but invite us to imagine, wonder and celebrate—certainly what we all need more of right now.

Visit vancleefarpels.com to find out more.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

Ballerine Musicale Delight

Some watches are hands-down amazing, and this trio of wonders falls into that category. Indeed, “amazing” is not a formal or informal category of timepieces but if it were, the Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale would be the apotheosis. We also love that it gives us a chance to bandy that lovely word around. Essentially, there are three versions of this watch that are distinguished not only by aesthetics but also mechanical execution and components. All three variants have the same functions, right down to the retrograde hour-and-minute indicator, the animation visible via the window on the dial, and the music that accompanies said animation. However, the music and the visuals are different in each of the three watches. Of course, this business about having different music means that each model is mechanically distinct too.

Now, we have to say that the model is very large and thick for what it is. The diameter of 44.5mm and thickness of 14.45mm makes some sports watches look downright diminutive; it is also in white gold, which gives it quite a bit of heft though not as much as a steel dive watch with a steel bracelet. As evidenced by the name of the piece, this is not a high-end stab at the unisex watch, but we will be bold here and say that it is perfectly suitable for men and for women. The word “Lady” in the name will put many men off, but if you are lucky and savvy enough to acquire this watch then you might find your partner covetting it.

Having seen, felt and heard these watches, I can report that it would not be out of play on the wrist of a commodities mogul or perhaps a Russian oligarch. In previous years, I would have said that those Vendome lugs rule this out entirely for men, but I fall back on my own words in our unisex watch feature: a fine watchmaking piece like this is for anyone with the stones to carry it off. Oh yes, there are stones aplenty on all three watches, but the true pleasure here is for both the eye and the ear.

Robust Music

If you know anything about chiming watches, you know the case needs to be beefy, but only to a point. Not a few repeaters for ladies have clocked in at a svelte sub-36mm diameter after all. Indeed, a number of chiming watches for men have stayed very classical by not going above 40mm. So why does this watch need its ambitious proportions? Well, the animation is a vital clue because it showcases a three-act ballet that is perfectly synched with the accompanying music. If the independent mainspring powering this section runs out of steam midstream, the animation freezes. That means that the disc showing the ballerinas simply stops. As you might imagine, this implies that the mobile display section is tied directly to the system that makes the music work. The watchmakers decided it would be more elegant to synchronize all the action, even though it is more difficult to execute.

To get into the musical elements a bit, there are two instruments in each watch. One part is made up of four carillon gongs, with four hammers. The other part is the music box, which is a 10-blade keyboard with pins on the underside of the rotating disc that holds the ballerinas aloft. As noted previously, it is powered by its own mainspring, and one winding can play a tune three times in a row, if so desired. As for the music itself, there are three: Pelléas et Mélisande, Op. 80 by Gabriel Fauré (the green or Emeralds version of the watch), Capriccio for piano and orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (the red or Rubies version) and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 (the blue or Diamonds version). Swiss classical concert musician Michel Tirabosco modified the arrangements for the watches. Now, despite the naming convention here, the gems used are all diamonds, except for one of the appropriate type on the crown at 2 o’clock.

It might be surprising to note that all three Ballerine Musicale models are water-resistant to 30 meters, and boast a healthy power reserve of 52 hours. This means that you could actually wear the watch frequently, and need not fuss too much over it. The watch does have a total of 7.92 carats worth of brilliant-cut diamonds on the case, covering everything right down to the lugs (except the display areas), so you will be fussing over it. At this level of watchmaking, the sturdiness is somewhat unusual, and serves as a counterpoint to various other issues, which we will now turn to.

Winning Class

It must be said that watch cognoscenti around the world have agreed that the Ballerine Musicale is altogether too much watch, so to speak. The consensus is that it is a challenge for the typical wrist, and might even be too domineering for a not insignificant number of men. It is, reportedly, the largest case Van Cleef & Arpels have ever produced. Having said that, there is a reason this watch was amongst the favourites at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Geneve (GPHG), where it was nominated in the Ladies Category. Most observers are quite content to blow past the dimensions of the watch, to say nothing of its utility (It did not win in the end but that is neither here nor there, because another Van Cleef & Arpels watch got the gold – Ed).

That brings us to a few short sentences about the retrograde time indication. Occupying a thin curved window from 10 to 2 o’clock, this is a combined hour and minute display that approximates the hour down to the quarters. This is a charmingly old-timey interpretation, harkening back to the days when timekeepers were too unsteady to keep track of the precise minute. Precision timekeeping is not what this watch is about, and we doubt very much that anyone would have that expectation of it.

Bearing this in mind, the lion’s share of the display is given over to the little stage at 6 o’clock where the five ballerinas present little three-act stories. In each version, the action and the ballerinas are different, and the length of the music is also different. The stage, drapes and ballerinas are all hand-painted to suit the motif of each version, with hand-engraving also gracing those drapes. The caseback is also engraved, featuring a bas-relief of a ballerina in front of the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique on 5th Avenue, New York City. Wherever you look, or touch this watch, you will not fail to encounter some element of the magnificent hand-craftsmanship that traditional watchmaking and jewellery-making are famed for.

By Ashok Soman

Van Cleef & Arpels Steals The Show At The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2020

Van Cleef & Arpels’ Frivole Secrète watch

Combining unparalleled craftsmanship, technical prowess & innovation in all its creations, French luxury jewellery, watch, and perfume company Van Cleef & Arpels stole the show at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2020 on Thursday, November 12^th. Honoured for its immaculate creation of the Frivole Secrète watch, Van Cleef & Arpels has effortlessly and unsurprisingly snatched first place, receiving the prestigious Jewellery Watch Prize.

Van Cleef & Arpels Steals The Show At The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2020

Assembling the Frivole Secrète watch’s dial and secret mechanism

Established for the purpose of highlighting, promoting and rewarding the most remarkable contemporary creations in watchmaking worldwide, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is overseen by the Canton and City of Geneva, whom are represented by the Foundation Board chairman Raymond Loretan.

Frivole Secrète watch

Playing an unique unifying role through staged competitions involving several hundreds of watches marketed during the year and attributing the highest awards in this domain, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève draws a multitude of elite representatives of the international watchmaking profession in honour of the finest creations and stakeholders who breathe vitality and creativity into the watchmaking world with a series of twenty prizes including the “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix (Best in Show) distinction.

Claiming an award which is reserved for “watches demonstrating exceptional mastery of the art of jewellery and gemsetting” , the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Frivole Secrète watch is characterised by a dial paved with diamonds hidden under mirror- polished gold corollas which illuminate the skin with a precious gleam. As one of many offerings available in the Frivole jewellery collection, this watch expresses a three-dimensional composition through superimposed heart-shaped petals, and intricate mirror-polishing techniques which accentuate the eye-catching presence of each precious metal.

Pad polishing of the Frivole Secrète watch

Enthralled by nature’s metamorphoses, reinterpreting the beauty of the plant world through changing eras and artistic movements, Van Cleef & Arpels upholds an unparalleled standard, through maintaining a tradition of meticulously selecting each stone and strategically positioning the pivoting motif in ways which meet the strictest criteria: D to F for colour and IF to VVS for clarity.

By Julia Roxan

Van Cleef & Arpels reminisces Jacqueline Kennedy’s impeccable style with new earrings

After a delay of five months due to the ongoing crisis, the latest exhibition from Van Cleef & Arpels in partnership with the Museum of Natural History in Paris, titled “Pierres Précieuses” or “Precious Stones”, is finally set to open this September in the French capital. Spotlighting the intersection between earth science, mineralogy and bijoux (mother nature has long held a fascination for Van Cleef & Arpels), the showcase will display over 300 treasures from the luxury house’s extensive archive, a number of which also serve as the afflatus behind the Maison’s brand new haute joaillerie series, simply dubbed “Homage to High Jewellery in Place Vendôme”.

The small but significant collection harks back several decades in Van Cleef & Arpels’ illustrious history, breathing fresh life into a trio of prized heritage pieces once owned by three very influential (and very stylish) women. To wit, Marlene Dietrich’s ruby Jarretière cuff bracelet, immortalised on screen in Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright; Princess Faiza of Egypt’s extravagant emerald and platinum collaret; and the floral diamond and ruby cabochon earrings bestowed upon Jacqueline Kennedy by shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis on the occasion of their wedding in 1968.

Van Cleef & Arpels Tendresse Étincelante earrings

No Ordinary Love: Van Cleef & Arpels Love Stories

A spectacular ode to love and romance — the singular tour de force that is the watchmaking universe of Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates love in all its realms and levels of passion and intensity. Embodied ever so magnificently by the Maison’s iconic pillars of horology: the Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux wristwatch, Extraordinary Dials collection and High Jewelry watches, a fresh vision of love is created through the luxury brand’s exceptional art of watchmaking.

Layered with delicate dimensions elicited from dreams, emotions, creativity and fantasy, Van Cleef’s Poetry of Time invites you on a lyrical journey that sparks joy, wonder and exhilaration at every turn conjured by its inspirations and heritage.

SEASONS OF LOVE – LADY ARPELS PONT DES AMOUREUX JOUR COLLECTION

Who can resist the charm of Van Cleef’s signature Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux, created nine years ago and now a permanent collection, depicting two lovers united by a kiss at the stroke of midnight as they stand on a bridge over the Seine, bathed in the nocturnal glow of moonlight? This new chapter sees the amorous pair on the following day, so to speak, having a rendezvous on a bridge and sharing a kiss at midday, enveloped by the radiance of daylight amidst the soft hues of city squares and swallows among the clouds.

To power these romantic scenes on the watch dial is an exclusively developed self-winding mechanical movement fitted with a retrograde module, endowed with 36-hour power reserve. Adding to the new Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux collection is a delightful animation-on-demand module to activate the kiss at the press of a button.

Similar to the inaugural collection, the dials of the latest Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Jour timepieces are also created using the 16th century grisaille enamel technique but with colours employed for the first time in pink and blue enamels, taking 30 to 40 hours and ten or so firing stages for each dial. Rose gold and diamonds are used to further enhance the sparkle of the dreamy dials sitting atop 38 mm diameter rose gold cases, alongside an added scene of the couple reuniting on the case back, and Interchangeable bracelets in alligator or diamond pave.

Elevating the Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Jour collection even more is the creation of four new jewellery watches showcasing the lovers in relief as they meet once again on the bridge during the four seasons. Each of the four dials is differentiated by the landscape’s shifting details and colours, and also by the lovers’ apparel to befit each season.

Here, besides the coloured grisaille enamel technique, miniature enamel painting is used together with the evocation of nature’s motifs carved in gold and painted by hand. For a perfectly elegant finish, the bracelets—rose gold for the Printemps, white gold for Été and Hiver, and yellow gold for Automne—of these four watches come bejewelled, fully set with diamonds and coloured stones.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.