Poetry and artistic crafts

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Poetry and artistic crafts - Van Cleef & Arpels
WorldTempus takes you on a journey into the magical and enchanting world of Van Cleef & Arpels.

Telling captivating stories is what Van Cleef & Arpels does best. With collections that are continually updated to reflect contemporary tastes, without losing any of their original spirit, the jeweller and watchmaker continues to prove that being over a hundred is no barrier to keeping up with the times. This year at the SIHH, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled an exceptional automatic watch: the Lady Arpels Papillon Automate. Brice Lechevalier, editor-in-chief of GMT Magazine, tells the story of this amazing piece here. In addition to this stunning creation, the Parisian Maison also introduced a number of jewellery items, each more magnificent than the last. Let’s take a look.

Charms Extraordinaire

The Charms watches, designed in 2008 by the Parisian jeweller’s own artisan watchmakers, are back this year. Van Cleef & Arpels is introducing two new limited editions inspired by nature and fairies, two favourite themes: the Charms Extraordinaire Fée Rose de Nuit and the Charms Extraordinaire Fée Sakura. Each of the dials is a tribute to the brand’s dedication to the artistic drafts, painstakingly worked using techniques including miniature painting, sculpted mother-of-pearl and cabochonné enamel. The bezels are set with glittering precious gems that reflect the colours of the dial. Finally, a good-luck charm swings delicately at the edge of the case, completing these miniature scenes.

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

Jewels that tell the time

Van Cleef & Arpels operates at the crossroads where watchmaking meets high jewellery, continuing the exploration of its creative universe with a number of new jewellery pieces that also tell the time – including two exceptional one-of-a-kind pieces. The Cerf-Volant “sautoir” pendant watch offers an unusual way of telling the time. The pendant itself holds a secret: pressing the ruby cabochon lowers the cover, which reveals a mirror in which the watch dial is reflected. This subtle and elegant mechanism is made possible by an anti-clockwise quartz movement that tells the time with a stunning play of reflections. The Heure Marine wristwatch, which drapes around the wrist, is distinguished by two sugarloaf-cut sapphires that are remarkable for both their intense colour and their flawless crystal structure. The watch face, concealed by a diamond cover, is revealed by simply pressing on the emerald cabochon.

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

 

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

Two new secret watches have also been added to the permanent collection of jewellery watches. The Ruban Secret watches, one clothed in diamonds, the other paved with pink sapphires and diamonds, translate the fluidity of a ribbon that twines gracefully around the wrist. Topped with a glittering bow that moves aside to reveal the watch, they can show or hide the time as desired.  

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

The Cadenas is an icon of Van Cleef & Arpels’ history, and a genuine jewellery watch that locks around the wrist in a potent symbol of emotional attachment. Two new models fitted with quartz movements, in pink gold with a row of princess-cut rubies across the top of the case and clasp, or in white gold snow-set with diamonds with emerald accents, are new to the Cadenas collection.

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

Bouton d’Or watch

In 2016 Van Cleef & Arpels launched the Bouton d’Or. This collection, originally composed exclusively of jewellery pieces, now has a watch to match. Inspired by the “paillette” motif developed by the jeweller in the late 1930s, this timepiece is distinguished by its painstaking work in yellow gold. The many elements require considerable skill to assemble, and the exquisite finish is the result of several different polishing stages, which are particularly critical for the concave and convex surfaces of the sequins. Continuing the interplay of volumes and reflections which is a feature of the collection, the bracelet comprises three rows of concave and convex elements with a round-cut diamond at their centre.

Entre poésie et métiers d’art

 

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Nicolas Bos