How has the Van Cleef & Arpels business changed?
In one sense it hasn't evolved, while in another its transformation continues. The Maison’s identity remains very much the same, rooted in its own sources of inspiration, with a focus on specific skills, an interest in telling the story of our cherished themes that we try to cultivate and renew in a logic of continuity. Our watch business has also grown considerably with the expansion of our collections, which has really pushed us to delve much deeper into skills and sophistication in certain areas. This notably involves all the techniques associated with dials, enamel and engraving as well as miniature painting, at levels that had become inaccessible elsewhere and that we had to internalize. It was a rather pleasant and interesting challenge, because we had to create technical and creative capacities, as well as training and integrating young artisans. In our Meyrin (Geneva) workshops, we thus now have a multi-dimensional platform encompassing forms of expertise relating linked to watch faces – particularly everything that can be represented in the broadest sense on 2D or 3D dials – as well as the development and design of mechanisms for poetic complications. A few years ago, Van Cleef & Arpels was essentially a creative force that was a client of a technical and industrial network; I think the brand has now also become a player in these dimensions.
How do you manage to keep up with the rise in demand?
It entails developing our capabilities in manufacturing, recruitment and training, a process that takes years. We have also emphasized the pooling of skills involved in complicated models, such as automata: some parts are made in our Parisian Haute Joaillerie atelier; others in our Lyon workshop; still others in Meyrin; as well as some at our partners in Sainte-Croix. We are also very committed to education and learning, which we wish to share as effectively as possible, both internally and among our customers as well as the public at large. While one can admire a dial and find it extremely rich, aesthetic or complex, just as with any technical or artistic discipline, it becomes more interesting when it is explained. This could for example mean describing what plique-à-jour means, where cloisonné enamel has been used, why these elements complement each other, how colors are made, why this requires time and talent... These are just some of the exercises on these techniques that had to be taken onboard by the sales teams, in our 150 boutiques, as well as within the communications teams, at head office and in our subsidiaries.
Is this a hindrance or a stimulus to innovation?
What I find wonderful about innovation applied to traditional crafts is the number of iterations – sometimes including little accidents – and of elements one can draw from one field and apply to another. In the case of gemsetting, one might well imagine that everything has long since already been accomplished. We have many examples of jewelry creations that we reinterpret through more watchmaking-related crafts, such as integrating stones directly into enamel. This may involve aesthetic-technical requirements – on very tiny scales – driven by a desire to preserve the integrity of the design by concealing the presence of metal in order to highlight the enamel's color and translucency. Innovation also provides motivation and stimulates healthy emulation within the workshops. This spirit is shared by the teams, who work closely together and challenge each other in various disciplines and dimensions. While the technical solution will not be at all the same, the purpose driving it remains identical. At the end of the day, we always devote technology to serving history.
Which would you say is the most vivid illustration of this philosophy within your new Watches and Wonders creations?
I think the Brise d'été watch really chimes with this idea of poetic complications as we call them, featuring a dimension similar to that of an automaton thanks to the mechanical motion disconnected from the reading of time. I hope that's the sense which emerges, with its blend of mystery and gentle movement: the tall grass in the background over which two butterflies flutter, as well as the light-colored dial evoking a summer meadow. We tried to get as close as possible to the gentleness of a movement initiated by the wind, something whispering through the grass. I don't think anyone immediately thinks about how it's built, where the pivot is, how it's driven. This naturally implies complicated technical developments in order to obtain sufficient power reserve to allocate energy to measuring time and animating the grass, as well as to disengaging the entire set of elements, because it's an on-demand mechanism that the wearer activates via the pusher. This exemplifies our approach to placing the logic of technology at the service of history. There are many things stemming from the spirit of the Mystery Set, even our "supported set" found on our patented new models presented at Watches and Wonders.
This logic has been rewarded several times at the GPHG. Which prize stands out in your mind?
I think the GPHG Ladies' Watch Prize awarded to the Pont des Amoureux in 2010 is especially significant, as confirmed by other international awards. While some thought it incongruous to develop horological complications for ladies' watches, this emblematic timepiece undoubtedly helped create the GPHG Ladies' Complication category in 2013 and first awarded to our Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée, another of our poetic complications. Van Cleef & Arpels initiated a virtuous circle as many brands followed suit, also fueling demand. It's gratifying for the teams because, in our own way, we brought a slightly different viewpoint on how watchmaking could evolve, particularly for women.
Are Geneva and Switzerland important to the brand?
Naturally – and not just because Van Cleef & Arpels' head office is located there. The Geneva boutique is one of the oldest and has given rise to countless stories. It was in Geneva that our watchmaking ascension took shape. Watchmaking is now at the heart of the Maison, not only from an administrative and corporate standpoint, but also in terms of craftsmanship and creativity. Switzerland is a multi-faceted country where we have strong local roots. I think the very discreet and somewhat reserved clientele corresponds quite well to our mindset.
What kind of clientele is interested in Van Cleef & Arpels objects that are increasingly talked about?
The range is very varied! There have been pieces sold in Europe, Asia and the Middle East to customers of very different origins and ages who are major collectors with a keen interest in art objects, mechanical objects or cars. Their quest for excellence drives them to meet every artisan. There are however also lovers of beautiful objects bearing no relation to any particular collection and who have been won over by the poetry of movement. Each time, this leads to very different discussions and very personal motivations, all driven by emotion. It’s the stuff of dreams.
