Throughout the last century, Van Cleef & Arpels have shaped and followed jewelry and watch trends, often in connection with what is going on in the world. Proof of this can now be seen at the current exhibition at the brand’s flagship store at 20 Place Vendôme in Paris, where the Van Cleef & Arpels: Enchanting Time exhibition runs until 1 June 2026.
One of the earliest timepieces in the exhibition is the Chinese Magician, which introduced what was then a technical innovation with its “bras-en-l’air” (“arms in the air”), which displayed a double retrograde movement. This illustrates Van Cleef & Arpels’ vision incorporating Eastern cultures in the 1920s, which was an important direction of the ongoing Art Deco period. Another aspect of the brand’s fingerspitzengefühl were the prizes it received two years prior at the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes in Paris, which was the defining event for the Art Deco style.
Ever since then, the double retrograde movement has been utilized by the Maison, and in relatively recent times (since 2010) has been made immortal through the watch collection Pont des Amoureux, where two lovers meet for a kiss.
Another modernist exclamation mark of the exhibition is the Minaudière, a super-secret watch. I mean, who even came up with the crazy and brilliant idea of putting a watch on a vanity case? And then let’s make it a secret watch with a subtle mechanism in the yellow gold element contrasting with the rest of the case made of Styptor, which is a nickel, silver and pewter alloy patented by the brand in 1932. This model from 1934 had different compartments to perfectly fit the lipstick, the powder and whatever the modern, sophisticated woman needed.
Van Cleef’s love of secret watches can also be seen on the Flowers series from 1940, where three sapphire and diamond forget-me-nots – a positive vision of love – are part of a golden lid hiding a round watch.
The Hawaii jewelry collection, first introduced in 1938, was also very linked with its times. Not only did the growing aviation industry provide access to such remote dream destinations, but the tricolor precious stones on this example from 1950 also embody the patriotic spirit of the 1940s.
Other highlights of the exhibition include the Birds table clock from 1949 in yellow gold and platinum, adorned with rubies, diamonds and emeralds. Yes, the two romantic birds, that may be mistaken for jade at first glance, are actually made of emerald. If you’re a follower of the brand, you’ll be well aware of the fact that lovebirds are part of the rich and poetic motif treasure of the Maison. A recent example of this is the 2022 Fontaine aux Oiseaux automaton.
Van Cleef & Arpels’ retrospective wouldn’t be worth its name without the padlock-evoking Cadenas. This emblematic shape was introduced in 1935 and is one of the brand’s most iconic creations by former Artistic Director Renée-Rachel Puissant, who was the daughter of co-founders Estelle Arpels and Alfred van Cleef.
Last but not least, the PA 1949 is a skeletonized wrist watch from 1979, and it feels logical to include this right now, when skeletonizing and open-worked watches are having a huge revival and development. Whereas today’s examples tend to go in a more clean and modern direction, with this piece Van Cleef is, as always, close to nature with the arabesque-shaped bridges engraved with vegetal motifs.
