It all begins with the first buds unfurling. Over the course of a single day, some flowers bloom while others gently close, each following its own natural rhythm. As early as the mid-eighteenth century, the botanist Carl von Linné observed this phenomenon and imagined a floral clock, where time would be revealed through the opening and closing of different plant species, arranged like the segments of a dial. Poetic, isn’t it?
Though this floral clock was never truly realized, its concept went on to inspire Van Cleef & Arpels in the creation of the Lady Arpels Heures Florales.
On the dial, twelve corollas awaken to mark the passing hours. They open and close in turn, never forming quite the same bouquet, like a landscape in constant evolution.
The magic of this spectacle lies in the delicate balance between mechanical sophistication and apparent lightness. Beneath this living garden, a module developed in the Geneva watchmaking workshops of Van Cleef & Arpels orchestrates the choreography of the corollas, whose opening reveals an ever-changing expression of time. From one hour to the next, from one day to another, the same flowers never bloom to indicate the hour—lending the piece its natural, almost organic character.
This impression is heightened by the décor itself, a true jeweled garden flourishing at the heart of the case: petals rendered in miniature painting, branches sculpted in gold, finely worked mother-of-pearl, and diamonds set with exquisite precision. Meanwhile, the minutes are discreetly displayed along the side of the case.
Once the garden is in full bloom, what could be more natural than the arrival of butterflies? With the Lady Lucky Spring Butterfly, Van Cleef & Arpels gracefully extends this springtime tableau.
Set against a deep blue dial, adorned with sculpted plum blossoms, a butterfly advances with the passing minutes before returning to its point of origin at the start of each new hour.
The presence of the butterfly is no coincidence. It is deeply rooted in the history of Van Cleef & Arpels, which embraced it as one of its signature motifs as early as 1906. For over a century, its delicate silhouette has graced the Maison’s creations, from jewelry to watchmaking, appearing sometimes in a naturalistic form, sometimes in a more stylized interpretation.
With Lucky Spring, it continues a narrative dear to the Maison: that of luck inspired by nature. Echoing the four-leaf clover behind the iconic Alhambra motif, the butterfly emerges here as another harbinger of happiness, lighter, more elusive, like luck itself, first blossoming in the meadows before taking flight.
From one creation to the next, Van Cleef & Arpels composes a true springtime tableau. Flowers unfold, butterflies take flight, and time itself seems to come alive.
This poetic vision finds its most spectacular expression in the Maison’s rare automata, such as the Apparition des Baies. Here, a bouquet of lacquered leaves opens to reveal a precious bird, spreading its wings before retreating once more into its shelter. A butterfly lingers over the scene, while the hours are discreetly indicated on a rotating ring.
Some stories, however, are best told in motion.
