Roberta Naas
In my Jewels of Time book, published last year, I wrote extensively about women's watches and the amazing creativity that watch brands are bringing to the forefront for the discerning woman of today. I was before my time (something I tend to be) – as this year is truly the year for Women's watches (as evidenced at the recent SIHH). In the days and weeks to come, we will cover many of the exciting unveilings at SIHH that should take you by storm.
One of the more alluring collections comes from Van Cleef & Arpels – a brand that has created the finest jewelry (and now watches) in history. By applying the creative verve of its jewelry designs to timepieces, and by embracing some of the most cutting-edge watch technology, Van Cleef & Arpels regularly offers poetry for the wrist. Such is the case with the newest Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantee watch. This watch features a translucent and champlevé enamel ballerina on the alluring guilloche dial who – with the touch of a slide on the case side – morphs into a butterfly to display the time. Her tutu – created in sculpted gold — rises first on the left side of the ballerina forming a butterfly wing and pointing to the hour, and then on the right side, again forming a butterfly wing pointing to the minutes. The wings then descend back down into a tutu thanks to a double retrograde movement.
Also new from this Maison is the Lady Arpels Papillon Extraordinaire watch, which deftly combines stone marquetry in lapis lazuli and mother of pearl as the background and outline of an enamel butterfly in the center. Fairies and butterflies continue to be an on-going theme (as they have for more than six decades for this brand) throughout the rest of the exciting collections, including its Charms series, unveiled this year. These are watches that women will want.
