When Van Cleef & Arpel launched Perlée in 2008, the gold-bead themed jewellery collection was an instant classic, captivating fans both old and new. House aficionados recognised the highly-polished, spherical forms from Van Cleef & Arpels’s midcentury collections, such as Couscous or Bagatelle, or even the delightful la Boutique animal clips from 1954 and beyond, where the likes of charming lambs came to life via tactile and articulated gold beads. New buyers, meanwhile, flocked to the range of Perlée necklaces, bracelets and earrings, seduced by the sensual, gleaming round forms that felt at once modern yet traditional. That mix of old and new is deliberate. “The roundness of the gold beads bring a true sense of modernity to the collection, heightened by the shimmer of the polish gold,” says the house about Perlée.
This year, Perlée continues to evolve with new designs themed around vibrant coloured stones, and more notably, five new timepieces that draw on Perlée’s crowning attributes: fluidity, playfulness, elegance and femininity – and of course modern classicism. All in yellow gold – four of which are a darling 23mm in size and another in 30mm – the designs feature a bezel in a double row of gold beads, for extra glow to that unmistakable mirror-polished finish, and a wonderful play of light that’s further complemented by a gold sunray guilloché dial. The aesthetics are echoed mechanically, too: rather than a traditional crown, a push-button at the back of the case sets the time, ensuring a continuous line of gold beads encircling the watch. The timepieces are paired with interchangeable gros-grain fabric bracelets in chic hues of white, pansy blue or black, but it’s the yellow gold-bead bracelet that will be most coveted, not least for its supple, second-skin like flexibility and finish.
Secret watches are a mainstay at Van Cleef & Arpels, and Perlée also welcomes three new models, which bring a colourful and graphic, retro Sixties vibe to the line, thanks to a 360-degree swinging, secret watch mechanism. In the toi et moi motif, Van Cleef’s knack for pairing delectability with sophistication truly shines through. Warm red carnelian is juxtaposed by black pietersite, a stone that’s new to Perlée this year, its multiple mineral striations adding depth and emotion. Eye-popping, ambrosial-like turquoise punctuate the other two watches, one joined by classic diamonds and yellow gold, another offset by sustainable coral in mood-busting orange. The secret watches are set on a gorgeous gold-bead bracelet, its design a masterclass in jewellery and watchmaking cross-pollination: the bracelets are made in the maison’s French workshops; the dial and movements assembled in its watchmaking ateliers in Geneva.
For watch geeks, Van Cleef & Arpels is synonymous with complex yet poetic complications that delight and surprise - especially this year and the incredible automatons and animated watches that were shown at Watches & Wonders. The new Perlée watches – sensual, joyful, refined and though-and-through gems – further remind us that Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery-making savoir-faire is as strong, clear and distinctive as its watchmaking identity.
