Watches & Wonders 2023, Jewels that tell time with Van Cleef & Arpels
For the 2023 Watches and Wonders salon, Van Cleef & Arpels showcased its entire expertise in a unique vision of timekeeping.
The Maison enriched its long-standing history of 'jewels that tell time' with new creations that blend jewellery and watchmaking traditions. The Perlée and Alhambra collections presented new combinations of meticulously selected gems in their jewellery watches. The skill of the Maison’s workshops was further exhibited in the À Cheval High Jewelry timepieces and the Ludo Secret watches.
The Ludo Secret timepieces continued the Secret Watch tradition by welcoming two new additions inspired by an archival House creation from 1943. These elegant and inventive pieces cleverly hide their dial, allowing the wearer to tell time discreetly, making every second a secret. The collection was rounded off with a one-of-a-kind Ludo Secret Watch featuring emerald Mystery Setting, a technique patented by the Maison in 1933.
The Ludo Secret timepieces continued the Secret Watch tradition by welcoming two new additions inspired by an archival House creation from 1943. These elegant and inventive pieces cleverly hide their dial, allowing the wearer to tell time discreetly, making every second a secret. The collection was rounded off with a one-of-a-kind Ludo Secret Watch featuring emerald Mystery Setting, a technique patented by the Maison in 1933.
Embodying the intersection of traditional craft skills and technical expertise that distinguishes the Maison’s Watchmaking Workshops in Geneva, the Lady Féerie watch manifests Van Cleef & Arpels’ unique Poetry of Time. Since the 1940s, Van Cleef & Arpels has celebrated the beauty of fairies through enchanting creations, and the Maison offered a new take on its Lady Féerie watch, reinvented in harmonious shades of pink made possible by different enamel shades and miniature painting.
Finally, three new Extraordinary Objects completed this deep exploration of rare skills, combining craftsmanship with a quest for motion to enchant the passing hours. Alongside the Automaton Planetarium, the Maison partnered with the Francois Junod workshop to create two new unique creations inspired by nature. This cherished theme of the Maison is brought to life in two automata - Floraison du Nénuphar and Éveil du Cyclamen - which combine the reading of time on the base with a spellbinding spectacle.
Finally, three new Extraordinary Objects completed this deep exploration of rare skills, combining craftsmanship with a quest for motion to enchant the passing hours. Alongside the Automaton Planetarium, the Maison partnered with the Francois Junod workshop to create two new unique creations inspired by nature. This cherished theme of the Maison is brought to life in two automata - Floraison du Nénuphar and Éveil du Cyclamen - which combine the reading of time on the base with a spellbinding spectacle.
