The Floraison du Nénuphar automaton fits in a series of pieces inspired by nature and introduced by the Maison in 2022. This new creation displays the opening of a flower on demand, revealing a butterfly inside. 

Enchanting scene

Accompanied by crystalline music, a butterfly rises above a dome of yellow gold set with yellow sapphires of two shades, spessartite garnets and diamonds that gleam like the sun from the center of a delicate corolla.

On a white gold structure adorned with turquoise and diamonds, its wings of plique-à-jour enamel move realistically, batting a few seconds at a time for a natural rhythm. The butterfly then returns to its place at the center of the flower, which simultaneously and gently closes all its petals.

A lily pad and stem appears, drawing the eye toward a lacquered rose gold flower bud.

    Floraison du Nénuphar automaton. Extraordinary Objects collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
The waterlily flower
Positioning a spessartite garnet on a golden stem. Extraordinary Objects collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Setting a spessartite garnet on a golden stem. Extraordinary Objects collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Assembling the pistil, heart of the water lily. Extraordinary Objects, Van Cleef & Arpels.

The fully sculpted base of the Floraison du Nénuphar automaton is made of two pieces of griotte marble and a shattuckite bowl – a material composed of copper silicates with tones ranging from blue to green. These materials, chosen with care by the Maison’s gemologists, were minutely cut and polished to bring out their unique character and verve.

To complete the creation, a white-gold fairy set with three shades of blue sapphires graces the base of the object, where a rotating ring tells the hours.