Jewels that tell time

At the crossroads of Watchmaking and High Jewelry, Van Cleef & Arpels continues to explore its creative universe with jewels that tell the time and reveals a new facet of its poetic vision of time.

A precious dance

 

 

Van Cleef & Arpels highlights the signature aesthetic of the Perlée collection through timepiece variations. Marrying gentle curves with subtle details, watchmaking savoir-faire with jewelry making inspiration, the creations offer a contemporary take on jewelry that tells time.

The Perlée Toi & Moi bracelet watches bring together two different-sized motifs on an open bezel. In a luminous harmony; the larger motif delicately pivots to reveal an elegant white mother-of-pearl dial surrounded by a border of round diamonds.

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Each stone is chosen for its quality, the harmony of its nuances, and its brightly polished surface

True pieces of jewelry, the curved and colorful pendants are worn on a long necklace. To check the time discreetly, all one must do is rotate the bejeweled motif to reveal the dial.

Time for luck

Since 1968, the Alhambra collection has evolved with the passing eras, while remaining an elegant icon of luck. 

In keeping with the collection’s aesthetic, the pendant watches welcome the notion of a time for oneself, concealed at the heart of the emblematic, four-leafed clover-inspired motifs.

    Alhambra secret pendant watch, 18K yellow gold, diamonds, swiss quartz movement. Alhambra collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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As if set in a precious jewelry case, the motifs are placed within a beaded setting whose structure is carefully crafted by jewelry artisans. These rare pieces offer a blend of savoir-faire that rekindles the art of telling the time.

    Sweet Alhambra watch, 18K yellow gold bezel, guilloché 18K yellow gold dial, 18K yellow gold strap, diamonds, gold mother-of-pearl, swiss quartz movement. Alhambra collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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The diamond creations are elegantly paved using the snow setting technique, which consists in bringing stones of different diameters together to cover as much of the surface as possible. 

Sweet Alhambra watch, rhodium plated 18K white gold, diamonds, swiss quartz movement. Alhambra collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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Sweet Alhambra watch, rhodium plated 18K white gold, diamonds, swiss quartz movement. Alhambra collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.

Avant-garde and timeless

The Cadenas collection whose bold and distinctive aesthetic has stood the test of time. Its timeless design features an angled dial enabling the time to be read discretely, while the straight lines of its case combine harmoniously with the curves of the clasp.

On a dazzling model, white gold combines with diamonds in serti neige style setting to bring brilliance and life to the case, dial and clasp.

    Cadenas watch, rhodium plated 18K white gold, diamonds, swiss quartz movement. Cadenas collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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Its avant-garde design combines the pure straight lines of the case with a rounded clasp to evoke the shape of a padlock, a symbol of attachment.

    Cadenas watch, rhodium plated 18K white gold, diamonds, swiss quartz movement. Cadenas collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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High jewelry watches

True creations of jewelry, while also enchanting timepieces, High Jewelry watches display the passing hours with a timeless sophistication.

Like a surprise, the watches of the Ludo Secret collection continue the tradition of mystery dear to the Maison. By cleverly hiding their dial, these elegant and inventive pieces allow their wearer to tell time with discretion, making every second a secret.

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    Ludo Secret watch, 18K rose gold, pink sapphires, guilloché white mother-of-pearl, Swiss quartz movement. High Jewelry Watches collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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Beginning in the 1920s, the fashion for fluid, slender dresses inspired the Maison to create long pearl necklaces, sometimes adorned with twirling tassels. This aesthetic was revisited in the 1970s, when long necklaces were embellished with brightly colored precious and hard stones, reflecting the style of the period and the fashion for ‘‘cocktail’’ pieces to be worn at receptions. Today, Van Cleef & Arpels perpetuates the charm of both these periods, in colorful long necklaces suffused with movement and femininity.

Adorned with a delicate tassel and a carefully disguised watch, the Pompon secret long necklaces bring new delight to the art of telling the time and illustrate the art of surprise dear to the Maison by numerous wearing possibilities.

Light and spring-like, as a guardian of time, the daisy preserves the hours beneath a heart of yellow sapphires. When raised, the latter reveals a diamond dial that echoes the sparkle of the petals. Their finely arced silhouettes combine a precious touch with the natural appearance of a real flower, burgeoning in the sunlight.

In keeping with the Maison’s tradition of transformable creations, the watch becomes a clip by assuming the central place in foliage of yellow gold, carved using ancestral goldsmith’s techniques.

    Marguerite Secrète watch, rhodium plated 18K white and 18K yellow gold, diamonds, yellow sapphires, Swiss quartz movement. High Jewelry Watches collection, Van Cleef & Arpels.
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The origins and inspirations since 1906

Watchmaking creations appeared in the Van Cleef & Arpels collections from the Maison’s foundation in 1906. The first secret watches, concealing their dial behind a precious motif, reveal the Maison’s desire to offer a discrete jeweled setting to the passing of the hours in the 1920s. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Ludo and Cadenas watches echo the modernist aesthetic while the Couscous watch introduces the golden bead into the Maison’s watchmaking. The 1990s marked the beginning of Alhambra watches. Floral motifs are also making a major comeback in Van Cleef & Arpels’ watchmaking offering. In the 2000s, throughout the collections, the Maison turns its jewelry watches into marvels of creativity and preciousness. Nature, couture, Poetic Astronomy and love stories inspire to Van Cleef & Arpels precious watches offering a delicate and unexpected perception of time.