The Eveil du Cyclamen automaton was awarded the Mechanical Clock prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2023. Associating the reading of the time on the base with an enchanting show, the creation offers a double spectacle.

About 30cm tall, this object – created in partnership with the François Junod workshop – displays the opening of a flower revealing a butterfly inside. Its body is made of a white gold structure adorned with turquoise and diamonds and whose eyes are suggested by two emeralds.

The latter’s takeoff required hours of research and experiments: its wings 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. Crystalline music, specifically composed for this automaton, accompanies this scene at the opening and closing of the flower.

The Ludo Secret Emeralds Mystery Set creation was also awarded a prize in the Jewelry category.

Created in 1934, the Ludo Secret creations celebrate the timeless elegance of one of Van Cleef & Arpels' great signatures: the Ludo bracelet. Shaped like a belt – the fashion accessory for any daring woman in the 1930s – the Ludo pieces have enjoyed widespread popularity since their release.

The dial of this watch is hidden behind a motif adorned with Mystery Set emeralds, remarkable for its intense color effect and the complexity of its realization. This technique, requiring an extremely high level of precision and skill, consists of using golden rails to hold up precious gems carefully paired for color and meticulously cut for the creations. Once in position, the stones fit entirely over the setting, lending the surface a velvety brilliance.

The level of technical expertise required to execute the Mystery Set is such that only a few lapidaries and master jewelers hold the secret.

The Ludo Secret creation in rose gold was also awarded in the ladies' watch category.

Created in 1934, this collection pays tribute to the world of couture, a source of inspiration dear to the Maison. The bracelet evokes the shape of a belt, using a flexible brick-pattern meshwork. Like a finely woven fabric, the mesh links are carefully assembled by hand, one by one, to deliver optimal articulation and flexibility.

To compose these gemstone ensembles, the Maison’s gemologists gathered their expertise to pair diamonds of similar brilliance and pink sapphires of harmonious intensity. In the tradition of secret watches so dear to Van Cleef & Arpels, this creation reveal its dial in guilloché white mother-of-pearl at the simultaneous press of the two motifs in pink sapphires.

The Lady Duo de Lions creation received the Artistic Crafts prize.

The piece draws on two of the Maison's beloved sources of inspiration, love and nature, featuring a couple of lions at sunrise. Warmed by the sun's rays, the animals rest peacefully on the shore of a mountain inspired by Tanzania's Kilimanjaro.

Several emblematic techniques are brought together to give life to this piece of great complexity. Painting details on white mother-of-pearl gives a realistic aspect to the clouds, while gold engraving lends a depth effect to the dial, giving the impression that the lions in volume stand out from it. A parterre set with diamonds and pink sapphires illuminates the scene. The combined craftsmanship and mastery of Van Cleef & Arpels' watchmaking workshops transcribe the wonders of nature onto the timepiece, like an invitation to dream.