Editor's Picks
Once Upon A Time: How Van Cleef & Arpels Builds A Story Before The Watch
Editor's Picks
Once Upon A Time: How Van Cleef & Arpels Builds A Story Before The Watch
A Galaxy Far, Far Away
The meaning of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Poetic Astronomy narrative was apparent all at once on the Midnight Planétarium. Six tiny orbs of precious stones that mimicked the actual movement of six planets circled around the sun: Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mercury would orbit around the dial in 88 days, Venus, in 224 days, and most impressively, it would take Saturn 29 years to make a full rotation around the dial. The magic of the universe, brought to life in a precious setting, secured around the wrist. It was one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most complicated wristwatches at the time, and the work of expert astronomical horologer, Christiaan Van Der Klaauw, who has dedicated his life’s work to the making of astronomical complications.
The Poets of Time
All of Van Cleef & Arpels’ watches first begin as a story, be it a story of the heaven and stars, the story of lovers, or the story of fairies. To build a narrative first before getting down to the nitty-gritty of building a watch, is an inverted approach that is uniquely Van Cleef & Arpels, and it collaborates with the best in the industry to help bring its vision to reality. Dutch clockmaker Van Der Klaauw is one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ partners. The other is Agenhor, whose owner, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, is a legend in the industry. In fact, Poetic Complications all started when Van Cleef & Arpels challenged the veteran watchmaker to find a mechanical solution that could tell the story of the four seasons, leading to the creation of the Quantième de Saison in 2006.
Enchanted Movement
In 2003, Van Cleef & Arpels presented the Midsummer Night’s Dream high-jewelry collection, a dazzling and magical tribute to impish and playful fairies, slender magical beings depicted in graceful poses with delicate wings raised in mid-flight, flitting about the enchanted forest. Two years later, the Maison combined the fairy motif, a symbol of femininity and mischief, with the complicated retrograde movement to create the Lady Arpels Féerie watch.
Look to The Stars
The Lady Arpels Planétarium, released this year, is the sequel to the hugely lauded Midnight Planétarium, to this day hailed as one of the most impressive horological creations by Van Cleef & Arpels. On the 38mm white gold watch, the luminous night sky is depicted with a dial made of aventurine, a glittering blue stone that has become more and more popular in recent years. Of course, the allure remains the miniature planetarium – a pink mother-of-pearl bead represents Mercury, green enamel for Venus, turquoise for Earth and a diamond for the Moon.