Once upon a time in Paris…
Van Cleef & Arpels keeps pushing ahead on an unparalleled road in the world of fine jewellery and watchmaking, constantly surprising the market with pieces that are both engineering and artistic feats.
The brand’s incredible history began in the distant year of 1895, when Alfred Van Cleef married Esther Arpels. Both hailing from families working in the jewellery business, it was almost inevitable that Maison Van Cleef & Arpels – Jewelry and High Jewelry would be founded in Paris in 1906, in the heart of Place Vendôme.
According to Van Cleef & Arpels, that love has been the driving force behind the maison’s creativity since its inception. Proof of that is first piece mentioned in the sales records for the year it was founded, which was a heart set with diamonds.
An optimistic outlook on life is its guiding principle, and on top of its foundation of love, it adds luck and nature to its creations.
This is evident in the Le Pont des Amoureux collection, with its flower bouquets, hidden messages and romantic bonds.
At Watches and Wonders we got first look at the four members of the collection: Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Aube and Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Soirée in rose gold, and Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Matinée and Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Clair de Lune in white gold.
They all feature a set completed with pink sapphires and enamel, encasing a double retrograde movement in which the two lovers approach each other for a kiss at midday and midnight. Time then ‘stops’ for three minutes, before the figures separate again, revealing the updated hours and minutes.
So that the poetry of this moment is always available, the on-demand mechanism allows you to play the scene for twelve seconds.
The result is magnificent, unique and always surprising.
The rich decorations present are brought to life using the grisaille enamel technique. In the foreground, the silhouette of the bridge has been sculpted in gold and stands out from the landscape in the background, creating a marvellous perspective effect.
The story continues on the caseback, thanks to an enamel decal technique on sapphire glass and gold engraving.
All the watches come with jewellery bracelets set entirely with diamonds and a gradient of sapphires. What is more, each watch is also a reflection of the incomparable ingenuity of their creators – artists in the truest sense of the word.
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