It Takes Upward Of 40 Hours To Make This Van Cleef & Arpels Dial

Perhaps one of our favorite booths at Watches & Wonders, the Van Cleef & Arpels booth immediately immerses you in the wonderfully enchanting world of the brand. This year, it was all about the custom, larger-than-life Murano glass-sculpted leaves that mimicked the movement of one of Van Cleef’s novelties, the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch (which we will get to momentarily). Whether it was the subtle changing of the colors throughout the booth as the Murano glass leaves swayed or the timed chimes of the magnificent automatons, the Van Cleef experience in Geneva always reveals one thing: the brand’s unparalleled craftsmanship.

Committed to preserving and sharing the métiers d’art, Van Cleef showcased its blend of traditional expertise and innovation at Watches and Wonders 2024. The Maison pays homage to the ingenuity of its craftsmen through its Poetic Complications collection, including new additions like Lady Jour Nuit and Lady Arpels Jour Nuit, and continues its narrative with the Extraordinary Dials collection’s enchanted themes. Beyond watchmaking, Van Cleef & Arpels engages in educational initiatives and cultural sponsorships, promoting jewelry culture and supporting the preservation of rare skills through projects like the “de Mains en mains” initiative and partnerships with institutions like the French Center of Excellence for Art Mechanics.

The Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch stole the show for us. As the name suggests, as well as the interior decor of the booth, the leaves on the dial sway in the wind at their own pace, just as they would in nature. Encased in a 38-mm white gold frame adorned with diamonds, this exquisite timepiece features a dial — that, yes, takes 40 hours to complete — crafted from mother-of-pearl, tsavorite, and spessartite garnets, enhanced with miniature painting, plique-à-jour, champlevé, and vallonné enamel. Its self-winding mechanical movement includes an automaton module that animates delicate golden and white butterflies and blooming flowers on demand, bringing a dynamic element to the static beauty of the dial, which is meant to celebrate the serene beauty of a summer morning.

The visual complexity of the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été is complemented by its technical sophistication, which the complication took upwards of four years to develop. And to complete the watch, it is equipped with a self-interchangeable alligator leather bracelet, allowing for customization according to the wearer’s preference. The butterflies and flowers on the dial do not just mark the passage of time; they flutter and bloom, respectively, thanks to the innovative automaton feature, making each glance at the time a delightful experience.

This watch not only tells time but also tells a story of Van Cleef & Arpels’ commitment to combining traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. It is a vivid portrayal of nature’s transient beauty, captured eternally in the art of fine watchmaking, demonstrating the brand’s ongoing dedication to the poetry of time through the language of luxury.