A cherished source of inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels since its founding, nature imparts poetry and vitality into its creations. This theme, intimately linked to the passage of time, runs through a multitude of its watchmaking creations. Enthralled by the never-ending metamorphoses of fauna and flora, the Maison captures the rebirth of spring, the luxuriance of gardens, and the beating of a butterfly’s wings.
A tribute to the eternal cycle of nature
The new Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch celebrates the fresh aroma of a summer morning. Illuminated by matte mother-of- pearl, the dial displays a bucolic scene where the hours tick by in harmony with the eternal cycle of nature.
Taking turns to indicate the time at noon and midnight, two diametrically opposed butterflies rendered in plique-à-jour enamel come to life on demand. They seem to twirl thanks to a sapphire glass. With a simple press of a button, they take flight around the dial amid gently swaying petals, as if caressed by a mellow breeze.
Fashioned in vallonné enamel, the flowers exhibit blue gradations composed by the miniature enamel painting technique. Spessartite garnet pistils illuminate the surrounding corollas while leaves paved with tsavorite garnets further heighten the radiance of the tableau. Two curving blades of soft green plique-à-jour enamel grass mingle in the background.
The story continues on the back of the case, where flowers created with enamel decal adorn sapphire crystal, a glimpse of the oscillating mass peeking through among stems extended upon the engraved gold.
A miniature work of art
Miniature painting on enamel is a time honored technique that has brought acclaim to artists since the 17th century. Just as a painter has his palette, enamelers use an assortment of colors made from silica powder, very finely ground pigments, and oil.
On the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch, the craftsman applies the color to a vallonné enamel flower petal or a plique-à-jour butterfly. Using a thin marten-hair brush, he creates a gradient of hues. The colors are applied one by one, in a highly precise order, from lighter tones to deeper shades: indeed, every hue requires its own firing procedure, with the time and temperature known only to master enamelers. The free hand drawing calls for accuracy, dexterity and a true artistic gift; meanwhile, every step in the firing process requires scrupulous precision.
The Poetic Complications collection
Created in 2006, the Poetic Complications collection brings together watchmaking techniques, precious materials, and traditional savoir-faire, breathing life into a singular story to enliven every dial.
Retrograde movements, rotating discs, on demand animations and more: these highly complex modules are developed at the Van Cleef & Arpels Watchmaking Workshops in Geneva. Four years in the making, the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch exemplifies this rare expertise.
With every creation, the craftsmen perpetuate and heighten centuries- old enameling, miniature painting, engraving and sculpture techniques Exceptional mechanisms and métiers d’art unite to offer precious moments of contemplation, firmly rooted in the Maison’s creative spirit.
