» Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels Gorgeous Purple w/ diamonds

UniqueMP — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:52:14 +0000

With a heavenly sent wedding between Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef in 1896, Van Cleef & Arpels began as most fairy tales’ ends.

(Van Cleef & Arpels “Lady Arpels Féerie”, Pièce Unique. A very fine 18k white gold diamond-set (D-E-F) lady’s wristwatch with a purple guilloché dial. The delicate white gold and diamonds fairy indicates the time thanks to an hour and minute retrograde mechanical movement. Sold: 70,000 EUR)

Estelle was the daughter of a precious stone wholesaler and the sister of expert gemologists, while Alfred was the son of a diamond merchant from Amsterdam.

In 1906, Alfred Van Cleef and his brother-in-law, Charles, register the name «Van Cleef & Arpels», and the shop settles into 22 Place Vendôme Paris.

Van Cleef & Arpels’ contemporary watch creations are the finest expression of a successful union of exceptional watch making and high fashion jewellery. Audaciously innovative and stylish, Van Cleef & Arpels watches feature classic forms enhanced with rare and original new features. By reinterpreting its own great classics, applying the jeweller’s art to watch cases and dials, and creating complications that surprise and delight, Van Cleef & Arpels confirms its talent as a master jeweller in the world of fine watches.

http://www.vancleef-arpels.com/

Fleurette Van Cleef & Arpels WJPI0019

UniqueMP — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:37:16 +0000

Van Cleef and Arpels has revisited the simple elegance of square and rectangular cases in platinum and diamonds, adding a touch of glamour and refinement with mother-of-pearl. Two Fleurette patterns join the case to the platinum and diamond bracelet.

Van Cleef & Arpels “Lady Arpels Féerie”

UniqueMP — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:52:58 +0000

The House of Van Cleef & Arpels brings together its jeweller’s creativity and its horology expertise to create an exceptional watch: the Lady Arpels Féerie. On the dial of the Féerie watch sits a delicate fairy modelled on Titania, “Queen of the Fairies” and a character in William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Her wings and body are entirely set with round diamonds and the perfect oval of her face is represented by a pear shaped diamond. The novelty of the watch is the retrograde displays wherein the fairy’s magic wand points to the hours and one of her wings points to the minutes. The 38mm 18-carat white gold case houses a mechanical manually-wound movement developed exclusively for VCA by Jaeger-LeCoultre (JLC Calibre 849 base movement) with an Agenhor retrograde module. The extraordinary depth of the dial is due to the perspective effect of the hand engraved guilloché. The contrast of the guilloché and the velvet-like intensity of the blue enamel creates the impression that the fairy is floating amidst the evening sky.