For the 2023 Watches and Wonders salon, Van Cleef & Arpels is bringing in a unique vision of timekeeping. The atelier’s skills are on full display in the Ludo Secret watches, while intense reflections of guilloché rose gold combine with dazzling nuances of carnelian to give rise to four new Alhambra creations
Ludo Secret collection
Like a surprise, the watches of the Ludo Secret collection continue the tradition of mystery dear to the Maison. By cleverly hiding their dial, these elegant and inventive pieces allow their wearer to tell time with discretion, making every second a secret. Introducing two novelties among the High Jewellery watches, the Ludo Secret creations celebrate the timeless elegance of one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ signature pieces: the Ludo bracelet. Created in 1934, this aesthetic carries the nickname of Louis Arpels, one of the Maison’s founding members. Shaped like a belt – the fashion accessory for any daring woman in the 1930s – the Ludo pieces have enjoyed widespread popularity since their release.
Van Cleef & Arpels highlights this iconic collection with a new size of watch and two combinations of materials. Rose gold combined with diamonds or pink sapphires, minutely set in the High Jewellery tradition of excellence. To compose these gemstone ensembles, the Maison’s gemmologists gathered their expertise to pair diamonds of similar brilliance and pink sapphires of harmonious intensity. As in the original creation, the watches’ flexible, brick-pattern meshwork recalls a belt. Like a finely woven fabric, the mesh links are carefully assembled by hand, one by one, to deliver optimal articulation and flexibility.
Alhambra
Intense reflections of guilloché rose gold combine with dazzling nuances of carnelian to give rise to four new Alhambra creations, aglow with tender harmonies. These new pieces include a reversible ring that enchants the gaze with these materials, according to the wearer’s fancy. This new design, offered for the first time within the collection, reflects the tradition of versatility that is unique to the Maison and its distinctive emblem. An iconic aesthetic of Van Cleef & Arpels since 1968, the Alhambra motif draws inspiration from the four-leaf clover, celebrating luck through constantly reinvented jewellery and watchmaking creations.
Since its creation, the Alhambra collection has stood out as an emblem of Van Cleef & Arpels, lending itself to many elegant variations intended to highlight particular moments and materials. Today, the motifs alternate in perfect harmony on both a Vintage Alhambra bracelet and long necklace, and a Sweet Alhambra watch, associating the soft glow of rose gold with the warm hue of carnelian. A material dear to the Maison, this ornamental stone elevates the pieces with its red-orange nuances. Meanwhile, rose gold unveils tender, shifting reflections thanks to a guilloché effect, a signature of the collection since 2018. The sunbeam-like streaks adorning the motif impart a subtle relief to the surface of the precious metal, sparking an intense whirlwind of light that captivates the gaze.
True to the initial aesthetic of the Alhambra collection, an elegant, beaded contour surrounds the symbols, reflecting a savoir-faire characteristic of Van Cleef & Arpels. The guilloché-gold motifs are accentuated by the soft glow of a central golden bead.
Thanks to the freedom and diversity it embodies, the Alhambra collection has regularly renewed the art of wearing jewellery since its creation in the late 1960s. Perpetuating this tradition, the collection is today enriched with an unprecedented design: a ring fashioned with a reversible motif. This piece
features two sides made from different materials: carnelian, and guilloché rose gold set with a diamond. The body of the ring, made up of three rows of cascading golden beads, was specially designed to ensure the stability and proper functioning of the pivoting motif. Perfecting this mechanism required many research and development trials to ensure the ideal motion, with a smooth and regular rotation. For each ring, the different components are assembled and adjusted by hand.
Attention to detail, typical of Van Cleef & Arpels, is also apparent in the great care taken to ensure perfect comfort. The interior body of the ring is lined with a golden half-bangle that gently embraces the finger. On the guilloché motif, the height of the closed-set diamond was specifically devised to avoid pressing into the skin and preserve the radiance of the stone. Finally, the translucent quality of the carnelian allows light to flow through the stone and reflect off the gold of the underlying motif. The stone thus appears to glow with an inner light. The successive manufacturing steps follow one another, creating rings that combine jewellery elegance and versatility, reflecting the Maison’s tradition of transformable pieces.
In keeping with Van Cleef & Arpels’ tradition of excellence, the Alhambra collection illustrates the consummate expertise of a High Jewellery Maison. From lapidaries to jewellers, from stone-setters to polishers, each piece calls on a wide array of skills. In keeping with the Maison’s high standards, ornamental stone motifs are meticulously cut and polished before careful matching. Like the guilloché gold symbols, they glow within the precious setting of an elegant, beaded mount. The motif thus melds into its golden setting, prongs folded with the utmost precision. Finally, the piece is polished one last time, to accentuate the beauty of the composition.
