The secret, mythical watches of Van Cleef & Arpels

The secret, mythical watches of Van Cleef & Arpels

Dedicated to the special month of passion and devotion, we revisit Mythical Couples, Van Cleef & Arpels’ romantic collection of high jewellery secret watches inspired by legendary love stories.

You could say that Van Cleef & Arpels was built on love. Following the 1895 marriage of Estelle Arpels, the daughter of a precious gems dealer, and Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a Dutch diamond-cutter and broker, the maison was founded in Paris’ Place Vendôme in 1906.

As if a sign of destiny, even the house’s first creation recorded in its sales book in 1906 was a diamond heart. Over the decades, many Van Cleef & Arpels pieces would be linked to the world’s most famous couples. One such piece was an astounding ruby and diamond necklace commissioned by the
Duke of Windsor (then King Edward VIII) for Wallis Simpson before his abdication.

Next is a pearl and diamond wedding jewellery suite – comprising a pair of earrings, necklace and ring – ordered by Prince Rainier of Monaco for Grace Kelly. It’s said that the prince had taken the actress to the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique in New York and met with Louis Arpels, who convinced him that pearls were befitting of his fiancée’s beauty. Another piece is the 1971 Barquerolles necklace, which was a gift from Richard Burton to his wife Elizabeth Taylor.

Through the use of age-old artistic crafts, the maison has continually created phenomenal women’s timepieces inspired by the theme of love. A prime example is the Mythical Couples collection of eight high jewellery watches, which tells the stories of seven legendary couples from literature, mythology and opera.

Their romance and passion are brought to life in creations that combine the expertise of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Mains d’Or with the most exceptional gems to conjure a full range of emotions in the beholder. Here, we revisit five of the collection’s most romantic pieces.

Aida & Radames

Two precious timepieces tell the story of Radames, a young Egyptian commander who falls under the spell of Ethiopian princess Aida. Each watch flaunts slender curves in mirror-polished gold evoking the imposing dunes along the Nile. The river is represented by the shades of blue sapphires that flow gracefully around the wrist in thin bands. At the centre is a lotus of coloured gems, hard stones and diamonds topped with a Madagascan sapphire – a stunning blue specimen of 5.59 carats, as seen on the opposite page; and a pink beauty weighing 5.93 carats that symbolises the lovers’ hearts beating in unison. The house’s high jewellery expertise is accentuated by its watchmaking savoir faire to reveal a sliding dial beneath the central motif adorned with fine stone marquetry. This white and rose model features one with a repeated pattern of fish in lapis lazuli and white mother-of-pearl.

Philemon & Baucis

The story of Philemon and Baucis hails from Greek mythology. As a reward for their generosity and kindness, the gods granted their wish to never be separated. Upon their deaths, they transformed into a pair of intertwined trees – one oak and one linden. Diamond-set motifs of each leaf on either side of the bracelet tell this tender story. Flaunting a pear-shaped Zambian emerald each are two rings, which support a dome of Traditional Mystery Set emeralds. This dome raises to reveal a dial paved with diamonds. Ribbons of baguette sapphires wrap themselves around the white, yellow and rose gold timepiece like ties.

Amytis & Nabuchodonosor

An ode to the mythic Hanging Gardens of Babylon, this timepiece evokes colonnades, pools of clear water and luxuriant gardens. Legend has it that this token of love – considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – was a present from King Nebuchadnezzar to his wife, Queen Amytis. Surrounded by buff-topped emeralds, turquoise domes are arranged in a row on a structure comprising columns of rose gold, white gold and baguette-cut diamonds. At the centre, baguette-cut diamonds surround a 6.75-carat sugarloaf-cut Burmese sapphire that reveals a diamond-paved dial when raised.

Ulysses & Penelope

In the Greek poem Odyssey, Penelope weaves a tapestry by day and undoes it at night as she awaits the return of her husband Ulysses. This tale is evoked by fine bands of diamonds and sapphires furling around this white gold secret watch. The inspiration is also depicted on the clasp, with its tightly woven baguette-cut sapphires. A dial is concealed under the loosely wrapped diamond threads, surrounded by a spiral of sapphires. Its shape brings to mind the waves of the Aegean Sea, which Ulysses crosses on his voyage.

Aphrodite & Adonis

This piece is inspired by the tale of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and her handsome lover Adonis. One day, the young man is tragically gored by a wild boar while hunting and dies in Aphrodite’s arms. Her tears fall into Adonis’ blood and bloom into an anemone. The couple’s strong bond is represented by interlaced diamond-set motifs on the white, yellow and rose gold bracelet. A gradation of blue sapphires symbolise Aphrodite’s tears, and appear to be blooming into a flower of pink and mauve sapphires. The interplay of colours and three-dimensional volume combine in a realistic depiction of unfurling petals, one of which opens to reveal a dial in white and grey mother-of-pearl marquetry.

This story first appeared in the Feb 2023 issue of Prestige Singapore.