Lady Arpels Zodiac Leo

For the SIHH 2014, Van Cleef & Arpels turns its gaze to the heavens and gives pride of place to a captivating chapter in its watchmaking history: Poetic Astronomy™. In keeping with one of the Maison’s cherished sources of inspiration, planets and constellations appear in enchanting guise to evoke voyages and dreams. The mechanics of time and the spheres are united in the Midnight Planétarium Poetic Complication™ timepiece, while unprecedented starry compositions are unveiled in the Extraordinary Dials™ collection. Chosen according to the inspiration of each piece, traditional craft skills form dazzling combinations, bearing witness to the innovation, creativity and excellence of Van Cleef & Arpels.

In this celebration of the Poetry of Time™, the Maison has also showcased some of its watchmaking icons. The Charms timepiece takes on a mantle of pink gold with exquisite simplicity, while the Pierre Arpels collection welcomes two creations that reflect the lifestyle of the multi-talented aesthete whose name it bears. New stories of luck and elegance reveal themselves with the passage of time, enriching the unique imagination of Van Cleef & Arpels.

Lady Arpels Zodiac

Inspiration

Perpetuating the tradition of the lucky jewelry created by the Maison in its early years, Van Cleef & Arpels devoted a collection to the signs of the Zodiac in the 1950s. Worn as precious talismans, these medallions of yellow gold were extremely popular right through to the 1980s. The theme was revisited more recently in the Palais de la chance collection, with twelve unique pieces of High Jewelry.

Today, Van Cleef & Arpels is renewing the tradition with an exceptional set of twelve limited edition watches that depict the signs of the Western Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

Savoir-faire

In the Lady Arpels Zodiac watches, various craft skills combine to evoke the different signs and instill the dials with life and sparkle. A specific engraving corresponds to each element – Earth, Water, Air and Fire – and adorns the background. The latter is then covered with a layer of translucent colored enamel – green, dark blue, light blue or red – to produce subtle plays of light.    

The appliques, which create different levels of depth within each dial, also require painstaking work. Motifs in sculpted gold, engraved and set with stones – notably a rose-cut diamond for the faces of the figurines and an opal for the scorpion – are joined by elements in sculpted mother-of-pearl that evoke leaves, waves, clouds or flames. These already dazzling compositions are further enhanced by a wealth of additional details: touches of opaque enamel, hard stone marquetry or stars set with yellow or white diamonds. The depicted constellation is also engraved on the back of the case, as a poetic reminder against the skin.