Baselworld/SIHH

SJX
[Purist]
8540

• Show profile
• Show other posts

*** SIHH 2012: Van Cleef & Arpels ***

Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled fewer watches at SIHH than before, though there were several more shown but not officially launched.

The simplest is the Pierre Arpels. Named after the man who designed it, the Pierre Arpels is a slim dress watch with the Piaget 830P calibre.

Available in white or pink gold, in either a 38 mm or 42 mm case, with the option of a diamond set bezel. All models, however, have a single diamond on the crown.

For the ladies VC&A has the Bals de Legende quartet. These feature dials inspired by great formal dances of the 20^th century.

Each of these feature solid gold dancing figures on the dial that make a slow rotation over a day. All have 38 mm gold cases with automatic movements.

The first is the Bal du Palais d’Hiver of 1903 held in the Winter Palace at St Petersburg in pre-revolutionary Russia.

Next is the Bal du Siècle of Venice held in 1951.

Then it’s the Black and White Ball organised by Truman Capote in New York’s Plaza Hotel in 1951 for the Washington Post’s Katharine Graham.

Last is Le Bal Proust, held in Paris in 1971 to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Marcel Proust.

While these are beautiful ladies watches I wonder if the average buyer (who has a good chance of being younger and more Asian) of these watches will appreciate the events that inspired them.

And to the highlight of the collection. Jean-Marc Wiedderecht has created something outstanding for VC&A once again in the form of a pair of five minute repeaters with automatons. In VC&A style both have elaborately hand-engraved, solid gold dials decorated with miniature painting.

The smaller and more feminine of the pair is the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish that is 39 mm in diameter. When activated by the crown at two of o’clock, the hours begin to chime. Simultaneously the figure of the young lady moves across the dial towards Notre Dame where her beloved is. A mother of pearl cloud moves toward her and when the point where they meet indicates the hours on the horizontal scale on the Eiffel Tower.

Then as the minutes chime, a kite that flies up along the River Seine towards Notre Dame to indicate the five minutes. Once the chiming is over, all the automatons move back to their original positions. That time between the start and end of the automaton motion is just enough to make a wish, according to VC&A.

The counterpart to the Lady Arpels is the Midnight Poetic Wish, housed in a 43 mm case. The beau of the lady on the Eiffel Tower, standing on the terrace of Notre Dame Cathedral, moves horizontally to indicate the hours. A shooting star points to the minutes as it flies towards the Eiffel Tower. Like with the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish, all of that happens while the repeater is chiming.

And of course the Eiffel Tower with the young lady is visible in the distance on the dial of the Midnight Poetic Wish. All of that is a tad saccharine but charming all the same.

For those who lack the romantic spirit and can’t wait for the elaborate procession of time telling, the time is also on the back, beneath the exposed gongs of the repeater.

The movement, developed from the ground up by Wiedderecht’s Agenhor for VC&A, is unconventional. The gongs are on the back, above the movement, while the hammers are embedded in the centre, sitting perpendicular to the bridges.

In addition the calibre has a constant force mechanism that ensures constant amplitude throughout the 60 hours of power reserve.

All of that sits behind a large and seemingly raised sapphire back that I assume improves the sound. That being said, the sound of the prototypes show could do with some improvement but I am optimistic especially I do like this watch.

On the larger scale of things this isn’t a vastly complex watch. But it is ingeniously conceived, both in the movement and the story, and beautifully executed. VC&A and Mr Wiedderecht prove once again they are really good at making ladies watches with a twist.

Site Info.