Van Cleef & Arpels Brand
Van Cleef & Arpels Presents Its New Extraordinary Objects: Apparition Des Baies Automaton
Luxferity, 25.04.2024
Renowned for its savoir-faire, Van Cleef & Arpels shone as of its foundation in 1906 for the creation of precious objects that spark awe and enchantment. Decorative features or beauty accessories, they all betoken the conventions of their age and the expertise of the Maison. The pieces, remarkable for their combinations of materials, set the stage for a dialogue between jewelry, watchmaking and métiers d'art. Each and every automaton is an invitation to journey to the heart of Van Cleef & Arpels’ poetic vision.
Silver Yellow Glossy Cora Cuff Bracelet
The aesthetic design introduced in 2022 with the Rêveries de Berylline automaton, followed by Floraison du Nénuphar and Éveil du Cyclamen in 2023, comes out once again this year through new and enchanting spectacles. The Maison is unveiling two original automatons inspired by nature in motion and flora. The Apparition des Baies and Bouton d’Or automatons pay tribute to the wonders of flora and fauna. They summon up a dreamlike universe, imparting a distinctive dimension into the Poetry of Time dear to Van Cleef & Arpels.
Some 30 centimeters in height, these table ornaments are created in partnership with François Junod, an automaton maker in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland. On demand, they present the spectacle of an unfurling bouquet, revealing a bird or a ballerina-like fairy. Lapidaries, enamelers, engravers, and gem setters apply their ancestral expertise to beautify these timepieces. Finally, a crystalline melody was specially composed for each automaton.
Silver Coronaria Brooch Pendant with Opal & Spinel
APPARITION DES BAIES AUTOMATON
Folded onto themselves, the lacquered rose-gold leaves of the Apparition des Baies automaton form a luxuriant dome that conceals a secret. Like a delicate blooming, the gradual opening of the bouquet reveals a white-gold, diamond and sapphire bird spreading its wings with lifelike authenticity. After taking flight, the bird finds refuge within the object, and the leaves gently fold back. A new rotating system to open and close the bouquet was developed in-house at the Van Cleef & Arpels' Workshops and then placed upon a mechanism designed by François Junod. This structure is composed of 112 overlapping and intertwined leaves for a volume effect.
The base of the automaton features two dalmatian jasper structures and a bowl made of thulite, a rare pink-hued mineral. These materials, carefully selected by the Maison’s gemologists, were meticulously cut and polished to bring out their full character. The white-gold butterfly with its engraved wings, tenderly perched upon a rose-gold branch, observes the passing hours indicated on the rotating ring, embellished with golden beads and hour markers in yellow gold and diamonds. Once the animation is set in motion, a dulcet melody rings out to accompany this poetic tableau.
Apparition des Baies automaton Height: app. 27 cm, width: app. 21.5 cm
White, yellow and rose gold, light and intense blue sapphires, diamonds,
red spinels, dalmatian jasper, thulite, lacquer, ebony, goat leather, aluminum, steel
Automaton and mechanical movements, 12-hour time function with hours/minutes on a 360° rotating ring,
on-demand animation and carillon, eight-day power reserve
Unique piece
Gold Astra Ring w. Amethyst, Tourmalines, Diamonds
