Van Cleef & Arpels Archives

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planetarium – The World At Your Fingertips (Or At Least Your Wrist)

There is no denying that when it comes to women’s watches (and jewelry), the famed house of Van Cleef & Arpels pretty much always gets it right. This year, at the SIHH 2018, the brand proved itself yet again – with a host of new feminine watches that could almost have women drooling. However, one watch set itself apart from all the others for a host of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it brings the world to the wrist in stunning fashion. The Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Planetarium Poetic Complication watch is an actual planetarium – a mechanical solar system model – on the wrist, the result of yet another collaboration with specialist Christiaan van der Klaauw.

Beyond Time, Expressing Tales: The Curiously Intelligent Watches of Van Cleef & Arpels

It’s always a major travesty when brands like Van Cleef & Arpels, Harry Winston and Jaquet Droz don’t get enough discussion simply because we miss the interesting calibres for the pretty Plique-à-jour enamel trees. It’s not hyperbole either when I describe the travesty as a major one, Van Cleef &…

Give Me 5! Five Fabulous Ladies Watches From SIHH 2017 From Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Cartier, And Van Cleef & Arpels

SIHH 2017 truly bestowed watch lovers with a long list of most impressive watches. After digesting a multitude of wristshots and cappuccinos, I now present five fabulous watches just for the female wrist.

Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre Arpels: An Intertwined History

Many of the great marques in the history of watchmaking were driven by prominent figures who ended up with a watch named after them. Such was the case for both Louis Cartier and Pierre Arpels. Both were born into jewelry and watch dynasties and both made prominent marks on the histories of their respective houses. How else are they intertwined?

The Retrograde: One Of My Favorite Complications

The retrograde indication is one of my favorite “Because We Can” (BWC) complications. Gears are an amazing invention and have allowed watchmakers to make incredible creations. Simple gear systems leave a multitude of openings for creativity. Look at some great examples of it here!

My Favorite Whimsical Watches – And Then Some

Whimsy, frivolity, playfulness: these are not adjectives one often hears used to describe haute horlogerie. And yet these words accurately describe many watches or clocks built over the centuries. Take a journey with me now to discover my favorite modern whimsical masterpieces.