Introducing all of Van Cleef & Arpels' new watches for 2025!

Van Cleef & Arpels has developed a unique worldview through its timepieces. Their mechanical automata are particularly captivating, and they will be showcasing a number of exquisite pieces at Watches & Wonders Geneva in 2025.

"Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automata Watch"

　Following on from the 2010 "Pont des Amoureux" series, which depicted lovers meeting and kissing on a bridge, a new piece has been added to the "Poetic Complications® Collection." The setting is a stark change from the previous work, to the lively Parisian Café Guinguette. The lovers, holding hands, dance on the cobblestones and exchange kisses at noon and midnight.

　This animation is made possible by a newly developed movement with an automaton function. All of the complex design was created by the in-house development team in Meylan, Switzerland. The movement that draws the lovers together is driven by a cam built into the center. The automaton movement can also be activated on demand, and the lovers will start moving at the press of a push button.

　The time is displayed in retrograde, with the hours displayed from 10 o'clock to 12 o'clock and the minutes displayed from 2 o'clock to 12 o'clock.

　The colors are primarily created using the grisaille enamel technique. The colors of the city lights and the blue of the sky are added using colored grisaille enamel. The dial has five layers, each representing a starry sky, clouds, cityscape, lovers, and cobblestones, giving it a three-dimensional impression of depth. The chairs and cityscape are depicted using miniature paintings, while the lovers and cobblestones are engraved in white gold. This is a piece that embodies Van Cleef & Arpels' savoir-faire.

　The photo shows a shiny blue alligator strap, but interchangeable straps are included with the purchase.

"Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux Watch"

　Following on from the previous spring, summer, autumn, and winter models, the Pont des Amoureux series has expanded with a vibrant range of colors. Four new models have been added for 2025, depicting different times of day in Paris. Each model is based on the theme of dawn ("Orbe"), morning ("Matinee"), twilight ("Soirée"), and moonlight ("Clair de Lune"), each vividly depicted. All colors are applied by hand using the color grisaille technique. The story of the dial continues on the case back, where the rotor of the automatic winding is engraved with a motif linked to each of the four themes.

　Of particular note is the craftsmanship of the bracelet. The entire bracelet is covered in snow-set sapphires and diamonds. The sapphires have a gradation of colors that connect to the dial, with the dawn model featuring pale pink sapphires evoking warm morning light, the morning model featuring blue sapphires reminiscent of a refreshing sky, the dusk model featuring reddish pink sapphires, and the moonlight model featuring deep blue sapphires reminiscent of the night sky. The bracelet settings are shaped to accommodate the various sizes of gemstones. The bracelet alone employs approximately 1500 components, resulting in a delicate construction that flexes smoothly along the wrist.

　This model also comes with an interchangeable alligator strap.

"Cadena Watch"

　The Cadenza watch, introduced in 1935 and a symbol of Van Cleef & Arpels' watchmaking, is celebrating its 90th anniversary. This watch features a handle reminiscent of a padlock. The flexible double snake chain clasp fits gently along the curve of the wrist, allowing it to be worn as a bracelet, and the tilted dial allows for discreet reading of the time.

　The new 2025 model features an 18K yellow gold bracelet with a case paved with diamonds in a snow setting, enhanced by a row of princess-cut sapphires. This color combination is repeated on the clasp, which is decorated with a line of square-cut sapphires. The rhodium-plated 18K white gold dial is also adorned with the sparkle of diamonds.

　The Cadenas watch was first produced in yellow gold in 1935 and has since been offered in numerous color variations. Most notably, in December 1936, a model featuring a row of caliber-cut sapphires or rubies set on the side of the top of the case and on the underside of the clasp was introduced. The color palette was further expanded with the addition of a diamond model in 1938 and an emerald model in 1943. Reinterpreted for everyday wear, the watch is also available with a leather bracelet.

　This piece also adheres to the etiquette imposed on fashionable women of the time: they had to be completely oblivious to the passage of time. This rule required them to glance at their watches without being noticed. With its dial tilted inward toward the wrist, giving it a jewel-like appearance, this watch allowed women to "discreetly look at the time," as a 1936 advertisement put it.

"Ribbon Mysterieux Watch"

　The high jewelry watch, the "Ribbon Mystérieux watch," was born from inspiration in the world of couture, which the Maison has continued to interpret since its founding. Recreating the delicateness of a ribbon elegantly enveloping the wrist, the watch's dial is adorned with a 3.72-carat oval-cut DIF diamond, whose pure and precise crystal structure allows the time to be read. The rich nuances of sapphires and emeralds, crafted using the Mystery Set™ technique, conceal the metal and highlight its color.

　The watch is equipped with a manual-winding movement, and the crown is located on the back to accentuate its elegant form.

"Planetarium Automata"

　Since the launch of the "Midnight Planetarium" in 2014, Van Cleef & Arpels has been working on pieces themed around 19th-century planetariums, which are models that recreate the planets surrounding the sun, moon, and Earth. This resulted in the "Planetarium Collection," which consists of complication watches and large automata. The large automata have been in production since 2022, and this year marks the third piece.

　This piece measures 50cm high and 66.5cm wide. Its seven-part aventurine dial, divided into concentric circles, features motifs representing the sun and the planets of the solar system visible from Earth: Mercury, Venus, Earth (including its moon), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Each motif is crafted from a different type of natural stone. The sun, updated for 2023, is adorned with 500 needle-shaped yellow sapphires, spessartite garnets, and diamonds set in gold. The sun vibrates as the automaton moves. This vibration, borrowed from jewelry technology, vibrates with even the slightest movement, further enhancing the brilliance of the gemstones. Each celestial body also rotates at the same orbital period as the actual planets.

　The watch's mechanical movement creates an animated dance of stars, and can be activated on demand. It also features a music box function, with the stars rotating rhythmically in time with the music. Also not to be missed is the shooting star at the outermost periphery. It appears as the animation begins and flies across the 24-hour dial to indicate the hours and minutes. The shooting star is adorned with gold, diamonds, and Mystery Set™ rubies.

　The side of the case features multiple dials, in order of hours, minutes, day/night, date, month, year perpetual calendar, and power reserve. The 15-bell chime of the automaton can also be seen through the door.

　Each planet is adorned with a gold ribbon inspired by 18th-century celestial charts, above which the star's name is engraved. The shell represents Venus, the arrow represents Mars, and the lightning bolt represents Jupiter, all mythological symbols. Mercury is represented by chalcedony surrounded by white gold and varicolored blue sapphires. Venus is represented by rose quartz combined with rose gold and pink sapphires. Earth is represented by green jasper, enhanced by two-tone sapphires. The moon, which revolves around Earth, is crafted from pearl, which contrasts beautifully with the object's deep blue background. The orange of the moonstone adorns Mars, its warmth enhanced by the combination of rose gold and pink sapphires. Jupiter is represented by a jasper heart framed in yellow gold and diamonds, while Saturn is dominated by a jet, its rings crafted in white gold and sapphires.

　The marquetry technique that decorates the wooden case is also not to be missed.

"Renaissance de l'amour Automata"

The "Renaissance de l'amour Automata" is a sequel to the collection that Van Cleef & Arpels launched in 2022 with the "Reverie de Baie Liline," which was expanded in 2023 and 2024 after "Eveille du Cyclamen" and "Bouton d'Or." The approximately 27cm tall object features an automaton based on the mythological Cupid.

　Cupid emerges from a basket of feathers crafted from white, rose, and yellow gold and diamonds, adorned with a gradient of lacquer colors. This complex mechanism was designed in collaboration with François Junot's studio in Sainte-Croix, Switzerland. Standing on a carved rose gold Greek column, Cupid rests on clouds of white gold, diamonds, and three shades of pink sapphires. Rotating, he gracefully ascends, flapping his plique-à-jour enamel wings before returning to his hiding place, accompanied by the melodies of a carillon.

　The automaton's base is crafted from iron tiger's eye (a mineral composed of tiger's eye and hematite) streaked with gold highlights and meticulously carved throughout. The bowl supporting the wing basket is a palmwood fossil, carefully selected by the Maison's experts. Each piece is cut and polished to highlight its unique character. The time is indicated by a rotating graduated ring, revealing two lacquered wings accented with diamonds. The wings are secured by a ribbon completely paved with diamonds, adding a touch of dazzling brilliance to the entire object.