Van Cleef & Arpels: The pinnacle of musical watches, combining sound and movement

Van Cleef & Arpels' Poetry of Time, which uses complex mechanisms to create poetic pieces, has released its latest creation, a musical watch that combines a carillon and a music box, with a prima donna dancing on the dial.

"Lady Arpels Ballerine Musical" depicts the world of ballet

　Van Cleef & Arpels has been creating motifs such as ballerina clips since the early 1940s. In the 1950s, Louis Arpels deepened his friendship with renowned choreographer George Balanchine, further deepening the connection between the Maison and ballet. Balanchine's ballet "Jewels," the fruition of their passion for jewels, premiered in New York in 1967. The first act, "Emeralds," features music by Gabriel Fauré, the second act, "Rubies," by Igor Stravinsky, and the third act, "Diamonds," by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

　Poetry of Time's latest creation, the Lady Arpels Ballerine Musical, features intricate diamond settings and enamel decorations, and a musical watch movement. Three models are available, each combining a motif and music piece from each performance in "Jewels." The hand-wound movement features a retrograde hand with a 12-hour display and a music box mechanism that operates on demand with a dedicated barrel. The dial rotates once every 20 seconds, playing each piece.

　One of the reasons the music played by this piece sounds so profound is that, in addition to the functions of a regular music box, it also incorporates a four-gong, four-hammer carillon mechanism. The mechanism is the same as a regular disc-type music box, with pins on the back of the disc that rotates coaxially with the dial to pluck the teeth of the music box, but in this piece, the ring around the outside of the disc has claws that pluck the hammers, operating the carillon simultaneously. The music box disc, carillon ring, and dial are all arranged coaxially, and rotate in approximately 20 seconds, regulated by a centrifugal governor. The mechanism is extremely simple.

The high-temperature fired blue enamel undercoat is peeled away to reveal the gold base, which is then hand-engraved to create the drape pattern. The gold base remains in some areas on the finished dial.

The carillon gongs are mounted on the base plate. They have a four-gong, four-hammer configuration, allowing for four different notes to be harmonised, but the number of notes actually used varies depending on the piece of music being played.

　Another factor contributing to the improved sound quality is the case structure. A diamond-set drape-like motif can be seen from the bezel to the side of the case, and by providing appropriate gaps here, the sound is intended to diffuse outward. The movement itself is housed in a waterproof case, and sound reverberates between it and the case back, escaping through the gaps in the drape. The multi-layered tones of the music box and carillon, and the case structure aimed at creating an echo chamber and diffusion effect, combine to create a synergistic effect that results in a musical watch rich in poetic sentiment unlike any other. The in-house enamel dial, crafted in Meylan near Geneva, is also beautiful, employing an elaborate technique in which the base enamel is partially peeled off after firing, and then fine engraving is applied, followed by miniature painting.

The music box teeth are attached to the main plate. A pin on the back of the rotating disc strikes these teeth to play 10 notes. The winding device, which uses a Maltese cross, can be seen on the barrel.

A music box disc that rotates coaxially with the dial. A ring with carillon pawls is actually placed around the outer periphery of this disc. One rotation takes 20 to 25 seconds. Speed ​​is regulated by a centrifugal governor.

The bezel and draped motif are placed over the waterproof inner case. This gap allows the resonance generated between the bezel and the case back to escape, ensuring an appropriate volume.

The case back is decorated with a hand-engraved image of a ballerina dancing in front of the boutique on New York's Fifth Avenue.