Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Brise d’Été -

Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Brise d’Été: A Poetic High Jewelry Watch

At the 2024 Watches & Wonders exhibition, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled this poetic complication watch, the Lady Arpels Brise d’Été. It features a mysterious time display and automaton complication, combined with enamel and gem-setting techniques, capturing the enchanting moment of butterflies fluttering through a summer garden.

The dial depicts the Maison’s summer garden: delicate flower branches are hand-painted on a white mother-of-pearl dial, with orange spessartite garnet flower centers set into purple enamel blossoms. Leaves are rendered in various forms using glass enamel, filled enamel, and garnet inlays, with the interplay of gemstones and enamel bringing the scene to vibrant life.

The most poetic aspect is the time display: two colored glass enamel butterflies “fly” around the dial, indicating the current time based on their position along the fan-shaped hour markers—for example, the illustration shows 7:30. Pressing the button at 8 o’clock activates the automaton function: the butterflies make a full circuit of the dial, and three flower branches gently sway, as if a summer breeze (Brise d’Été) is lightly blowing.

The watch features a 38mm white gold case with mirror-polished finishing, and a bezel set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It is powered by an automatic movement. On the reverse, the caseback reveals engraved and painted floral and butterfly motifs, along with a circular glass window displaying the blue rotor in motion.

The watch comes on a green alligator leather strap. Official pricing has not been announced.

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