Enter the Maison's workshops
Mechanics of art: Technical mastery in the service of wonder
Van Cleef & Arpels also excels in the field of exceptional objects and automata. These are part of the lineage of clocks and table objects created by the Maison since 1906, a tradition it has revived in the 21st century. Combining mechanics of art, jewelry tradition, and watchmaking expertise, the pieces mark a new stage for Van Cleef & Arpels, which imagines new poetic creations each year, serving the magic of the moment.
Nestled one on top of another, the lacquered rose gold leaves of the Apparition des Baies automaton form a luxuriant dome that conceals a secret
A new rotating system for opening and closing the bouquet was developed internally at the Maison's Watchmaking Workshops in Geneva. 126 layered and intertwined leaves impart volume into the bouquet.
To perpetuate this ancestral savoir-faire and promote its transmission, Van Cleef & Arpels contributed in 2023 to the creation of a Center of Excellence for Mechanics of Art in Sainte-Croix, within which the Maison has developed a dedicated workshop. The latter welcomes apprentices and strengthens the collaboration between craftsmen in mechanics of art and the Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewelry and Watchmaking Workshops, located respectively in Paris and Geneva. The Maison also supports the “MEC-ART pour la Mécanique d’Art” association.
Distinguished by its impressive size, the Planétarium automaton presents the Sun and the planets visible from the Earth: Mercury, Venus, Earth—accompanied by its satellite, the Moon—Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
Thanks to a complex mechanical movement, each celestial body moves at its actual speed of rotation, performing a complete orbit.
Watchmaking expertise at the service of Poetry of Time™
