Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Cover Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Nicolas Luchsinger talks about how Covid-19 changed the buying habits of avid watch collectors, how the Maison's A Journey Through The Poetry of Time exhibition will impact visitors and even tells us how he knew he wanted to work at Van Cleef & Arpels when he was only 15

Any jewellery connoisseur would know that Parisian jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels is synonymous with some of the finest high jewellery collections, and that they have made a name for themselves in the industry with their unique and expert creations.

However, the maison is keen to showcase that it is more than just about the world of jewellery but also its expertise as a watchmaker. 

Don’t miss: Take ‘A Journey Through The Poetry of Time’ With Van Cleef & Arpels’ New Exhibition in Singapore

Since February 12, the maison has been showcasing some of its finest watch collections and high jewellery throughout the years in Singapore’s Sands Expo, Marina Bay Sands.

The showcase, A Journey Through The Poetry of Time, celebrates the four major pillars that have guided the world of Van Cleef & Arpels since its conception and these are: love stories, fairies and ballerinas, poetic astronomy and enchanting nature.

Featuring a space set up to look like the streets of Paris and both timeless and modern contemporary watch and jewellery pieces, the exhibition pays homage to the maison’s key sources of inspiration from over the years and is truly informative and breathtaking.

Don’t miss: Discover The Secret World of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Floral High Jewellery Watches

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Just before the exhibition launched, Tatler was invited down to check out the collection as well as to sit down with Nicolas Luchsinger, the President of Van Cleef & Arpels (Asia Pacific) to talk to him about the history of the maison, the exhibition and about his history with the luxury brand. 

Here’s what Luchsinger told us. 

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels is a brand passionate about education, as evinced by the Maison’s L’ecole, School of Jewelry Arts. Can you tell me why the A Journey Through the Poetry of Time exhibition is so important to the brand’s efforts towards education, particularly in Singapore?

Nicolas Luchsinger (NL): We always want our clients and the public to understand who we are as Van Cleef & Arpels and a very good way to do that is to showcase our original models and the ones we have today in an exhibition like this.

This is an important exhibition to have in Singapore because we are showcasing our history of watchmaking and teaching people what the best ways are to look at a piece, how to appreciate both the exterior and inner workings of the watch and more. 

This is also an incredible opportunity to see all the watches together and in one place. We always have our watches in our Singapore stores but when will you get to see all 12 of our Zodiac watches in one room? 

So why pick Singapore to be the place for the exhibit?

NL: In Singapore, there is a very specialised press that are quite knowledgeable about watches. But also, we also have some of the best watch collectors located in Singapore and Asia.

In fact, everything except the museum collection is for sale and we already have collectors set to come in and clients excited about the pieces. The fact is, this is one of the first times that it has been all about our watches. The focus typically is on our jewellery. 

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

There are four universes that will be on display (love stories, fairies and ballerinas, poetic astronomy and enchanting nature). Why were these specifically chosen for the exhibition?

NL: We chose these four universes based on the DNA of the maison as well as the selection of watches that we wanted to show. For example, many of our watches are secret watches. In the past, it was believed that elegant women should not wear a watch to an evening dinner. So Van Cleef & Arpels found a way to hide watches and now this tradition is something we carry on even in our modern collections. 

So to hide the watches, the craftsmanship needs to be interesting and unique and that’s how we kind of moved into allowing our watches to be poetic and to tell a story, which is also how these four main themes came about. 

Nature and mystical fairies have always been a very strong influence for the maison. The ballet and ballerinas are also influences you typically see in the designs of our watches. The brand essentially grew in Paris where the ballet scene has always been thriving so that’s why the emblem is so important to the maison. 

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Which is your favourite universe out of the four?

NL: For sure, the ballerinas. I grew up in Switzerland, which is home to many famous ballerinas, and so growing up I got to watch many incredible performances and I grew to love them. 

How does your background as a gemologist inform your role as president and how does it influence the decisions you make?

NL: Honestly, my gemologist background doesn’t really influence my decisions as much as my interactions with clients. I like to spend time with my clients and form connections with them so I know what they are expecting and what they want.

My background as a gemologist is not the most crucial thing. I have a deep appreciation for the maison and jewellery is a personal passion of mine. I even collect auction books. That’s how much I enjoy it. I’m really lucky to be able to work in a place I’m passionate about. 

What are some of your favourite auction books that you own?

NL: I have a book on the history of Van Cleef & Arpels and that is one of my favourites. I got it when I was 15 for my birthday because everyone knew I wanted to work there one day.

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Wait, you mean you knew you wanted to work at Van Cleef & Arpels when you were only 15?

NL: Yes. I knew I wanted to work in jewellery when I was about 12 or 13. My mother had received a book about jewellery and I read it and got interested. I started learning everything I could about it. Over the years, I got to know about Van Cleef & Arpels and I realised it was my personal favourite in terms of jewellery brands and I decided I wanted to work there one day.

Tatler Asia
Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels
Above Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

Despite the pandemic, people are still investing in luxury jewellery and watches. Why do think that is?

NL: I think they are investing more because we all have had time to stop and reflect on the situation of the world. Buyers have had time to see that quality matters over quantity and have had a lot more time to do their research and to understand the intricacies of craftsmanship. 

Trends and buying patterns change all the time. How do you see the trends shifting now particularly as the world adjusts to living with Covid-19?

NL: Certainly there are always trends when it comes to jewellery and watches. Like in the past, smaller dials were preferred for watches for women. Today though, dials on women’s watches are sometimes a similar size to a man’s watch and we have adapted to that. So in a sense, we do try to stay updated on the trends because we want our clients to buy something they love. 

I think what has changed though is the connection between clients and the maison. For many, if you are buying a piece of jewellery or a watch, you would go to Paris, London or New York. Now though, travel is complicated and so people try to buy locally and they become part of the local Van Cleef & Arpels community in that way because they are frequenting local shops where they will be recognised.

This forms very strong connections that I don’t think will change even when travel becomes easier. 

What is your personal favourite watch from the Van Cleef & Arpels collection?

NL: The Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale watch is my favourite. Van Cleef & Arpels created the three Lady Arpels Ballerines Musicales watches and each watch has a specially adapted melody that plays when the wearer wants it to. It’s beautiful.

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