Cover Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Féerie
Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Féerie
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The renowned French jeweller pays homage to the allure of fairies through an iconic watch
Renowned jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels has been paying homage to the allure of fairies through magically enchanting designs since the 1940s. This year, for Watches and Wonders, the Maison has reworked its iconic Lady Féerie watch in a range of pink tones. Enriching the Féerie collection, this Poetic Complications piece brings together watchmaking savoir-faire and traditional crafts in a 33mm case of delicate proportions. Reflecting a dreamlike scene, a fairy marks the passing hours with its magic wand in the soft light of dusk.
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Above Lady Féerie Or Rose watch comes in a 33mm case in rose gold adorned with diamonds
Lady Féerie Or Rose watch comes in a 33mm case in rose gold adorned with diamonds
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The fairy sits on a cloud of white mother-of-pearl and sparkles like a guardian muse in a dress of diamonds, pink sapphires, and a miniature painting on gold. Translucent pink plique-à-jour enamel and opaque pink enamel were used to create the powdery gradient covering her wings. These methods, all used in the same Maison design, produce a play of light and transparency in the wings, framed with diamonds set minutely after the enamelling was completed.
In a mother-of-pearl window, the setting sun welcomes the passing of the hours while a female figure with a diamond face points out the minutes with a magic wand. The watch’s underside reveals an engraved night sky with a full moon and stars on the watch’s oscillating weight. The enamelled outlines of the clouds on the sapphire glass give the design a subtle shimmer.
See also: 5 jewellery watches that dazzled at Watches & Wonders 2023
Above Apart from the Interchangeable alligator leather strap, the watch also comes in a matching diamond set bracelet variant
Apart from the Interchangeable alligator leather strap, the watch also comes in a matching diamond set bracelet variant
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Inside, the Lady Féerie watch is graced with a self-winding mechanism, jumping hours, and retrograde minutes. Highly precise design and assembly were needed to ensure that such sophisticated movement could take place in the 33mm Lady case. The latter is elevated with curved sapphire glass, accommodating the three-dimensional fairy. It also optimises the entrance of light and rounds off the watch’s silhouette.
In addition to maximising light entry, it also helps to smooth out the watch’s profile. The dial displays the expertise of the Geneva-based Van Cleef & Arpels Watchmaking Workshops where the evening sky is painted with no less than four colours on an engraved mother-of-pearl background, ranging from pearly white to deep plum, with delicate gold and intense fuchsia.
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Above To get this gentle gradient, Maison’s artisans tried and failed more than ten times
To get this gentle gradient, Maison’s artisans tried and failed more than ten times
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To get this gentle gradient, Maison’s artisans tried and failed more than ten times. The plique-à-jour enamel used to decorate the fairy’s wings is a one-of-a-kind pink created by the Van Cleef & Arpels enamel workshop to complement the watch’s face. These exquisite pieces are a testament to Van Cleef & Arpels’ boundless imagination and collective brilliance.
