Several new timepieces have also been added to the collection, such as the Perlée Toi & Moi secret watches in yellow or rose gold with a mother-of-pearl dial, diamonds and a variation of colourful gemstones like turquoise, coral, carnelian and black pietersite. 

There are also five new Perlée watches in a classic design: its round dial is framed by a graphic double row of golden beads, with an edge in mirror-polished yellow gold. Housed within convex glass, these guilloché dials come in mother-of-pearl, onyx or yellow gold. The time is set using a push-button on the back of the case, which is completely hidden when the watch is worn.

Along with these new Perlée additions, Van Cleef & Arpels has also collaborated with designer Arthur Hoffner and photographer Erik Madigan Heck to unveil  two artistic interpretations of the Perlée world through a series of photographs and window displays created specifically for the maison.

Having worked with the brand before, Hoffner has now produced new installations that bring the collection’s emblematic golden beads to life. The designer put together playful arrangements comprising spheres, aluminium tubes, and blocks of marble that are reminiscent of children's toys. 

“The Perlée collection is an ode to the golden bead, to its brilliance, roundness, and movement. This is how I envisioned the series of sculptures and displays that surround it: a colourful world where a ribbon unfurls, enlivening the space with its curves and draping the shapes on which the beads evolve in a well orchestrated ballet,” says Hoffner.

“It was a pleasure for me to continue this collaborative adventure with Van Cleef & Arpels and to find new combinations between my work as a visual artist and this playful and joyful collection, where shapes combine and interact to create a feeling of harmony.”

These window displays will adorn the windows of Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques around the world from now to October 15, 2022. 

In a different medium yet complementary aesthetic of visual art, photographer Erik Madigan Heck's series of colourful photos highlight the play of colour and roundness characteristic of the Perlée creations. He uses graphic shapes and a variation of depths top create high-contrast portraits illustrating the joyful spirit of the collection.

For the Perlée collaboration, I wanted to reintroduce Van Cleef & Arpels’ collection to the public within its historical context, but with a modernist approach that sets it apart from the whimsical, fairy-tale aesthetic of the High Jewelry–to keep it fresh and contemporary, with a hint to the 1960s cut-out illustrations,” says Heck.

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