Cover Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée watch in white gold set with diamonds and with a blue aventurine glass dial, Perlée solitaire ring in white gold set with a 1-carat diamond, and Perlée diamonds ring, 1 row, in white gold set with diamonds
Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée watch in white gold set with diamonds and with a blue aventurine glass dial, Perlée solitaire ring in white gold set with a 1-carat diamond, and Perlée diamonds ring, 1 row, in white gold set with diamonds
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Van Cleef & Arpels turns its gaze skyward with its latest Perlée watch, pairing the collection’s signature golden beads with a shimmering aventurine dial that evokes a star-strewn night sky
At this year’s Watches and Wonders in Geneva, Van Cleef & Arpels looked skyward for inspiration. Presented under the theme “Poetry of the Heavens”, the maison’s latest watch creations explored celestial imagery through narrative complication and material expression. Among these timepieces was the new Perlée watch, a precious and dreamy interpretation of the theme. It builds on the collection’s most recognisable design codes, from signature golden beads to softly rounded proportions, while introducing a celestial aventurine dial that brings new depth, texture and luminosity.
The golden bead sits at the heart of the design, a motif that has long anchored the Perlée universe. Here, it forms a double circlet around the 23mm white gold case, each bead mirror-polished to catch and release light. The beaded border may be familiar, but it remains remarkably effective, softening the geometry of the round case while lending it a tactile, almost couture-like finish. It is jewellery first in sensibility, watchmaking second in function—a balance the maison has been refining in its timepieces for years.
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Above Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée watch in white gold set with diamonds and with a blue aventurine glass dial
Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée watch in white gold set with diamonds and with a blue aventurine glass dial
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Complementing the white gold Perlée case is a deep midnight-blue aventurine glass dial, flecked with metallic fragments that sparkle in the light like a starlit sky. The material is notoriously complex to produce. Traditionally crafted in Murano, Italy, the glass is heated to extreme temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Celsius before mineral inclusions are added to create its signature shimmer. The process demands patience: the cooling phase alone can take up to a month, after which the material is broken with a hammer, cut and meticulously selected for consistency of colour and sparkle.
To take the aventurine glass to the next level, the maison added a guilloché treatment to the dial’s surface—an unusual pairing of techniques that deepens its visual complexity. The result is a faintly radiating structure beneath the celestial shimmer, creating a dynamic interplay between texture and light. It is a subtle intervention, but one that makes the dial feel atmospheric, almost immersive, rather than merely decorative.
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Framboise watch
Above Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Myrtille watch
Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Framboise watch
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Encircling the dial, a diamond‑set bezel echoes the brilliance of the flange, with stones selected according to the maison’s exacting standards. As with earlier Perlée timepieces, the setting remains discreet, favouring clarity over excess, while the deliberately simple hands ensure legibility without disrupting the composition. The watch is fitted with an interchangeable alligator strap and accompanied by a second option, continuing the Perlée line’s emphasis on versatility and ease of wear.
The 2026 Perlée watch joins a collection that has continued to expand in recent years. Its 2023 variations explored materials such as mother-of-pearl, guilloché gold and diamond pave, while also extending the line further into jewellery-watch territory with a series of pendant secret watches. Inspired by 17th-century pocket watches, these colourful creations are designed to be worn on long necklaces, with rotating gem-set motifs concealing the dial beneath. Framed by the collection’s signature golden beads, they pair rose and yellow gold with diamonds, mother-of-pearl, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and ornamental stones, underscoring Van Cleef & Arpels’s enduring emphasis on gemstones and decorative craftsmanship.
Above Perlée watch in rose gold set with diamonds and rose quartz and with a white mother-of-pearl dial
Perlée watch in rose gold set with diamonds and rose quartz and with a white mother-of-pearl dial
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By contrast, the 2025 Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés watches took a more elaborate turn. Venturing into the realm of métiers d’art, these pieces incorporated façonné enamel, miniature painting and sculpted gold to create intricate, almost theatrical scenes. Berries, foliage and fairy figures animated the dials, with each composition requiring hundreds of hours of craftsmanship. They demonstrated the maison’s flair for storytelling, as well as its technical innovation in enamel work.
Compared with these highly decorated Perlée creations, the 2026 novelty takes a more pared‑back approach, focusing on texture, light and proportion rather than narrative decoration. Yet it remains distinctly Perlée, anchored by the collection’s signature golden beads and jewellery-led sensibility. It is this balance between refinement and wearability that has long defined the line, and continues here in a watch that feels elegant, expressive and poetically celestial.
Credits
Images: Van Cleef & Arpels
Topics
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
