Cover portrait of rainer bernard, Director Research & Development Watches at Van Cleef & Arpels. Campus Genevois de la haute Horlogerie. Geneva, Switzerland
portrait of rainer bernard, Director Research & Development Watches at Van Cleef & Arpels. Campus Genevois de la haute Horlogerie. Geneva, Switzerland
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Rainer Bernard, head of research and development at Van Cleef & Arpels, shares insights into the creation of its poetic complications
As head of research and development at Van Cleef & Arpels, Rainer Bernard carries the monumental responsibility of leading a team in discovering new ways to tell magical stories through time.
This is beautifully exemplified by the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune, the maison’s key Watches and Wonders novelty this year. At the heart of the timepiece is a day-and-night complication complete with accurate depictions of the moon phase. What makes it so special is that the correct moon phase can be viewed on demand at any moment, without interrupting regular timekeeping.
Then there is the Lady Rencontre Céleste et Lady Retrouvailles Célestes, inspired by the story of the legendary lovers Vega and Altair. Available in two references, one depicts the courtship in shades of blue, with the couple—rendered in white gold—holding hands behind clouds adorned with diamonds set in plique-à-jour enamel. Their faces, crafted in rose-cut diamonds, suggest a quiet moment of mutual contemplation.
The same savoir-faire is depicted in pink and mauve, only this time the couple’s arms stretch towards one another in longing.
Read more: The quiet permanence of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Perlée
Above Model wearing the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune
Model wearing the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune
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Few can deliver this combination of high jewellery and precision timekeeping, and fewer still can do so with the level of exquisite detail synonymous with Van Cleef & Arpels. Tatler GMT catches up with Bernard, to find out more.
Van Cleef & Arpels occupies a very rare space where fine jewellery meets fine watchmaking. How does this dual identity shape your approach to R&D?
Craftsmanship is at the centre of what we do. There are actually three components that come together during the development process: the creative studio, the jewellery department and the engineering department. We’re highly dependent on one another because every decision has a direct impact on the final result. We create the story together, make it together, and bring it to life together.
What are the challenges?
It is challenging because there are always many questions at the beginning. It takes us a while to refine ideas and be sure of what we’re going to do. But that’s what makes the process interesting too.
How do you and your team stay creative and motivated?
Our curiosity. You cannot be creative if you’re not curious.
Once you’ve settled on the story, how do you choose the complications, techniques and materials to transform it into a tangible product?
I’ll give you the example of the Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté from two years ago. The idea was of a fairy flying around a garden collecting flowers in the morning. We wanted the flowers and leaves to have a three-dimensional form and be rendered in enamel. Because it was set in the morning, we also wanted to depict dew drops using diamonds.
But we could not set diamonds directly into enamel because it cannot be sculpted or pierced to create holes for the setting. So we had to put our thinking caps on and start innovating, searching for an enamel material that we could sculpt and set diamonds into. That alone took us two years.
We don’t develop a technique first and then think about what we can do with it. It always begins with a story; the story usually triggers a search for new materials, new shapes and new techniques.
Above Lady Rencontre Céleste et Lady Retrouvailles Célestes
Lady Rencontre Céleste et Lady Retrouvailles Célestes
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When you set yourself a task, however impossible it may seem at first, do you always find a solution?
Not always, but we’re very persistent. Sometimes, too, we arrive at a compromise. R&D is often about trial and error. How do you foster a culture within your team that treats failure as part of the process rather than a setback?
We create what I would call an “error culture”. For us, errors are not really errors. We always learn something. When you attempt something new that has never been done before, you inevitably discover limits, whether physical or aesthetic. It’s like navigating a maze of possibilities.
We can openly say, “I did something, but it’s not working”. I always respond by saying, “Excellent. You found something that doesn’t work.” And then we try again.
How did Van Cleef & Arpels arrive at the idea of Poetic Complications, or Poetry of Time?
Our watches invite you to take the time to read the time. For example, with the shooting star on the Lady Arpels Planétarium, you have to observe where it is positioned to tell the time. I always say that time is the most precious thing we have, so we should remain conscious of it.
Van Cleef & Arpels draws heavily from nature and romance. Are they also a source of inspiration for you personally?
Our themes are positive visions of life and the world. There are so many facets that we can explore. Plants, animals, behaviour—they are all rich sources of inspiration. We try to create things that are not only pleasing to the eye but also evoke a nice emotion in the heart.
Do you already imagine the kind of reaction a watch might receive?
I never do. We simply try to make as good a product as possible.
Brian Cheong leads the watch (Tatler GMT) and jewellery content at Tatler Malaysia, combining sharp editorial insight with years of luxury lifestyle experience. A seasoned journalist in luxury watches based in Kuala Lumpur, Brian had previously helmed World of Watches, Men's Folio and Prestige Malaysia.
