Shop Our Van Cleef Watches Collection

Van Cleef & Arpels was established through the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels in 1895. Estelle's father, Solomon Arpels, partnered with Alfred to found the company to which they give their names a year later. In 1906, Alfred and Estelle's brothers opened the company's first boutique at 22 Place Vendôme. In 1918, Van Cleef & Arpels introduced its first châtelaine watches. 1923 saw the debut of the first "secret watch" concealed within a piece of jewelry. Named for its dual chain bracelet, the Cadenas watch was introduced in 1935. Pierre Arpels designed a man's watch in 1949. The design is still used in the Pierre Arpels Collection today. Throughout the twentieth century, Van Cleef & Arpels was a jeweler to movie stars like Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor and royalty like the Duchess of Windsor and the Queen of Egypt. In 1999, Richemont acquired the business. Van Cleef & Arpels combines its expertise in jewel setting with complicated movements that often feature automata and high complications.

In its watches, Van Cleef & Arpels fuses masterful artistry in jewelry with horological excellence. The Extraordinary Dials Collection is no exception. Extraordinary Dials watches act as canvasses for pieces of art made with traditional decorative techniques. The images on the dials are crafted with a combination of enamel, colored sapphires, diamonds, and other precious stones. Watches under the Classique name are available in several styles; most feature precious metal cases set with diamonds. The Perlée Collection heavily incorporates a golden bead motif. Additionally, precious stones such as carnelian, mother-of-pearl, turquoise, pietersite, and onyx feature prominently in the cases, dials, and bracelets. Van Cleef & Arpels produces several other ladies' collections of note. The Cadenas is defined by a unique, dual-chain bracelet and unconventional case shape. The watch tows the line between jewelry-piece and timepiece. In the Charms Collection, a small, decorative charm is attached to every watch case with a chain. The Alhambra Collection exclusively features cases in the iconic alhambra shape. The Timeless Collection has a minimal, elegant design featuring an oval-shaped case and diamond-set bezel. Unlike the majority of the company's offerings, the Pierre Arpels Collection is intended for men. Designed by Pierre Arpels in 1949, the watch is defined by several distinguishing features: Roman numerals marking every third hour, a thin case, and a strap attached to the case at only two points. The Complications Poétiques Collection showcases skill in both the creation of high jewelry and evocative, horologically complex watches. The collection tells time romantically; stories play out on the dial with moving elements. The Midnight Pont des Amoureux, for instance, features two lovers who approach each other on a bridge, marking the hours and minutes in retrograde movement before meeting. Planetarium watches display the movement of the planets around the sun, with each element represented by a colorful gemstone. The Heures Florales indicates the hour by opening the number of flowers that corresponds to the time.

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