A Magical Evolution of the Perlée Collection
There’s always been something quietly enchanting about the Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée collection. At first glance, the delicate shimmer of golden beads captures attention. But look deeper, and you’ll find nearly a century of artistry, innovation, and timeless elegance.
First introduced in the 1920s as subtle details framing stones and curves, these golden beads became a signature of the maison. From the 1968 Alhambra collection to the launch of the dedicated Perlée line in 2008, this joyful motif has become an enduring language of style, craftsmanship, and heritage.
Today, Van Cleef & Arpels continues this story with two remarkable new timepieces – the Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Myrtille and Framboise watches – that transform fine watchmaking into miniature works of art.
Van Cleef & Arpels Perlée Watch Collection: A Legacy of Elegance
The Perlée collection has always been more than jewellery – it’s a tactile, joyful expression of refinement. With its rounded forms and luminous beads, it reflects decades of artisanal tradition while staying relevant to a modern audience.
- Origins in the 1920s: Golden beads used to frame and accentuate designs.
- 1968 Milestone: Perlée framed motifs in the iconic Alhambra collection.
- 2008 Transformation: Perlée became a standalone collection of rings, bracelets, earrings, and watches.
Each creation blends yellow, rose, or white gold with shimmering diamonds, balancing heritage with innovation.
“The Perlée motif is a language in itself – it speaks of joy, refinement, and the maison’s commitment to craftsmanship,” says Nicolas Bos, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels.
Introducing the Fruits Enchantés Watches
This year, Van Cleef & Arpels expands the Perlée watch collection with two exquisite additions:
- Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Myrtille (Blueberry)
- Perlée Extraordinaire Fruits Enchantés Framboise (Raspberry)
These watches are poetic dreamscapes framed in beads of white or rose gold, showcasing the maison’s métiers d’art at their finest.
Key Features:
- Façonné enamel fruit sculptures (patented in 2023)
- Miniature-painted foliage with lifelike veins and textures
- Sculpted gold backgrounds adding shimmering depth
- Diamond-studded fairies as whimsical, symbolic companions
- Engraved casebacks with hidden motifs (ladybird for Framboise, butterfly for Myrtille)
The Artistry Behind the Dial
The dials are true haute horlogerie canvases. Three-dimensional blueberries and raspberries are brought to life using a painstaking façonné enamel technique:
- Powdered enamel is poured into custom moulds.
- Fired twice at carefully controlled temperatures.
- Hand-polished, engraved, and glazed for volume and brilliance.
This results in fruits so realistic they almost look edible. Surrounding them, delicate leaves painted in miniature capture the veins and shades of a real woodland backdrop.
Fairies, an emblem of Van Cleef & Arpels since the 1940s, add storytelling charm. Each figure is shaped from wax, cast in gold, engraved, polished, and finished with diamond-studded wings.
“A Van Cleef & Arpels dial is not just about telling time , it’s about telling a story,” explains a Geneva-based watch artisan. “Every brushstroke, every engraving, is a dialogue between tradition and imagination.”
Extraordinary Craftsmanship: 300 Hours of Work
Every watch in the Extraordinary Dials collection represents hundreds of hours of dedicated artistry. For the Myrtille and Framboise:
- Engraving, enamelling, miniature painting, gem-setting, and lapidary work converge.
- Up to 300 hours of work are required for a single piece.
- Many of the tools used are handcrafted by artisans themselves – skills passed down through generations in Van Cleef & Arpels’ Geneva workshops.
Inside, a Swiss quartz movement ensures reliability while allowing the dial’s artistry to remain the true focus.
