VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

Conceived as symbols of joy and hope, fairies have long been a cherished tradition of the maison, celebrated in creations evoking dreams and wonderment.

Here, the enchanting theme is reinterpreted in the Lady Féerie timepiece, which features a fairy marking the passage of time with her magic wand by the moon’s gentle light. A new addition to the Féerie collection, the poetic creation is an artful fusion of watchmaking skills and traditional craftsmanship housed in a delicately proportioned 33mm white gold case with a diamond-set bezel.

Dressed in a sapphire and diamond gown, the fairy’s face – depicted by a diamond – forms a dazzling contrast against graduating blue tones of the sky in guilloché mother-of-pearl. The same hues adorn her translucent wings, crafted from a combination of plique-à-jour and grisaille enamel. Employed by the house for the first time on a single motif, the two techniques create an interplay of shades and effects of depth on the enamelled wings, which are adorned with intricately set diamonds.

Seated on a cloud of white mother-of-pearl, the graceful figure points out the minutes with her wand, while the moon harbours the passing hours in a nacre window. The celestial theme continues on the back of the watch, where the visible oscillating weight is engraved with a full moon in a starry sky.

A numbered piece, the Lady Féerie watch is fitted with a self-winding mechanical movement boasting a power reserve of 36 hours, with a retrograde minute display and jumping hours. Its case is embellished with a rounded sapphire glass to maximise the light that enters and lends a refined finishing touch to the watch’s silhouette.