All Angles

At Watches & Wonders 2025, Van Cleef & Arpels put on a multi-faceted showcase of history, metiers d'art, and mechanical aptitude.

- Words: Wei-Yu Wang Photography: Johann Sauty

This and facing pages: the Cadenas collection now comes with a yellow gold bracelet and case as well as a white gold dial that is fully paved with snow-set diamonds and highlighted by a row of princess-cut sapphires.

WATCHES & WONDERS is, without doubt, the industry’s most important event of the horological calendar. Growing in size over the past few years, it is a crowded space and can be a challenge for some brands to stand out. Van Cleef & Arpels has something of an advantage in this respect—what other brand can so fearlessly embrace such whimsical subject matter as butterflies, fairies, and Parisian paramours? It is a refreshing change from the perpetual calendars and integrated bracelet steel sports watches that typically dominate the chatter on the floor. Furthermore, even if the maison is better known for its jewellery proficiency, its increasing aptitude in both the mechanical and metiers d’art aspects of watchmaking will draw appreciation from even the stodgiest of watch diehards.

And then there is its rich historical catalogue. Founded in Paris in 1906, the maison has been creating watches for almost its entire history. One such example is still found in the current catalogue—the Cadenas, a deceptively simple bracelet-style timepiece that was born in 1935. Consisting of a minimalist, geometric shape reminiscent of a padlock, it also features an angled dial that allows the wearer to check the time discreetly—something that was a lot more important in the early 20th century, especially for women. The collection has ebbed and flowed with trends over the years, experimenting with various fashionable colours and materials of the times, and for 2025, receives a new—and rather precious—contemporary guise. A yellow gold bracelet and case and a white gold dial is fully paved with snow-set diamonds, highlighted by a row of princess-cut sapphires.