<p class="p1">The newest Perlée timepiece defines the Maison's watchmaking and jewellery savoir-faire.</p>

<p class="p1">Since its official debut as a standalone collection&nbsp;in 2008, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels’ Perlée family&nbsp;has stood as the hero element in an elegant,&nbsp;tactile universe where a single historical&nbsp;motif is given room to breathe. Grounded&nbsp;in the perlée (golden bead) technique that&nbsp;has contoured the Maison’s creations since&nbsp;the late 1940s, the collection bridges the gap&nbsp;between sculptural graphic design and fluid&nbsp;wearable art.</p>
<p class="p1">When translated into horology, Perlée transforms&nbsp;time-telling into a purely precious gesture. Rather&nbsp;than allowing a crown to disrupt the smooth,&nbsp;geometry of its silhouette, the timepieces utilise a&nbsp;hidden setting button on the case back, ensuring&nbsp;that the double row of meticulously hand-polished&nbsp;golden beads can encircle the wrist as an unbroken ribbon of light.</p>

<p class="p1">At Watches and Wonders 2026, Van Cleef &amp; Arpels seamlessly expanded its “Poetry of the Heavens” theme into its most diminutive silhouette yet, unveiling a breathtaking 23 mm Perlée timepiece in white gold and diamonds. While its delicate proportions personify horological restraint, the dial pulls the infinite vastness of the cosmos into a sharp, intimate focus through a deep midnight-blue Murano aventurine glass.</p>
<p class="p1">To amplify the material’s natural, star-like mineral sparkle, the&nbsp;Maison introduces an innovative radiating guilloché technique&nbsp;engraved directly onto the fragile glass. Framed by a double row&nbsp;of pristine, hand-mirror-polished golden beads and an inner&nbsp;diamond-paved flange, this petite wonder proves that Van Cleef&nbsp;&amp; Arpels’ most profound technical and artistic triumphs are often contained within the most delicate dimensions.</p>

<div><span>Why the Perlée timepiece exemplifies Van Cleef &amp; Arpels' dual identity as a high jeweller and a master watchmaker, both technical and artistic pillars come into play. The golden bead is not a modern invention; it dates back to the Maison's Couscous collection in 1948, and it later framed the iconic Alhambra in 1968. As such, it is part and parcel of the Maison’s jewellery expertise and repertoire of the art of the golden bead and gem-setting.</span></div>
<div>Each bead begins as a lost-wax casting but is reworked, rounded and mirror-polished entirely by hand. The alignment must be flawless to catch and throw light uniformly, solely dependent on the Maison’s immaculate hand craftsmanship. By hiding the time-setting crown on the case back, the watch functions primarily as a high-jewellery bangle or cocktail bracelet. The strict gem-sorting (diamonds must be D to F in color, IF to VVS in clarity) further reinforces the Maison’s jewellery pedigree in quality and excellence.</div>

<p class="p1">The métiers d’art employed in high watchmaking&nbsp;is evident in the making of the Perlée timepiece with the&nbsp;unprecedented material manipulation of guilloché on&nbsp;aventurine glass. Guilloché (engine-turning) is traditionally&nbsp;reserved for precious metals like gold or silver, or soft mother-of-pearl. Applying a radiating, linear engine-turned pattern to&nbsp;Murano aventurine glass is exceptionally high-risk because the&nbsp;glass is prone to shattering under the pressure of watchmaking&nbsp;tools.</p>
<p class="p1">Furthermore, aventurine glass requires an intensive&nbsp;manufacturing process — fusing mineral ores at 1,200°C and&nbsp;cooling the crucible slowly for a full month before it can even&nbsp;be cut into discs. By engraving a guilloché sunburst pattern&nbsp;into this glittering, copper-infused material, VCA creates a&nbsp;multidimensional depth for the Perlée watch dial that interacts&nbsp;dynamically with shifting ambient light.</p>

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Find out more on <a href="https://www.vancleefarpels.com/en/collections/watches/perlee-watches.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">van<em>cleefarpels.com</em></a>.</h3>

Van Cleef & Arpels reinvents the Perlée timepiece with aventurine glass

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