Van Cleef Arpels Une Journe Paris

Van Cleef & Arpels Une Journ�e � Paris Watch

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

This is a very charming woman's watch. Not only because it is something new from Van Cleef & Arpels, but because it celebrates simple city adventuring in one of the most scenic places: Paris, France. No one will deny that Paris is a visually splendid place to explore; can you think of other locations with as many world famous landmarks?

The Journée à Paris watch is aptly named ("day in Paris") and along with telling the time, it has a special disc with a female character enjoying Parisian locales. The partially viewable disc makes a full revolution each 24 hours. The disc tells the tale of a day's adventure, I'll leave it to Van Cleef & Arpels to explain:

"The day begins in the Tuileries, with a diamond, mandarin garnet, and tsavorite ring of overlapping leaves, not to mention bouquets of different kinds of flowers in various collections of astonishing gems of blooming beauty. The day continues through the Ile de la Cité (a diamond bracelet whose graceful arches pay homage to the arches of the Pont des Arts, which connects the island to the Louvre), the Avenue Montaigne (a diamond "cravat" necklace representing tradition, where the "tie" can be detached and worn as a bracelet), and the Paris Garnier Opera (a sapphire and diamond ballerina pin). The twinkling midnight fairy lights of the Eiffel Tower are represented by a necklace of yellow and white diamonds that flows down the neck with the same geometry as the structure, and the octagonal square of Place Vendome, by the art deco design of a Minaudiere in onyx and diamonds."

Apparently the sequence took Van Cleef & Arpels nine months to develop along with the watch itself. Only 80 pieces will be available with a choice of 18k white or pink gold cases. The main dial is mother of pearl with gold inserts, and the black 24 hour disc is onyx with gold and various gems as mentioned above. The watch itself is beautifully decorated with 201 diamonds around the bezel and carefully placed on the t-shaped lugs and crown. The mechanical movement inside ensures that this is as much haute horologie as it is jewelry.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

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