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Van Cleef & Arpels Wins Three GPHG Awards for Exceptional Watchmaking Craftsmanship November 20, 2024 (0 comments)
New York, NY--Van Cleef & Arpels emerged as a standout at the 2024 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), earning three prestigious awards for its extraordinary watchmaking craftsmanship. According to Van Cleef & Arpels, the Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté, Lady Jour Nuit, and Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watches were recognized for their artistic and technical achievements, showcasing the Maison’s dedication to innovation and artistry.
[Image via Van Cleef & Arpels]
The Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté, which won the Artistic Crafts Watch Prize, combines meticulous handcrafting techniques with innovative design. Van Cleef & Arpels highlighted the use of its façonné enamel technique, which creates a high-relief floral décor. The watch features a hand-sculpted white gold fairy with wings in mother-of-pearl enamel, surrounded by diamond-studded leaves and flowers.
Precious stones, including sapphires and spessartite garnets, form the vibrant sun in the background, crafted with a "lifted setting" to give the illusion of suspended droplets. Van Cleef & Arpels credited the work of enamellers, engravers, and gem setters for bringing this intricate design to life.
The Lady Jour Nuit, winner of the Ladies' Watch Prize, reimagines the ballet of the Sun and Moon with a mechanical movement that animates the dial over 24 hours. Van Cleef & Arpels noted that Murano glass and diamond-set stars evoke the vastness of space. The watch belongs to the Maison’s Poetic Complications® collection, introduced in 2006, and combines advanced watchmaking with storytelling through its celestial design.
The Lady Arpels Brise d’Été, awarded the Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize, celebrates nature’s beauty. The timepiece features plique-à-jour enamel butterflies circling a dial of matte mother-of-pearl and vallonné enamel flowers. Van Cleef & Arpels described how the flowers, adorned with spessartite garnet pistils, appear to sway as though in a summer breeze. The intertwined blades of grass in curved enamel add depth to the bucolic scene.
See more in this post by Van Cleef & Arpels.