Watches and Wonders 2023 held in Geneva showcased the best of the horological world and we’ve covered many finds extensively over the past few days . Above all, we had to take a moment to recognise the “wonder” provided by the fine folks at Van Cleef & Arples, who directed their gilded spotlight on the Ludo secret watch earlier this year.
The story traces back to the revered maison’s Ludo bracelet, a sparkling accessory from 1934 reflecting the jazzy Art Deco vibe of the period. Look for the brick-pattern meshwork made so exquisitely and assembled by hand, and the symmetry and geometry of the repetitive pattern on its glistening strap that looks like a jewelled belt, designed “to deliver optimal articulation and flexibility,” as the brand states. It is a piece so well-liked, they named it after the co-founder Louis Arpels (called Ludo by those in his close-knit circle).
18K yellow gold, chrysoprase, diamond, emerald, mother-of-pearl, sapphire, Swiss quartz movement
Why the secret? Well, on first sight, the bejewelled straps look like a glistening bracelet, but press into the colourful motifs and the dial is revealed, following the maison’s enduring history of having “secret” watches that work double-duty as both bewitching jewellery and a technically perfect timepiece.
A watch from the famed jewellers is standard gear for a black-tie, gowns, and gala affair. Reel back into the archives and think of major red-carpet events as stars of all stripes and genders add a bit of razzle-dazzle from Van Cleef & Arpels. The range offered by the brand are second to none; from the understated Perlée watch, to the complexity of the Lady Arpels Heures Florales or the Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisie, these are watches that reveal the passage of time as flowers bloom and repose, and Van Cleef & Arpels is that happy marriage of top-tier technical expertise with an artistic rendering of timekeeping. Where else can you find theatrical, poetic, timeless timekeepers for the ages?
The latest accessory does come at a price, of course, at US$143,000 (around HK$1.12 million). One or two versions of the wrist candy are up for the picking. One speckled with diamonds, and another with pink sapphires, both resting on a mother-of-pearl dial, can be pre-ordered at Van Cleef & Arpels’s latest store on Canton Road in Hong Kong or online here.
Shop G113, G/F, Harbour City, 7–25 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
(+852) 2818 8616
All images courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels.
