Dance – an art of movement and harmony – has permeated Van Cleef & Arpels’ imagination since the 1940s, inspiring creations suffused with grace and vitality. Today, that universe features on two dazzlingly coloured watches from the Extraordinary Dials collection: Lady Danse and Lady Danse Duo. Respectively depicting a soloist going on stage and a group of dancers in a contemporary setting, they evoke the excitement of Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s. Like true miniature tableaux combining precious and ornamental stones, these numbered editions offer a blend of contemporary lines, watchmaking savoir-faire and exceptional craftsmanship.
Two dance scenes with graphic lines
Dance is making a first appearance in the Van Cleef & Arpels Extraordinary Dials collection with these two new pieces. Inside 33mm cases – another new feature for this collection – the Lady Danse and Lady Danse Duo watches illustrate two powerful moments for artists: going on stage, and the performance itself.
On the first dial, a dancer with a diamond face is ready to enter the stage. Inspired by the fashions of the 1950s and 1960s, her dress – set with rubies and hemmed with gold – twirls airily as she performs an arabesque, revealing her shoes in miniature painting. Sculpted in relief, her silhouette stands out against the back of the case, which is adorned with a three-dimensional marquetry of ornamental stones. To create this delicate technique, white mother-of-pearl, turquoise and chrysoprase have been intricately cut, then carefully assembled side by side; the result is a striking effect of perspective, which highlights the movement of the ballerina. The performance continues on the back of the watch, where an engraving offers a poetic interpretation of the scene on the dial.
White gold, yellow gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli, turquoise, white mother-of-pearl, miniature painting, manual-winding mechanical movement
Meanwhile, the Lady Danse Duo watch depicts a group of dancers performing in a setting that evokes the architecture of New York. Buildings in turquoise and in white gold set with diamonds are silhouetted in relief against a background of white mother-of-pearl. Below them, three dancers in costumes created with miniature painting perform a choreography together; on the other side of the stage, the ballerina in her red tutu has joined her partner for a duet. In the foreground, the steps leading to the stage are depicted in three-dimensional marquetry of lapis lazuli. On this piece, the strips of deep blue have been assembled on different levels, accentuating the dial’s impression of depth. On the back of the case, the two dancers are pictured together as if sharing a break, before the performance starts up again.
A blend of exceptional savoir-faire
A selection of rare materials
Van Cleef & Arpels’ quest for excellence finds its first expression in the intricate work that its expert gemologists devote to selecting and matching stones. Their trained eye enables them to choose both precious and ornamental stones that meet the Maison’s stringent criteria.
For the turquoise, lapis lazuli and chrysoprase, they have been attentive to the intensity and evenness of the colour, while the white mother-of-pearl had to display a regular surface with attractive iridescence. This selection was made more complicated by the fact that some of the materials – like turquoise and lapis lazuli – are extremely rare. The stones must then be matched for shade and opacity, to ensure a harmonious ensemble.
The diamonds, set on the dials and around the cases, are chosen in line with the strictest criteria: D, E and F for color, IF and VVS for clarity. Glittering on white gold, they light up the creations with a brilliant sparkle.
Spotlight on three-dimensional marquetry
Created on a watch dial by the Maison for the first time, three-dimensional stone marquetry demands the skills of accomplished craftsmen. To produce the scene, the components in turquoise, lapis lazuli, chrysoprase and mother-of-pearl are worked one by one, before being cut and polished. The lapidary must take the specificities of each material into account to obtain motifs of the required thickness and volume. The latter are then assembled side by side or at slight intervals, to create an impression of depth inside the case. A complex technique calling for great expertise, it is combined with sculpture on gold, stone-setting and miniature painting to bring these three-dimensional theatres into being.
Extraordinary Dials collection, a tribute to exceptional crafts
For the Extraordinary Dials collection, the watchmaker’s art is enhanced by that of the enameler, the engraver, the lapidary, the miniature painter and the stone-setter, among others. Each dial is crafted like a miniature picture and requires dozens of hours to complete. In keeping with each inspiration, diverse crafts come together and combine in an illustration of the Maison’s excellence and creativity. From engraving on gold and mother-of-pearl to champlevé, vallonné and grisaille enamelling, from stone-setting to mother-of-pearl and stone marquetry, Van Cleef & Arpels brings traditional skills to life – selected to express the poetry unique to each dial.
Poetry of Time
Ever faithful to a poetic view of life, Van Cleef & Arpels instills a distinctive dimension into the art of watchmaking: that of dreams and emotions. A blend of inventiveness and fantasy, the Maison’s creations interpret the measurement of time as an invitation to imagine, wander and revel in happiness.
The Maison draws from its history and emblematic sources of inspiration to depict the poetry of each instant. New tales of love and luck join creations evoking Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage. Fairies and ballerinas tick away the hours, while the rhythm of nature meets that of the cosmos. In line with the various watch collections, each piece relates a moment of grace and enchantment.
Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Danse and Lady Danse Duo watches Technical Specifications
Lady Danse Duo watch
Extraordinary Dials Collection, Lady Danse Duo watch. 33mm white gold case, round diamonds; white gold bezel, round diamonds; foreground white gold and yellow gold dancers, miniature painting, background white gold, round diamonds, lapis lazuli, turquoise and white mother-of-pearl marquetry, miniature painting; white gold crown, round diamond; two interchangeable shiny alligator straps, one wine red and a second colour to choose from the offer available in boutique; white gold interchangeable pin buckle, round diamonds; DEF, IF to VVS diamonds
Reference VCARO8Z300
Movement
- Mechanical manual winding movement (430P), 40-hour power reserve
Stone
- Diamond: 341 stones, 4.19 carats
- Lapis Lazuli: 1 stone
- Mother-of-pearl: 1 stone
- Turquoise: 1 stone
Case
- Case Dimension: 33 mm
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
Bracelet & Buckle
- Bracelet Material: shiny alligator, square scale (wine red) self interchangeable
- Buckle Type: Ardillon buckle
Lady Danse watch
Extraordinary Dials Collection, Lady Danse watch. 33mm white gold case, round diamonds; white gold bezel, round diamonds; foreground white gold and yellow gold ballerina, rose-cut diamond, round rubies, miniature painting, background turquoise, chrysoprase and white mother-of-pearl marquetry; white gold crown, round diamond; two interchangeable shiny alligator straps, one wine red and a second color to choose from the offer available in boutique; white gold interchangeable pin buckle, round diamonds; DEF, IF to VVS diamonds; manual-winding mechanical movement (430P), 40-hour power reserve; numbered edition.
Reference VCARO8Z200
Movement
- Mechanical manual winding movement (430P), 40-hour power reserve
Stone
- Chrysoprase: 1 stone
- Diamond: 303 stones, 4.08 carats
- Mother-of-pearl: 1 stone
- Ruby: 64 stones, 0.33 carat
- Turquoise: 1 stone
Case
- Case Dimension: 33 mm
- Water Resistance: 3 ATM
Bracelet & Buckle
- Bracelet Material: shiny alligator, square scale (wine red) self interchangeable
- Buckle Type: Ardillon buckle
