The latest in Van Cleef & Arpels’s historic line of precious decorative objects, this one-of-a-kind piece is at once a feat of artisanal savoir faire and a flourish of figurative artistry. Swimming across its round face is a school of white- and rose-gold fish, all rendered against a background of paillonné enamel, a time-intensive technique that sandwiches thin leaves of metal between silica powder to lustrous effect. Two interchangeable diamond-covered clips can affix to the top—both in swirling nautilus forms, one with bands of sapphires imperceptibly anchored by the house’s signature Mystery settings, the other with scattered sapphires and blue tourmalines. Swivel them open to reveal a watch dial paved with yet more diamonds. Here, another gleaming sapphire marks noon, expanding on the azure materials palette that also includes a base of rare Brazilian blue quartz.
For Van Cleef & Arpels, comme d’habitude, there’s no detail too small. Its face of polished rock crystal bears tiny bubbles for aqueous intrigue. Those clips, meanwhile, feature stones in a carefully calibrated variety of diameters, yielding surfaces as richly textured as the ocean floor. The hammered white-gold rim of the lid was cast as a single element, challenging even the jewelry house’s most experienced metalworkers. Open the lid and discover two nested compartments of ebony wood lined in fine goat leather. What to stow there? That treasure hunt will fall to its lucky owner. Price upon request; vancleefarpels.com
This story appears in AD’s January issue. Never miss a story when you subscribe to AD.
