The Bal des Amoureux is the next chapter in Van Cleef & Arpels’ love story
Borna Bošnjak- Van Cleef & Arpels’ lovers meet again, now in more fluid, dancing motion thanks to the new Bal des Amoureux calibre.
- Housed in a gem-set, white gold case, the new movement was made in-house at VCA, as well as the grisaille enamel dial.
- Available on either an alligator leather strap or case-matching, blingy bracelet, the Bal des Amoureux stars at an eye-watering CHF 142,000.
While the majority of the brand’s focus is undoubtedly on the jewellery side of the business, Van Cleef & Arpels have been building their reputation as a watchmaking house, too. The efforts that first started with the help of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht’s Agenhor (if you’re not familiar, parts 1, 2, and 3 for your reading pleasure) continued to be brought in-house, with the maison now able to produce most of its complications and dials themselves. And with the recently appointed CEO Catherine Rénier (who you’ll remember from her days at JLC), I see VCA only pushing the watchmaking envelope further. But that’s to come, as the new Van Cleef & Arpels Bal des Amoureux is unveiled after four years in development, making it sort of a parting gift from now-Richemont CEO Nicolas Bos, continuing the story of VCA’s star-crossed lovers.
The meeting place? Paris, of course. But this time, the scene moves from the arched bridge to the front of a Parisian guinguette, an old-timey, en plein air establishment known for affordable alcoholic refreshments, good times, and dance. The time display is still a double retrograde, indicated by the two stars above the grisaille enamel clouds at the top of the dial, but it’s the automaton movement of the two lovebirds that’s changed. Similarly to the Pont des Amoureux, the two meet at midday and midnight, but here, they hold hands the entire time, and in a smooth motion lean in for a kiss. It’s a subtle development from the many iterations of the Pont des Amoureux, and one that’s worth checking out in person.
Despite this seemingly simple development of the complication, the Bal des Amoureux required a new movement, and who better than Rainer Bernard, Head of Research and Development for Watchmaking at VCA, to explain the process? “…we wanted to give our lovers the most natural gestures possible. This meant articulating them and combining two simultaneous movements – their approach as well as their inclination toward one another…” It’s worth pointing out that the animation can also be played on-demand with the push of a button, which is likely a contributing factor to the 36-hour power reserve of the watch.
Granted, VCA gives very few details regarding the operation of the movement and its specifics – in fact, they’ve not even bothered to give it an explicit name, and have actually hid it from view with an intricately designed caseback. This isn’t unusual for Van Cleef & Arpels, and when I asked them about it (talking about the awesome Brise d’Été), the answer I got was very much along the lines of wanting to preserve the magic, rather than revealing exactly how it happens. While my watch nerd brain isn’t quite satisfied with that, it makes complete sense for a brand focusing on the storytelling and visual aspect of their watches.
With all that in mind, it’s not like there’s much they need to back up with dry specs and descriptions of snail cams. VCA are quite proud of their métiers d’art, and show it off fully on the dials in particular. For the Bal des Amoureux, they’ve employed the technique of grisaille enamelling, which involves painting layers of blanc de Limoges enamel powder to a dark background, building up its layers to create contrast. In this case, to enhance what would otherwise be a monochrome look, VCA also paints the dials with blue enamel, notably for the dark clouds.
Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate pricing and availability
The Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate is now available. Price: CHF 142,000, A$252,000 (leather), POA (bracelet)
| Brand | Van Cleef & Arpels |
| Model | Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate |
| Reference | VCARPERV00 |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) |
| Case material | 18k white gold, diamond-set |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Grisaille enamel, 18k white gold blank |
| Strap | Case-matching, diamond-set bracelet, folding clasp Blue alligator leather, pin buckle Additional alligator strap chosen at time of purchase |
| Movement | In-house automaton movement, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 36 hours |
| Functions | Double retrograde hours and minutes, on-demand animation |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | CHF 142,000, A$252,000 (alligator leather) POA (bracelet) |