A Van Cleef & Arpels Watch That Took Nearly 1,300 Hours to Make

First of Its Kind, Last of Its Kind tells the story of an exceptional accessory and the archival piece that inspired it.

In the 1660s, decorative brooches and ribbons began appearing on the bodices of women’s clothing in Europe. A century later, Marie Antoinette wore frilled trimmings on her coronation robes and Madame de Pompadour, the chief mistress of King Louis XV, tied lacelike collars around her neck. When Van Cleef & Arpels opened in Paris’s Place Vendôme in 1906, one of its first orders was for a gem-encrusted bow-shaped brooch. In 1918, the house produced a black onyx and diamond broche noeud, or knotted pin; this was followed in 1926 by a round, Art Deco-inspired clip with a fluttering band of diamonds that mimicked a swatch of silk. During World War II, the company, unable to obtain as many precious stones, improvised with pendant bows featuring intricate gold lacework that resembled flowers and tulle fringes.

This spring, Van Cleef & Arpels’s High Jewelry collection is introducing the new Ruban Mystérieux watch, an angular, bracelet-like cuff with bands of snow-set diamonds edged in brilliant sapphires and emeralds, suggesting what the French call a ruban, or ribbon. A 3.72-carat oval-cut diamond covers the dial, and green and cobalt gems are invisibly held in place by the brand’s signature Mystery Setting, which was patented in 1933. Requiring nearly 1,300 hours to produce, the timepiece is a feat of craftsmanship — an almost diaphanous objet that belies all the precision and expertise it took to make it.