Geneva, Switzerland —The Watches and Wonders watch fair has drawn to a successful close with stunning pieces marking the minds of attendees both on and off-line. Van Cleef & Arpels brought us more wonderment than usual with a pink sapphire and diamond fairy perched in a watch dial watching the sky. The Lady Féerie Or Rose watch houses the house’s emblematic fairy inside the dial with her wings in plique-à-jour enamel on a backdrop crafted in guilloché mother-of-pearl and set with diamonds. Delicately sitting on a cloud, she ticks away the minutes with her magic wand thanks to a retrograde movement. The sun indicates the hours in a mother-of-pearl aperture, magnified by a soothing halo.

Left: The Éveil de Cyclamen (The Waking Cyclamen) automaton from the house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo courtesy Van Cleef & Arpels. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette. Right: The butterfly from the Éveil de Cyclamen (The Waking Cyclamen) automaton from the house of Van Cleef & Arpels. Photo courtesy Van Cleef & Arpels. Handout via The Gourmet Gazette

Meanwhile one of the more intriguing pieces at the Watches and Wonders show was the house’s Éveil de Cyclamen automaton showcases a bouquet of cyclamen flowers that open to reveal a bejeweled butterfly. Lacquered cyclamens emerge from a purple jade bowl and come to life to reveal the delicate winged creature. The butterfly’s strikingly realistic enamel wings flutter at a natural pace as it rises above the object. The hours are indicated by a rotating ring on the green aventurine base. Produced in partnership with the François Junod workshop, the animation is accompanied by a crystal-clear melody to complete this truly spellbinding moment in time. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette. https://www.vancleefarpels.com/en/home.html