The jewel that tells time is a tradition at the house of Van Cleef & Arpels. It’s a world that blends the arts and crafts of watchmaking and high jewelry skills. Hallmarks of the Parisian house include ingenious invisible clasps and meticulously selected stones. Among these gems of Van Cleef & Arpels high jewelry watches is the Ruban Mystérieux watch with at its centerpiece a 3.72-carat oval-cut nearly flawless diamond. Inspired by the world of couture, the timepieces reproduces a delicate ribbon-like bracelet that gracefully envelops the wearer’s wrist. 

The metal is nearly invisible beneath the brilliance of the diamonds which are set in a snow-set arrangement. The richly colored sapphires and emeralds are held in place by the house’s famous Mystery Set technique which was patented by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1933, a savoir-faire that is based on the use of gold rails into which meticulously cut stones are fitted one by one, resulting in a velvety surface. The timepiece is powered by a hand-wound, mechanical movement whose small size required keen precision when assembled to the case. The Ruban Mystérieux watch is a unique piece and a mystery in and of itself. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette https://www.vancleefarpels.com/us/en/home.html