Introducing: The Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Plantarium

January 10, 2018

The Van Cleef and Arpels Midnight Planetarium was first released back in 2014 and quickly became one of the most impressive horological pieces to be produced by the typically jewelry-focused maison (not to mention Matt Damon wore one while winning an Oscar in 2016). This year, Van Cleef & Arpels has released a smaller version for women C?the Lady Arpels Plantarium. This 38mm watch in white gold with diamond-set bezel features a stunning dial made out of concentric rings made of Aventurine, a star-like stone not often seen. The watch uses other precious materials such as pink mother-of-pearl for Mercury, green enamel for Venus, turquoise for Earth, and a diamond for the Moon. The caseback displays a key for the planets as well as two apertures displaying the day, month, and year.?Furthermore, there is a diamond-set (using the serti neige) crescent-moon-shaped PVD-coated oscillating weight for the rotor with a turquoise center.? Why This Watch Matters The Plantarium is not only a beautiful watch, it is also a highly complicated watch. However, this watch should come as no surprise to those who follow Van Cleef who annually release an interesting complicated watch each year (remember the Ronde des Papillons?). The Arpels Plantarium displays the different phases of each planet as they rotate around the sun at their actual speeds, with Mercury orbiting the dial in 88 days, Venus in 224 days, Earth in 365 days, and the Moon rotating in 29.5 days. The original movement for the Midnight Planetarium was designed by Christiaan van der Klaauw, leading Astrological watchmaker, and it took two-and-a-half years to develop the module which was then implemented into a movement produced by Richemont's in-house Stern manufacture. The Lady Arpels Planetarium naturally features a smaller movement since the watch itself is smaller, with a modified version of the van der Klaauw module added. Initial Thoughts While I'm not one for fanciful complications (I'm a practical gal), I find this watch both interesting and aesthetically impressive. This watch isn't a run-of-the-mill complication, it's a difficult and complex complication both to understand and to produce. Add on top of that a beautiful case and creative use of unusual precious and semi-precious stones and you have a watch that only Van Cleef could produce. Bottom line? If you've got six-figures to spend and you're looking for the perfect marriage of horology and jewelry, this watch is it.? The Basics Brand: Van Cleef & ArpelsModel: Lady Arpels PlanetariumDiameter: 38mmCase Material: White gold with diamondsDial Color: AventurineIndexes: Arabic numeralsLume: NoneStrap/Bracelet: Blue alligator strap or a white gold bracelet? The Movement Caliber: NAComplications: Astronomical watch displaying planetary orbits, day, month, and yearPower Reserve: 40 hoursWinding: Automatic? Pricing & Availability Price: $245,000 on a strap, $330,000 on a diamond-set braceletAvailability: TBDLimited Edition: Limited production, but not strictly limited to a pre-set numberFor more click here.