For 2017, Van Cleef & Arpels adds the exquisite Lady Arpels Papillon Automate to its collection of Poetic Complications. The hours and minutes are positioned discretely on the right, as the butterfly flutters its wings on the left.
The 38 mm white gold case is entirely set with diamonds and houses a self-winding mechanical automaton movement for which Van Cleef & Arpels filed four patents. The animation is on-demand, and pressing the curved button integrated into the case brings the butterfly's wings to life. The random sequence of the fluttering is an horological first. As the video below illustrates, an irregular wheel causes the flutter mechanism to activate at intervals of three to ten minutes, while the number of flutters depends on the charge of the barrel spring. That is, since the control wheel is linked to the winding rotor through a differential gear, the more fully wound the barrel spring, the faster the wheel turns and the more the butterfly wings flutter.
![Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, VCARO8OD00, van cleef Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, Poetic Complication Papillon]()
Lady Arpels Papillon Automate
A diamond bezel frames the artistry of a dial that is meticulously crafted in gemstones, mother-of-pearl, champlevé enamel, paillonné enamel and curved plique-à-jour enamel.
Plique-à-jour (French for "letting in daylight") is a vitreous enamelling technique wherein transparent enamels are fused into the partitions of gold filigree. The transparency enables light to shine through the enamel like stained glass. Even amongst artisans, plique-à-jour is considered very challenging because it is a labor intensive, painstakingly slow process that yields a high failure rate. The process begins by grinding glass granules by hand with a mortar and pestle until the granules are uniform in size and texture. The granules are continuously washed with pure water to remove any impurities. Each layer of enamel is then hand-applied into the partitions of gold filigree, with up to six layers of enamel per opening. After the enamel layers are applied, the piece is kiln-fired to fuse the enamel to the gold filigree. The frame is then filled with translucent colored enamel and vitrified up to 800° (1472° Fahrenheit), making it look like a miniature stained-glass window. Once all the frames are created, they are assembled, soldered and polished. Altogether, the plique-à-jour process can take months to produce a single object.
![Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, VCARO8OD00, van cleef Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, Poetic Complication Papillon]()
Plique-à-jour enamel butterfly
![Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, VCARO8OD00, van cleef Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, Poetic Complication Papillon]()
Hand-set gemstones
![Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, VCARO8OD00, van cleef Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, Poetic Complication Papillon]()
Meticulous attention to detail
Time is indicated on a paillonné enamel dial with facetted hours and minutes hand. The Paillonné technique calls for tucking a piece of foil (paillon) between two layers of enamel. Due to the transparency of the enamel, the technique brings shimmering reflections, brilliance and luminosity to the dial.
![Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, VCARO8OD00, van cleef Lady Arpels Papillon Automate, Poetic Complication Papillon]()
Curved plique-à-jour enamel enhances the depth of the dial
Turning the timepiece over reveals a solid caseback that is beautifully decorated in hand-engraved relief, with an aperture that frames the hand-engraved oscillating weight. The timepiece is fitted with a blue alligator strap with a white gold pin buckle that is also gem-set with diamonds.
The 38 mm white gold case is entirely set with diamonds and houses a self-winding mechanical automaton movement for which Van Cleef & Arpels filed four patents. The animation is on-demand, and pressing the curved button integrated into the case brings the butterfly's wings to life. The random sequence of the fluttering is an horological first. As the video below illustrates, an irregular wheel causes the flutter mechanism to activate at intervals of three to ten minutes, while the number of flutters depends on the charge of the barrel spring. That is, since the control wheel is linked to the winding rotor through a differential gear, the more fully wound the barrel spring, the faster the wheel turns and the more the butterfly wings flutter.
Lady Arpels Papillon Automate
A diamond bezel frames the artistry of a dial that is meticulously crafted in gemstones, mother-of-pearl, champlevé enamel, paillonné enamel and curved plique-à-jour enamel.
Plique-à-jour (French for "letting in daylight") is a vitreous enamelling technique wherein transparent enamels are fused into the partitions of gold filigree. The transparency enables light to shine through the enamel like stained glass. Even amongst artisans, plique-à-jour is considered very challenging because it is a labor intensive, painstakingly slow process that yields a high failure rate. The process begins by grinding glass granules by hand with a mortar and pestle until the granules are uniform in size and texture. The granules are continuously washed with pure water to remove any impurities. Each layer of enamel is then hand-applied into the partitions of gold filigree, with up to six layers of enamel per opening. After the enamel layers are applied, the piece is kiln-fired to fuse the enamel to the gold filigree. The frame is then filled with translucent colored enamel and vitrified up to 800° (1472° Fahrenheit), making it look like a miniature stained-glass window. Once all the frames are created, they are assembled, soldered and polished. Altogether, the plique-à-jour process can take months to produce a single object.
Plique-à-jour enamel butterfly
Hand-set gemstones
Meticulous attention to detail
Time is indicated on a paillonné enamel dial with facetted hours and minutes hand. The Paillonné technique calls for tucking a piece of foil (paillon) between two layers of enamel. Due to the transparency of the enamel, the technique brings shimmering reflections, brilliance and luminosity to the dial.
Curved plique-à-jour enamel enhances the depth of the dial
Turning the timepiece over reveals a solid caseback that is beautifully decorated in hand-engraved relief, with an aperture that frames the hand-engraved oscillating weight. The timepiece is fitted with a blue alligator strap with a white gold pin buckle that is also gem-set with diamonds.