The 2017 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) was probably the best place to admire functional works of art and be completely mesmerized by a magical mix of form and function. There were many wonderful timepieces showcased at the 27th edition of renowned event from Geneve, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ newest creation, called Fée Ondine, is definitely worth mentioning as well.
This show-stopping high jewelry automaton seduced everyone with its alluring mechanical animation. The Automate Fée Ondine comes alive on command as the beautiful fairy, sitting on a lily pad, awakens to a chiming melody to admire a fluttering butterfly emerging from the center of a flower.
This brilliant spectacle lasts 50 seconds, leaving everyone to admire the fine craftsmanship work. Van Cleef & Arpels’ famous Papillon brooches were the inspiration behind the high jewelry white gold butterfly, while a white gold miniature mechanism brings the fairy’s limbs to life. The butterfly’s wings have been set with rose-cut diamonds framing the Australian white opal center, that’s dotted with four pink sapphires.
A unique work of art, the Van Cleef & Arpels Fée Ondine is the collaborative effort of many workshops and benefits from the experience of François Junod, a famous maker of automata. Time will tell is this stunning piece will reach a very lucky collector in the near future.
