Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
1970s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold
1940s Swiss Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1960s American Artist Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold
1940s Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s Swiss Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
1930s French Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
20th Century Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Malachite, Onyx
1960s French Retro Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold, 18k Gold
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Russian Arts and Crafts Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Garnet, Jade, Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Chalcedony, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modernist Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s French Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Malachite, White Gold, 18k Gold
Late 19th Century British Victorian Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Platinum
1930s Italian Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Carnelian, Tiger's Eye, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Sapphire, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Gold, Silver
1950s Swiss Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Steel, Stainless Steel
1980s English Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
1920s American Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Enamel
Recent Sales
1930s Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
White Gold
1950s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold
1930s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Ruby, Gold
20th Century French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1960s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1960s Swiss Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
1930s French Art Deco Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
1990s Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
1960s Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold
1960s Swiss Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1960s American Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Stainless Steel
1990s French Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Stainless Steel
20th Century Swiss Edwardian Van Cleef Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Van Cleef & Arpels for sale on 1stDibs
One of the world’s foremost jewelry houses, Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly noted for a focus on technical virtuosity, craftsmanship and artistry, evident since its beginning. Rather than create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other adornments primarily for the aim of displaying of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce jewelry that projected the wearer’s taste and style.
The company was formed a year after the 1895 marriage of Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a gem cutter, to Estelle Arpels, daughter of precious-stones dealer Salomon Arpel. Ten years later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique on the Place Vendôme in Paris, setting the march on a square now crowded with dealers in bijouterie. (The company still occupies the New York flagship store opened in 1939 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.)
Born from a union of expertise in both jewelry making and gem selection, Van Cleef & Arpels distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. In doing so, the house would win a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its trademark Mystery Setting — a technique by which gems are fitted into an intricate matrix of slots and “drawers” that keep the setting hidden. Another signal innovation was the Zip necklace, introduced in 1951, which can be worn either around the neck or, with the zipper closed, as a bracelet.
But as much as to the firm’s craftsmanship, clients have been drawn by the insouciance and playfulness of Van Cleef & Arpels designers, as well as their attunement to the cultural climate. After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the company produced several lavish pieces featuring hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs to go along with the geometric Art Deco jewelry of that decade and the next. Following World War II, as symbols of freedom and rebirth, the firm focused on naturalistic forms such as birds, flowers, fruit and flying insects. High society’s 1960s fascination with the Near East and India prompted such pieces as the best-selling Alhambra necklace, popularized by Princess Grace.
Lately, attention among collectors and connoisseurs has centered on Van Cleef & Arpels’s quality of workmanship as much as its glamour. The firm was the subject of a 2012 show at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as well as exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in 2013 and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014.
Find an exquisite collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right watches for You
Records show that, in Europe, by the 16th century, it was high time for portable clock devices. Right now, perhaps you’re shopping for your own. If so, find a vast range of fashionable and functional antique, new and classic vintage watches on 1stDibs.
While wall-mounted time tellers and grandfather clocks were much more convenient than the sundials of ancient history, watches were becoming crucial for an increasingly connected society whose members learned that the latest advancements in technology meant they could carry devices that kept time to within a minute a day. Tragically, the first pocket watches — albeit an improvement on the accessories that preceded them, which dangled from a chain worn around the neck — didn’t help much as far as accuracy or portability. Focused on style over substance, the upper class frequently carried lavish pieces that ran hours behind.
Eventually, watches migrated from owners’ pockets to their wrists. In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Indeed, although exceedingly practical, the watches of today are far from bland. Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional watches. You’ll always know what time it is because you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from your new accessory.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
When shopping for a watch, it’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find exactly what you’re looking for in an unparalleled collection of antique, new and vintage watches on 1stDibs — we promise it will be worth your time.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021Van Cleef & Arpels is so expensive because it is a well-known company that has a fantastic reputation. Van Cleef & Arpels are universally renowned for high quality jewelry with a focus on detail. High-profile fans of the French jewelry house over the years have included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor and many more. Find an extraordinary range of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.