This is the new Pierre Arpels Platine watch. It was first designed eponymously in 1949 by the French sophisticate and extreme sportsman – also part of the Arpels family behind the luxury French jewellers, Van Cleef & Arpels.
It was not until 1971 that the jewellery brand agreed to commercialise the design and allow it to be sold to the general public.
The Platine version, released at the end of last year, comes with baguette-cut diamonds set into the bezel. It is so expensive that you can only find out how much it is if you ask. The brand does not release price information publicly.
It is available in black – with different platinum cases – and a black lacquer dial carrying a piqué motif, inspired by black-tie shirtfronts, appears within this perfect circle, while the slightly raised roman numerals, hour markers and hands stand out like strokes of light.
Pierre Arpels and his jewellers became a bastion of good taste in France – so much that he featured in the French movie Fantômas wearing the signature watch in 1964.
The design of this watch sought to eschew the horrors of the Second World War. Pierre Arpels wanted a design based in simplicity and elegance with no gaudy accessories or functionality – a return to basic human understanding and good taste. The concept behind the original timepiece was a thin, perfectly round case that appears to be suspended in space because of the lack of lugs commonly used to secure the case of a watch to its strap or bracelet.
He had the watched designed for himself and wore it day and night. He was always the ambassador of good taste; his watch sat easily with a day suit, casual evening wear or black-tie. He would consider it rude to be caught looking at the time when with a client or a friend. This is the reason the watch was designed so thin – it had to sit discreetly under the cuff of his shirt, sliding out as smoothly as possible without ever catching on the material, so as to go unnoticed.
The most recent incarnation of the watch comes in 38mm and 42mm diameter versions, with a delicate, almost feminine, appearance. The question is, are you man enough to wear it?
Q&A only if you can afford it
Tell me more about Pierre Arpels.
He was the youngest of the three French Arpels brothers. Born in 1919, he was inventive, creative, sporting and charismatic. It took four years for him to allow his watch to be made for friends and family. The original drawing still exists in the Van Cleef & Arpels vaults. He wore it on his right wrist, which is unusual. This way, he could tell the time at a glance while examining a drawing or writing.
Was he a watch designer then?
No. He was a true bon viveur, travelling through India collecting incredible gems from maharajas for the business.
What else do you know about him?
He loved dangerous sports and held the world record in 1963 for the longest time in the air while paragliding. He was always impeccably dressed and spent his summers aboard his first yacht, Caroline (named after his daughter) and his second yacht, Le Clair Matin, shuttling between glamourous parties in Cannes and Monaco. He was friends with Princess Grace and Elizabeth Taylor and designed the Empress Farah Diba's crown and all of the jewels worn by the Imperial family of Iran for the coronation in 1967.
How much is it?
Van Cleef & Arpels do not communicate the price as a brand policy. Platinum and diamonds are usually quite expensive, though. Much like most things in life, if you have to ask the price you probably cannot afford it.
ascott@thenational.ae
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