There’s something wonderfully personal about wearing a watch. With time everywhere these days (that is, on virtually every screen and digital device), there’s an intimacy that exists between the wearer and their chosen piece—an intimacy that’s further escalated when the watch in question happens to be a so-called “secret” style.
A watch design that appears more like a jewelry treasure than a teller of time—with the watch face concealed entirely or partially within the intricate design—celebrates the savour faire of haute horology, or high watchmaking. Dating back to designs from the 1920s, luxury watch and fine jewelry company Van Cleef & Arpels has perfected the category of these understated-yet-elevated pieces of wearable art.
“It expresses the Maison’s emblematic sources of inspiration such as nature and couture, as well as its taste for mystery,” says Pascal Narbeburu, timepieces director for the French house. “With secret watches, there is a moment of enchantment that occurs each time the dial is revealed. The Maison has iconic creations within its patrimony such as Ludo, first a bracelet that was designed in the 1930s whose shape is inspired by a belt and that is now a watch, and Cadenas, created in 1935 and characterized by a hexagonal case and inclined dial allowing the time to be read discreetly. Secrets also appear in a dial hidden beneath a cape turning around itself, a sudden moving of butterfly’s wings indicating the power reserve or flowers opening or closing to indicate hours.”
The archival creations are said to have been created in response to the perception, at the time, that glancing at one’s watch was improper, rude. While that sentiment has surely shifted, Narbeburu notes that the allure of a hidden timepiece hasn’t lessened. Instead, through these types of designs, the connection between the worlds of watch- and jewelry-making have become irrevocably intertwined.
“We see watches from a jeweler’s perspective and combine the reading of time with the notion of adornment: necklaces, brooches, bracelets,” he says. “We are always looking for the right balance between aesthetics and comfort, to ensure that our pieces are wearable in everyday life. These creations give rise to delicate and unexpected interpretations that allow for a playful vision of time, a time that is both personal and secret.”
At the Watches & Wonders exhibit in 2023, Van Cleef & Arpels unveiled its Perlée collection, which included secret watches in pendant form adorned with pavé-set gems or colourful cabochons. The creations were as much a nod to the house’s watchmaking past as to its future, according to Narbeburu: “Pendant watches were very popular during the 17th century and these watches take a direct inspiration from this tradition, which was also mirrored in the early days of the Maison, with chatelaine and lapel watches.”
While some watches harbour a secret, others reveal their inner workings entirely. Skeleton watches allow a view into the very mechanism driving the timekeeping device; such is the case with Rado’s Captain Cook Skeleton series. At first glance, the watch appears like many others. But, upon closer inspection, the timepiece stands out for its transparency, showcasing a 25-jewel R808 automatic-calibre movement framed by a new rose-gold PVD material on the crown and bezel. The recently released design builds on the popularity of the Captain Cook collection, which is billed as a timepiece for “modern explorers.” The moody high-tech ceramic style (a material first introduced by Rado in 1986) features performance aspects of a luxury men’s sport watch—such as an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring for an impressive 80 hours of reserved power—with fantastical aspect of high watch design.
Indeed, the watch world is one of increasing innovation. Perhaps one of the most striking recent representations of this lies within the house of Chanel. The French luxury brand recently revealed a timepiece design unlike any other, merging technology and timekeeping with an auditory approach.
The Première Sound watch builds on the iconic design, the Première watch—the first watch creation released by Chanel in 1987—merging the watch with wired headphones. (The house also revealed a belt iteration.) Appearing like a long chain necklace laced with leather, like that seen on Chanel’s iconic handbags, and featuring the case shape inspired by the bottle stopper of the N°5 fragrance, the transformative timepiece saw Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio, tap into a declaration attributed to founder Gabrielle Chanel: “I want to be part of what is to come.”
Another exemplary innovation from the house, the Mademoiselle Privé Pincushion, reimagines a classic wristwatch. The oversized case boasts a large, curved crystal to give it the impression of a dressmaker’s pincushion on the wrist.
As if that exterior novelty wasn’t enough, the collection of five rare timepieces each feature an intricately crafted dial that taps into the House’s Haute Couture symbols. A favourite among the creations is one crafted from 18-karat gold, which features a delicate gold outline of the iconic 2.55 handbag, complete with diamond quilting. The watch is punctuated with sparkling diamond details. This particular watch does away with hour markers, instead preferring for the mesmerizingly detailed dial to be on full display.
Whether exquisitely discreet or breathtakingly bold, the wonder of these watches lies with the wearer, promising to delight—while keeping them perfectly on time. —Aleesha Harris
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