Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra Secret Pendant Watch

“To be lucky, you have to believe in luck,” as Jacques Arpels – Estelle Arpels’ nephew – used to say. Ever cherished by the Maison, luck is a value that has often guided its footsteps and inspired some of its most characteristic creations.

Since its creation in 1968, the Alhambra collection has evolved with the passing eras, while remaining an elegant icon of luck. Today – for the first time – it welcomes secret pendant watch models.

These jewels that tell the time take the form of precious pendants, accompanying their wearer’s silhouette. They combine the Maison’s characteristically elegant jewelry style with its secret watch tradition. The time is revealed at will: a simple action pivots the stone-set motif to unveil the dial.

Alhambra secret pendant watch

The piece conceals a dial in guilloché yellow gold inside a sparkling case, entirely set with diamonds using the snow setting technique, which consists in bringing stones of different diameters together to cover as much of the surface as possible. Diamonds set on the side of the case and around the dial provide the creation with extra dazzle.

The diamonds reveal their brilliance thanks to the gold structure’s openwork; it allows the light to pass though when the watch is opened, producing an intense sparkle. 

This traditional jewelry technique is testimony to the careful attention paid to every detail. The intricate polishing of both each individual component and the finished piece illuminates the beauty of the ensemble.

A jump ring – set with diamonds and bordered with a delicate beaded contour – completes each pendant, making the pieces flexible and comfortable to wear.

In all, some fifteen stages of selection, workmanship and checking succeed one another, resulting in a unique piece that will stand the test of time.