First off, the name Van Cleef & Arpels, right? It just screams “high class.” Like, I can’t even *afford* to look at their stuff for too long, I might break something. But the interesting thing is, reading through some stuff (above, you know), you see them popping up in the “Watches & Wonders” thing, celebrating love in 2025. So, clearly, they’re doing timepieces. But like, what’s the deal with the movements?
You see Piaget mentioned, and how *they’ve* been making movements since, like, forever. That makes you wonder: is Van Cleef & Arpels actually *making* their own movements, or are they, you know, outsourcing? That’s the big question, isn’t it? Honestly, I bet a lot of these high-end brands are doing *some* outsourcing. No shame in it, really, as long as it’s a good Swiss movement. We’re talking Swiss, right? It says it right in the prompt!
And then you see stuff about “Charms Coccinelle Féerique watch” with a “Swiss quartz movement.” Quartz? Really? Okay, so sometimes it’s quartz, sometimes… maybe something fancier? It’s all a bit of a mystery, innit? And the whole “Fleurette motif” thing from the 1920s? It makes you think they’re more about the *look* of the watch than the super-technical stuff inside. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. It’s jewelry, after all. Fancy jewelry.
The text doesn’t really say outright if they specialize in high-end mechanical movements or if they’re all about the design and outsource the movement. It feels like the latter. They obviously put a TON of effort into the dials and the overall aesthetic. The “miniature painting” and the enamel work? Insane!
And Richemont owning them? That’s… something. Makes you wonder about the direction they’re heading in. Will they stick to the super-fancy, jewelry-first approach, or will they try to become a *serious* watchmaker? I dunno. Maybe they don’t need to. They’re Van Cleef & Arpels. They’re already winning at the “make-people-drool-with-envy” game.