Long revered for its expertise in creating iconic High Jewellery timepieces, Van Cleef & Arpels is celebrating the ninetieth anniversary of one of its most admired pieces. The Cadenas watch remains one of the Maison’s most emblematic designs, fusing technical mastery with the quiet sophistication of classic Parisian style. First created in 1935, during the height of the Art Deco era, the Cadenas transformed timekeeping into an expression of elegance, embodying the Maison’s talent for blending innovation with refinement. Its name, meaning padlock in French, symbolised unity and protection, a motif that mirrored the artistic experimentation of the period. By re-imagining an everyday object as an object of beauty, Van Cleef & Arpels echoed the readymade philosophy introduced by Marcel Duchamp in the 1910s and later explored by the Surrealists of the 1930s. This union of ingenuity and artistry positioned the Cadenas at the very centre of the modernist spirit.
Worn on the wrist, its angled dial allowed the wearer to read the hour subtly, a graceful nod to the social codes of the 1930s, when women were expected to treat time as insignificant. The clasp of a double snake-chain bracelet slid fluidly around the wrist, following its curve with effortless flexibility, making the piece as comfortable as it was covetable. More than a functional object, the Cadenas became a symbol of independence and discretion, a jewel that suggested its wearer was in quiet control of her own time.
Throughout the decades, the design has evolved while preserving its distinctive character. Early models, crafted in yellow gold and platinum, later appeared adorned with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds, each new interpretation reaffirming its place among the Maison’s icons.
The latest creation continues this lineage with luminous precision: a yellow-gold bracelet encircling a snow-set diamond case, its clasp traced with rows of princess-cut sapphires. It radiates the quiet strength of an enduring classic that bridges artistry and engineering.
Ninety years on, the Cadenas remains a paragon of understated Parisian style. Elegant, intelligent and eternally modern, it is a jewel that measures not just the passing of time, but the enduring beauty of it.
