VAN CLEEF & ARPELS "Cadenas", 1940s - Lot 70

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS "Cadenas", 1940s Ladies' wristwatch in yellow gold 750‰, stirrup "padlock" case adorned with calibrated sapphires in rail-setting, small square gilt dial with square and round hour-markers, hand-wound mechanical movement signed ERNEST BOREL, screw-down caseback, on two rows of "snake chain". Signed "VAN CLEEF ET ARPELS", numbered on the clasp "54546" and on the caseback "1182". French workmanship, trace of a diamond hallmark. Wrist size: 16.5cm. P. Gross weight: 62.5g. (Scratches, complete overhaul of the movement to be planned). Created in 1935, this watch is an iconic example of Van Cleef & Arpels' feminine "Horlogerie bijou", a symbol of the elegance of the Art Deco period, allowing the wearer to watch the time discreetly. Originally produced under the name "Agrafe", this watch was renamed "Cadenas" in 1938. Bibliography : E. POSSEME (ed.), Van Cleef & Arpels, L'Art de la Haute Joaillerie, Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 2012 p.130-131.