Last Updated on October 10, 2023 by Eve Dawes
Van Cleef & Arpels watch review | Are these expensive luxury watches worth it o as good as their jewelry?
Van Cleef watches are just as instantly recognizable as their jewelry and with just an eye watering price tag but are they worth it? Van Cleef & Arpels watches are the epitome of luxury to me as you seen them less often than Rolex or Cartier but the price tag is just as high. Their rarity makes them even more luxurious and the quatrefoil shape is a timeless symbol of luck. How do you spot a fake? Are they a good investment? Why are Van Cleef watches so expensive? Here’s everything you need to know about Van Cleef and Arpel watches before you hand over your credit card.
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Are Van Cleef & Arpels watches popular
You’ve probably seen them on celebrities and royals and not even realized it was a Van Cleef watch. The beauty of these watches is that they are works of art, not logo heavy. Unless it’s one of their Alhambra collection watches you’re unlikely to even have spotted it’s a Van Cleef and Arpels watch unless you’re extremely familiar with the brand or a collector.
How much do Van Cleef watches cost?
Van Cleef and Arpels watches are a luxury watch so even pre-loved aka second hand pieces are pricey. Van Cleef & Arpels watch prices vary by collection. Their most affordable timepiece is their Sweet Alhambra watch for $7750 (before tax). However, their watches go all the way up to $494,000. No I didn’t add too many zeros. That’s how much their Lady Arpels Ballerine watches are.
All of their styles have Quartz movement but for a watch that you’ll get the most wear out of consider one with interchangeable straps so that you can easily keep changing how it looks.
Are Van Cleef and Arpels watches a good investment and worth the price?
Van Cleef and Arpels is probably one of the most well known luxury jewelry brands in the World but less known for their watches. So are Van Cleef watches worth it? Van Cleef & Arpels watch price tag reflects this luxury brands craftsmanship and celebrities and royals have elevated their prestige along with the price.
Van Cleef & Arpels watches hold their value pretty well. I’ve been scoping them out on Fashionphile, other resale sites and auction houses like Sotheby’s. So if you’re considering a Van Cleef and Arpels watch as an investment piece, it’s a brand that generally holds it’s value.
To ensure it holds it’s best possible value, make sure that besides taking care of the watch itself, you also take care of it’s original box, certificate of authenticity, receipt and any other paperwork it came with.
Van Cleef pieces are also a beautiful heirloom to wear and enjoy or to pass on for generations to come.
Why is Van Cleef Alhambra so popular?
Van Cleef & Arpels is so popular because of its quality and because celebrities and royals have raised its awareness and made it a symbol of wealth and luxury.
With the Poetry of Time®, Van Cleef & Arpels has introduced the distinctive dimension of dreams and emotion to the measurement of time. The Maison’s jewelry and watchmaking savoir-faire comes together to depict a moment of grace, luck or beauty in each creation.
Van Cleef & Arpels
What celebrities wear Van Cleef & Arpels
Celebrities and royals have worn Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry for decades. Celebrity clientele include:
- Grace Kelly who wore various Van Cleef necklaces, Alhambra sautoirs, La Boutique brooches and tiaras.
- Robert Downey Jr wearing a white gold Van Cleef & Arpels “Midnight in Paris’ watch set with 96 baguette diamonds.
- Adele in Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry at the 70th Annual Golden Globe awards.
- Julia Roberts in Van Cleef & Arpels at the 70th Annual Golden Globe awards.
- KC Concepcion wearing Lady Nuit des Papillons Van Cleef & Arpels watch.
- Barbara Woolworth Hutton.
- Betty Wallace Simpson, wife of the Duke of Windsor.
- Sienna Miller in Van Cleef & Arpels at the 70th Annual Golden Globe awards.
- Heart Evangelista wearing a P6.6M Van Cleef & Arpels watch.
- Catherine Zeta-Jones in Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
- Maria Callas.
- Florence Jay Gould.
- Vogue’s Lisa Love.
- Reese Witherspoon wearing a Van Cleef Alhambra necklace.
- Mariah Carey in a gold and white mother of pearl Alhambra necklace.
- Cameron Diaz.
- Paris Hilton wearing a Van Cleef Alhambra necklace.
How to style Van Cleef watches
Van Cleef & Arpels watches are so versatile, whether you go for a leather or quatrefoil strap. It’s a classic, statement watch that will never go out of style.
They’re easy to style with everything from casual day wear to elevate the look or cocktail dresses and gowns for black tie events. Especially the diamond encrusted timepieces like the À Cheval High Jewelry watch which is top of my wish list.
What are the different Van Cleef & Arpels watch collections
The Van Cleef watch collections keep growing but currently these are the 8 different luxury watch collections:
- Alhambra
- Perlée watches
- Poetic Complications
- Extraordinary Dials
- High Jewelry watches
- Cadenas
- Pierre Arpels
- Charms
Where’s the best place to buy Van Cleef and Arpels watches
The best place to buy new, authentic Van Cleef and Arpels watches is in their boutiques or directly from their website. If you visit any of their stores, let them know Eve Dawes sent you so that they can take good care of you.
I really wanted to do a top 3 Van Cleef timepieces list but I couldn’t narrow it down that much as you know my personal style is feminine and sparkly. Which is Van Cleef & Arpels to a T. So I managed to narrow it down to my top 6 favorite Van Cleef & Arpels watches which look more like elegant bracelets:
- À Cheval High Jewelry watch
- Cadenas watch in 18K yellow gold, Diamond and Mother-of-pearl.
- Small Van Cleef Alhambra watch 18K white gold, Diamond, Mother-of-pearl
- Sweet Alhambra watch in 18K rose gold, Diamond and Mother-of-pearl.
- Medium Alhambra watch in 18K yellow gold, Diamond and Onyx.
- Sweet Alhambra watch with 8 interchangeable straps in 18K rose gold, Mother-of-pearl.
If you can’t get to a Van Cleef boutique, you can shop online at Selfridges or check out Fashionphile, TheRealReal or Farfetch for pre loved Van Cleef watches. Many of them have never been used and are in giftable condition in their boxes.
Shop used Van Cleef watches
From diamond timepieces to leather watches under $1000, here are the best Van Cleef watches I found that are available to purchase online.
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All photos are copyright of Eve Dawes | Glamour & Gains with thanks to Van Cleef & Arpels, Wynn, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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