By: Maryna Steger
To mark the opening of “GLANZSTÜCKE – Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewellery × Masterpieces from the MAK Collection” in Vienna, WatchAdvisor had the opportunity to speak with Alexandrine Maviel-Sonet, Patrimony Director at Van Cleef & Arpels.
Alexandrine reflects on the personalities who shaped the Maison’s identity, the importance of preserving heritage, and the enduring dialogue between jewellery, art and watchmaking.
The conversation also offers a closer look at GLANZSTÜCKE, one of the most significant Van Cleef & Arpels exhibitions presented in Vienna in recent years.
This year, Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates 120 years of excellence in jewellery and watchmaking. Looking back at the Maison’s history, which creative periods or personalities most strongly shaped the identity of Van Cleef & Arpels?
From the very beginning, Van Cleef & Arpels was a family-run Maison. One of the most influential figures in its history was undoubtedly Renée Puissant – daughter of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels (Alfred Van Cleef founded the Maison in 1906 with his brother-in-law Salomon Charles Arpels). Renée Puissant took over the Maison’s creative direction in 1926, when Van Cleef & Arpels was only 20 years old.
Under her leadership, some of the Maison’s most important innovations were created, including the Passe-Partout and the patented Mystery Set™ technique. Many of the defining creations and creative breakthroughs that still shape the identity of Van Cleef & Arpels today emerged during that period.
This was also an exceptionally dynamic period for the decorative arts. The Maison participated in the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, where it received a Grand Prize in jewellery. Renée Puissant played a fundamental role in establishing the creative spirit that continues to define Van Cleef & Arpels.
Van Cleef & Arpels has built one of the world’s most remarkable patrimonial collections, long before heritage became a major focus in the luxury industry. What originally inspired this vision, and why is preserving heritage so important for the Maison today?
The vision began in the 1970s with Jacques Arpels, a member of the founding family. He understood very early on the importance of preserving both the history of the Maison and the savoir-faire behind its creations.
He began acquiring historic Van Cleef & Arpels pieces to ensure that future generations could understand and appreciate the Maison’s heritage. Thanks to his foresight, the patrimonial collection today comprises more than 3,000 extraordinary creations.
For us, heritage is not something static — it is a living source of inspiration. The pieces in the patrimonial collection continue to inspire contemporary collections. We can see this, for example, in Egyptian-inspired creations from the 1920s, whose influence reappeared in the 1970s, the 1980s and again in the new high jewellery collection.
Heritage helps us maintain a clear identity while continuing to innovate.
The exhibition at the MAK places Van Cleef & Arpels creations in dialogue with art, design, and architecture. Why was it important for you to present high jewellery within this broader cultural context?
Because jewellery is fully part of the decorative and applied arts. Historically, jewellery has not always received the same recognition as other artistic disciplines, and exhibitions like this help remind audiences of its place within the broader creative landscape.
By presenting jewellery alongside architecture, design and decorative arts, visitors can better appreciate the shared craftsmanship, technical mastery and artistic vision that unite these disciplines.
If a visitor had only 15 minutes to experience GLANZSTÜCKE, which objects or moments would you personally recommend not to miss?
I would encourage visitors to follow their instincts and stop wherever they feel a genuine emotional connection. Rather than trying to see everything in a short amount of time, it is often more rewarding to focus on one chapter, one object or one story and experience it deeply.
That said, I would strongly recommend returning for a second visit. This is an exhibition that reveals different details each time. Even my colleagues who visited the exhibition more than once discovered entirely new perspectives with every visit. Your mood, your interests and even the time of day can change the way you experience the exhibition.
WatchAdvisor is especially interested in the connection between jewellery and watchmaking. How do the timepieces in the exhibition contribute to the storytelling, and are there watches visitors should pay particular attention to?
Van Cleef & Arpels is known for creating what we often call “jewellery that tells time,” and that idea is central to the exhibited timepieces.
We wanted to showcase different periods of the Maison’s watchmaking history. Visitors will discover the elegant Chatelaine watches from the early 20th century, displayed alongside objects from the same period.
The iconic Cadenas watch, first introduced in 1935, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the exhibition. Inspired by the shape of a padlock, it reflects the influence of Surrealism and the creative practice of transforming everyday objects into works of art. Displaying the watch alongside an ancient padlock creates a particularly memorable visual dialogue.
We also present a Ludo watch, which evolved from one of the Maison’s most recognisable bracelet designs into a timepiece. A similar transformation can be seen in the Passe-Partout watch. The Passe-Partout concept perfectly illustrates the Maison’s creativity: a single creation that can be worn as a bracelet, necklace or even a belt, while also inspiring a timepiece.
Throughout different eras, Van Cleef & Arpels has always approached watchmaking through the lens of jewellery, creating timepieces that are both functional and poetic.
Luxury today constantly balances innovation with heritage. How do exhibitions like GLANZSTÜCKE help transform heritage into something emotionally relevant for contemporary audiences?
For us, heritage and innovation are inseparable. When our creative teams begin developing a new collection, they often turn to the patrimonial collection for inspiration. There is no separation between the past and the future; heritage actively nourishes innovation.
Displaying historical creations alongside contemporary works also highlights their timelessness. Visitors can see how ideas, techniques and creative visions continue to resonate across generations. It creates a virtuous cycle in which yesterday’s innovations continue to inspire tomorrow’s creations.
Finally, if visitors leave the exhibition remembering only one object or one emotion, what would you hope it is?
I hope they leave with a sense of poetry. Poetry lies at the heart of Van Cleef & Arpels. Whether the inspiration comes from nature, couture, architecture, dance or the cosmos, our creations always seek to evoke emotion and imagination.
The exhibition’s scenography also plays an important role in creating this atmosphere. Together, the objects, the setting and the stories create a poetic experience. And if visitors leave wanting to come back and discover more, then we will have achieved our goal.
The exhibition “GLANZSTÜCKE – Van Cleef & Arpels High Jewellery × Masterpieces from the MAK Collection” is on display from 10 June to 27 September 2026 at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna.
This extraordinary exhibition is the result of an intensive collaboration between Van Cleef & Arpels and the MAK. It brings together selected, rarely exhibited objects from the significant MAK collection with creations spanning over 120 years of the Maison’s high jewellery history. In a multifaceted dialogue, some 500 exhibits are brought together across six thematic chapters, offering new perspectives on excellence in design, craftsmanship and creative vision.
More information on Van Cleef & Arpels’ website.
Tickets and registration here.
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