High Jewelry Automatons Are Robots Covered in Gold and Diamonds

Plenty of companies are producing robots these days, but few are doing it the 18th century way. Van Cleef & Arpels, one of the world’s biggest jewelry brands, is now in the business of making self-powered automatons, ingenious devices that the monarchs and nobles of Europe once collected. (Think of the mysterious wind-up boy in the 2011 film Hugo.) These mesmerizing machines, each one unique, are covered in gold, diamonds and gemstones.

Van Cleef has made what it calls “Extraordinary Objects” ever since it opened in Paris in 1906. The first such piece was a private commission from a wealthy New Yorker who wanted a miniature replica of his boat, Varuna, rendered in gold and painted with colorful enamel. The scale model of the schooner sits on an enormous bed of sculpted jasper that looks like crashing waves and hides a discreet call button for butler service. Other objects—a clock, a birdcage—were soon rendered in precious materials, and they’ve become valuable collectibles.