In September 2026, Luxe.CO was invited to attend brand promotion and new product launch events hosted respectively by Swiss fine watchmaking brand Jaeger-LeCoultre, Italian luxury jewelry brand BVLGARI, French luxury jewelry brand Van Cleef & Arpels, and the World Gold Council in Shanghai and Xiamen, gaining a close-up look at the heritage and innovation of the high-end jewelry and watch industry.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
From September 10 to 23, Jaeger-LeCoultre hosted the "Valley of Crafts" pop-up themed space at Zhangyuan in Shanghai. The themed space traces Jaeger-LeCoultre's more than 190 years of innovation, showing how the Manufacture continues to explore the infinite possibilities of watchmaking craftsmanship while safeguarding the long heritage of fine watchmaking.
The "Valley of Crafts" pop-up themed space is divided into four chapters: "Precision - Chronometry," "Precision - Tourbillon," "Precision - Multi-Axis Tourbillon," and "Precision - Complications."
Above, from left to right:
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Chronometer Perpetual Calendar in steel;
Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Jumping Date;
Jaeger-LeCoultre Hybris Mechanica Master Innovation Spherical Tourbillon watch
As visitors explore, they can enjoy a rich and diverse range of exhibition experiences:
- The launch of the new Hybris collection and ladies' watches; the Asian premiere of the new Reverso Enamel horological masterpieces; and the 2026 collection unveiled at the "Watches and Wonders" fine watchmaking exhibition in Geneva in April this year;
- Live demonstrations of core watchmaking and artistic decorative crafts;
- A dedicated display area for the Vallée des Merveilles™ capsule collection, a ladies' watch collection celebrating the splendor and majesty of nature;
- A dedicated gallery for The Collectibles, where visitors can appreciate Jaeger-LeCoultre's most representative timepieces from the mid-20th century;
- A dedicated gallery inspired by the "cabinet of curiosities," presenting the Atmos clock and fine watchmaking masterpieces;
- A dedicated gallery showcasing Jaeger-LeCoultre's new "HPG" high-precision certification;
- Atelier d'Antoine: hands-on experience of watchmaking craftsmanship at "The Precision Pioneer" watchmaking discovery workshop.
BVLGARI
BVLGARI held the "Kaleidos: The Science of Colors, Color Symbolism, The Power of Light" special exhibition at the Power Station of Art in Shanghai. The exhibition is open to the public from September 5 to October 31, 2026.
The Shanghai edition specially features more than 300 colorful jewelry pieces alongside works by Chinese contemporary artists, organized around three chapters: "The Science of Colors," "Color Symbolism," and "The Power of Light."
Above, from left to right, BVLGARI Heritage Collection:
Gold necklace set with pearls, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, 1991;
Gold and platinum necklace set with turquoise and diamonds, circa 1960;
Gold necklace set with amethysts, aquamarines, rubies and diamonds, 1989
Among the more than 300 works in the exhibition are high jewelry masterpieces as well as jewelry from the BVLGARI Heritage Collection and private collections, spanning the years from the brand's founding to the present day. Notably, as an important part of the Shanghai edition, BVLGARI also specially presents works by Chinese artists Liang Manqi and Zhang Ding, further expanding the exhibition's exploration of color through the creative expression of Chinese contemporary art.
Above, from left to right, BVLGARI Heritage Collection:Gold necklace and earrings set with rubies and diamonds, 1993;Gold brooch set with onyx, rubies and diamonds, circa 1977
On September 7, BVLGARI also presented the Eclettica High Jewelry and High Watchmaking collection at the ROJO Art and Culture Space in Shanghai.
Following the collection's world premiere in Milan in March this year, BVLGARI brought its exquisite creations to Shanghai. The new collection distills design inspiration from the three artistic languages of sculpture, painting and architecture, blending diverse art forms into jewelry and watchmaking creations.
The exhibition is divided into "three chapters": Scultura, the chapter of sculpture, which gives works three-dimensional forms with flowing light and shadow through the art of sculpture; Pittura, the chapter of color, which builds a rich color system through the art of painting, with gemstones leaping into view like brushstrokes; and Architettura, the chapter of architecture, which showcases balanced proportions and rhythmic visual beauty through the art of architecture.
Above, from left to right, BVLGARI Eclettica High Jewelry collection: Green Heaven necklace;Eclectic Embrace necklace;Chain Bridge Vista necklace
In addition, within the ROJO Art and Culture Space, sculptures by Venetian artist Riccardo Gatti crafted from Carrara marble with gilding serve as display bases for the high jewelry masterpieces; oil paintings by Italian artist Beatrice Bonafini echo the theme of Eclettica with lively brushwork; and parts of the exhibition hall's design also incorporate the architectural philosophy of Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi. Jacquard tapestries woven by the century-old Venetian textile brand Rubelli create a profound humanistic resonance and a diverse artistic atmosphere throughout the space.
Van Cleef & Arpels
On September 6, Van Cleef & Arpels opened Treasure Island by Van Cleef & Arpels, a themed high jewelry preview, in Xiamen, Fujian. Inspired by adventure literature, the event uses high jewelry to tell a fantastical journey and invites guests on a playful exploration of "treasure" in search of hidden gems.
Illustrations of "Treasure Island" drawn by artist David B. create the imaginative set design, complementing the Treasure Island themed high jewelry creations and jointly presenting three thematic chapters: "High Seas Adventure," "Island Exploration" and "The Treasure Hunt."
The Treasure Island by Van Cleef & Arpels themed high jewelry collection was launched in 2024, drawing inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure novel Treasure Island, first published in 1883, to envision a spectacular journey. In the high jewelry world created by the Maison's designers, artisans and experts, this adventure woven from literary masterpieces, grand voyages, dreamlike nature and distant civilizations sees the story's characters overcome numerous perils in search of unknown treasures.
Above, from left to right, Treasure Island By Van Cleef & Arpels themed high jewelry collection:
RÉCIF CORALLIEN necklace — rose gold, white gold, one oval-cut Thai ruby (5.33 carats), rubies, one 1.01-carat D VVS1 round diamond;
TORTUE DE COCOS brooch — yellow gold, white gold, sapphires, diamonds;
INSIGNE PRÉCIEUX SAPHIR ROSE transformable long necklace — yellow gold, one 3.70-carat pear-shaped pink sapphire (Madagascar), pink sapphires, diamonds
Above, from left to right, Treasure Island By Van Cleef & Arpels themed high jewelry collection:
Sceptre du monde brooch — 18K white gold, 18K yellow gold, yellow and pink sapphires, white cultured pearls, diamonds;
Dieu du vent brooch — white gold, rose gold, colored sapphires, diamonds;
Ara brooch (a vibrant, colorful parrot design paying tribute to the exotic creatures of Treasure Island and to Long John Silver's parrot in the novel.)
Since 2000, Van Cleef & Arpels' themed high jewelry collections have embodied the Maison's meticulous creativity and exquisite craftsmanship. The Maison's gemologists select only rare gemstones capable of stirring emotion, as Claude Arpels once said: "Each gemstone has a soul of its own."
World Gold Council
On September 4, the World Gold Council, together with the Shanghai Huangpu District Yuyuan Area Management Office (Jewelry Office), and jointly with twelve co-promotion retail brands — Caibai Jewelry, CHJ Jewellery, Lao Feng Xiang, Lao Miao Gold, Lukfook Jewellery, Mingr Jewelry, TSL Jewellery, China Gold, China Jewelry, Chow Tai Fook, Chow Tai Seng and Chow Sang Sang (brands listed in pinyin order) — held the 2026 "Hard Gold Appreciation Salon" in Shanghai.
With the core concept "Hard Gold, True Self, Just Wear It," the event focuses on Generation Z's emotional self-expression. Through an immersive experience space and thematic film visual storytelling, it presents more diverse ways to wear hard gold, elevating gold jewelry into an emotional carrier that reflects one's true self and driving the promotion of the hard gold category from product value recognition toward emotional value resonance.
The salon unveiled the 2026 hard gold marketing and promotional film. On the same day, the World Gold Council also released the "2026 China Gold Jewelry Retail Trends Insight." In the first half of this year, although China's gold jewelry consumption volume declined year on year, total value rose 5% to RMB 143.7 billion. Meanwhile, the share of self-purchase has risen for three consecutive years, becoming the most certain growth engine.
In addition, from September 4 to 16, the World Gold Council will partner with Xiaohongshu lifestyle MOODSFIT to create four personality-themed offline check-in stations at four stores on Yuyuan Road in Shanghai, alongside a spectacular display on Asia's longest full-LED giant screen in Lujiazui, Shanghai.
| Source: Brand press releases
| Image source: Official brand images
| Editor: LuxeCO
