By Karen Tee
Some people have a signature scent or hairstyle, others have a signature object, like a luxury writing instrument or a supercar key fob. There is now one more enigmatic item to wield as an emblem of sorts: the cheekily named Clic-Clac from French haute parfumerie Henry Jacques.
The sleek rectangular gadget is, at first glance, a mystery to behold. With an elegant brushed metallic surface, it fits nicely in the palm and has a reassuring weightiness to it. The case is too large to be lighter, but is smaller than a card case.
The Clic-Clac mechanism opens to reveal a single perfume capsule.
It turns out that the Clic-Clac is the perfume house’s futuristic interpretation of a solid perfume holder, made from premium materials, such as titanium, carbon and rose gold. A reassuring click sounds as it slides open from the middle to reveal a solid perfume balm capsule. Then, with just a little pressure, the case closes with a resounding clack, concealing its scented secret.
It goes without saying that the interchangeable perfume capsules — all 50 of the solid versions of the Les Classiques scents composed only of premium natural essences — are exquisite. But more than that, the Clic-Clac is a mechanical marvel as well.
A mechanical marvel to house scents
Henry Jacques turned to Swiss watchmaking expertise for the opening and closing mechanism to ensure it could endure a lifetime of use. It took the team four years to develop two patented watch-inspired mechanisms at a level of complexity previously unheard of in perfumery and cosmetics.
The opening and closing mechanism consists of racks, covers, a central toothed wheel, levers and springs that lets the Clic-Clac snap open and close with a satisfying sound from which its name is derived when enough pressure is applied. With enough practice, one should be able to master a cool flourish when popping the device open, imparting a sense of cool insouciance to the owner.
Additionally, the internal workings have been tested over 200,000 times, so you can click and clack away to your heart’s content without concern.
The case comes in titanium, carbon and gold, and houses Henry Jacques’ solid Les Classiques scents.
With its excellent construction, the solid perfume attachment system makes the capsules easily interchangeable. They can be inserted and removed in any orientation — perfect for building a fragrance wardrobe.
As Anne-Lise Cremona, CEO of Henry Jacques, says, “The creation of this object quickly transported us and overwhelmed us, exceeding all our expectations. Clic-Clac is at once addictive and fascinating, a powerful response to the era and generation it speaks to.”
At a starting price of $44,475 — for the titanium version — the Clic-Clac can be yours too.
(Read more: Clic-Clac By Henry Jacques: The Most Alluring Gift Of The Season)
