Van Cleef & Arpels continues its poetic tradition with six exceptional new creations that seamlessly blend technical mastery and haute craftsmanship. This year at Watches & Wonders, the maison unveiled these new timepieces under the enchanting theme “Poetry of the Heavens”, further redefining the “Poetry of Time”
Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune
Housed in a 42mm white gold case, the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune features a mesmerising dial crafted from black Murano aventurine glass. Developed over four years, the astronomical movement includes a 24-hour rotating disc that transitions smoothly from a guilloché golden sun to a white mother-of-pearl moon, faithfully reproducing the 29.5-day lunar cycle. A hidden button on the case triggers a 10-second animation where the entire dial rotates 360°, revealing the Earth’s satellite in its glittering decor. Turn the watch over, and the perspective shifts – the cosmos is now viewed from the moon itself.
Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs
Launched a decade after the 2015 original, this third iteration features a refined, smaller dial and an upgraded 65-hour power reserve. The ultimate travel companion for the modern wanderer, this dual-time-zone watch houses a self-winding movement and a striking dichroic enamel dial that shifts between amber and brown tones depending on the light. Two jumping hour windows display “Heure d’ici” (time here) and “Heure d’ailleurs” (time elsewhere) simultaneously. When the retrograde minute hand reaches 60, it snaps back as the hours advance.
Lady Rencontre Céleste & Lady Retrouvailles Célestes
This poetic duet brings to life the ancient legend of Vega and Altair, star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way, permitted to reunite only once a year. Inspired by Chinese folklore, the scene is rendered in an exquisite enamel setting. The maison has further perfected this craft, utilising a specialised technique they patented in 2023 to achieve unparalleled depth and detail.
Rencontre Céleste captures their meeting against a sky of champlevé and grisaille enamel, with diamond “clouds” and rose-cut diamond faces suggesting their tender gaze. Meanwhile, Retrouvailles Célestes depicts their long-awaited reunion in mauve and pink tones, complete with an aerial bridge of sculpted white gold birds and mauve sapphires. Both pieces turn the wrist into a wearable fairytale.
Ludo Secret
The Ludo Secret revives the iconic Ludo bracelet first created in 1934. At first glance, it appears to be a stunning yellow gold briquette mesh bracelet set with a gradient of velvety azure sapphires. Press the two sides of the “buckle” simultaneously, and the motifs part to reveal a hidden white guilloché mother-of-pearl dial.
Perlée
Joining the Perlée collection as its second white gold reference, this model is a celestial masterpiece. It features a midnight blue aventurine glass dial, enhanced by an innovative, radiating guilloché pattern that captures and reflects light like the cosmos itself. The depth of the blue is achieved through the Maison’s secret, proprietary recipe, resulting in the distinctively vibrant hue seen here. Framed by a double row of signature polished golden beads and a diamond-paved edge, the watch maintains a sleek profile by cleverly concealing the time-setting button on the case back. Interchangeable straps allow for effortless style changes.
