A new watch from the Complications Poétiques collection was presented in Geneva: Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune.
At Watches and Wonders, a major event in Geneva dedicated to fine watchmaking, Van Cleef & Arpels presented new jewelry timepieces. These pieces are designed not only with the finest techniques but also offer a glimpse into the goldsmith’s skill combined with refined design. One of the themes offered by the new watches is the stars, a source of inspiration the Maison has explored for a century: the first pocket watch featuring a moon phase complication dates back to 1929. Now, Van Cleef & Arpels returns to this theme with variations of the moon, to which a new watch from the Complications Poétiques collection is dedicated: Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune.
Inside the 42 mm Midnight case in white gold, the dial features a sky in black Murano glass and aventurine. The color is deep and features a shimmering bronze effect reminiscent of the night sky. Over the course of the day, the golden guilloché sun gradually gives way to a moon crafted of white mother-of-pearl and surrounded by stars drawn in acrylic. The two celestial bodies thus emerge and disappear behind the horizon, represented by a guilloché mother-of-pearl veil painted in a gradation of shades from black to white.
Their daily pursuit is made possible by the movement of a rotating 24-hour disc, characteristic of Jour Nuit creations. This first appearance is enhanced by a subtle shift in the Moon’s appearance, retracing its eternal 29.5-day cycle. The phenomenon remains visible on demand even when the Moon is hidden behind the veil, thanks to a button on the edge of the watch. When the animation is activated, the dial rotates 360° for approximately 10 seconds, revealing the Earth’s satellite in its starry landscape. The story continues on the caseback, with a white gold engraving evoking the lunar topography. The Earth is represented by an enamel design on the sapphire crystal positioned above the oscillating weight. The crystal itself is adorned with miniature painted planets, which delicately shimmer against a guilloché background. The caseback of the watch inverts the perspective offered by the dial, depicting the cosmos seen not from Earth, but from the Moon.
