Novelty SIHH 2012 – Van Cleef & Arpels
By MyWatch
The two Poetic Wish watches are time-keeping masterpieces. With them, the Maison once again pushes the limits of technical prowess. Each watch features three integrated automatons. As is the case for all of the Van Cleef & Arpels Poetic ComplicationsTM, in addition to their ornamental function, they show the hours and the minutes.
The Poetic Wish movement indicates the hour and the minutes thanks to a “poetic animation” and a 5-minute repeater mechanism: striking the hours and then the number of 5-minute periods since the hour. The action of the hammers for the repeater strikes the bells situated behind the crystal case back.
The crown, located at 2 o’clock, triggers the animation:
On the left side of the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish tiemepiece’s dial, the silhouette of a young woman moves slowly to the centre of the watch, to indicate the exact hour. A second automaton, a mother-of-pearl cloud, moves horizontally towards her. When the two meet, the bells of Notre-Dame Cathedral ring out to strike the hour. A kite then appears from behind the cloud and flies across the sky to indicate the minutes, to the rhythm of the musical chiming of the bells.
On the left side of the Midnight Poetic Wish tiemepiece’s dial, a young man, standing on one of the terraces of Notre-Dame Cathedral towers, steps slowly towards the centre of the watch to indicate the exact hour. A second automaton, a mother-of-pearl cloud, moves horizontally towards him. When the two meet, the bells of the cathedral ring out to strike the hour. A diamond shooting star then appears from behind the cloud and flies across the sky to indicate the minutes, to the rhythm of the musical chiming of the bells. The three automatons resume their initial positions just in time to make a wish.
Their wishes may have met. What did they say to each other? That is up to our imagination… This is the magic of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Poetry of TimeTM: creating watches that are full of emotion, that tell a story and invite us into a dreamlike world. They also offer the chance for the wearer or the giver of these remarkable timepieces to listen to his or her heart’s desire and make a wish, no matter how secret.
