What do poetry, love and watchmaking have in common? In the hands of Van Cleef & Arpels, everything. At Watches and Wonders 2025, the world’s largest watchmaking event, the Maison transported visitors under the Parisian sky through a beautifully staged scenography.

From celestial automata to secret romantic rendezvous, Van Cleef & Arpels’ collection is not just about measuring time in hours and minutes, but in emotion and beauty.

At the centre of the presentation was the Poetic Complications collection, a cornerstone of Van Cleef & Arpels’ horological identity. These creations bring together traditional métiers d’art with intricate mechanical movements, resulting in watches that tell stories. The latest chapter is the Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate, a moonlit scene set in a Parisian guinguette, where two lovers draw closer under lanterns.

The piece’s automaton movement has been created entirely in-house, an innovation four years in the making. The mechanism animates the figures with fluidity, from the tilt of a head to the lowering of an arm.

As Catherine Rénier, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, aptly puts it: “These watches embody the Poetry of Time dear to Van Cleef & Arpels … while expressing one of its founding sources of inspiration: love.”

In every detail, whether in a lover’s embrace or a star’s orbit, this collection transforms the passage of time into something enduring.

The beloved Pont des Amoureux series also welcomed new interpretations in Aube, Matinée, Soirée and Clair de Lune. Each watch captures the same moment, a kiss on a Parisian bridge, at different times of the day. A double retrograde movement and on-demand animation bring the scene to life whenever the fancy strikes, while delicate shades of grisaille enamel and sculpted gold elements lend depth and atmosphere. Paired with jewelled bracelets featuring tonal sapphires and diamonds, these pieces feel as lyrical as they look.

Historical references are woven throughout the collection and especially Parisian symbols. Van Cleef & Arpels was founded in 1906 at Place Vendôme and remains deeply rooted in the spirit of early 20th century Paris. The reimagined Cadenas watch, first introduced in 1935, reflects this legacy. Its design, inspired by a padlock, returns with a yellow gold bracelet, snow-set diamonds and a ribbon of princess-cut sapphires. This modern interpretation retains the quiet elegance that has made it a signature of the Maison.

Beyond iconic timepieces, Van Cleef & Arpels presented its Extraordinary Objects, offering a more theatrical experience of time. The Planétarium automaton stood out for its whimsy and impressive choreography of rotating planets, a gliding shooting star and a soft carillon melody. Crafted from precious stones and materials, the piece captures the magic of a starlit sky with all the finesse of high jewelry and fine watchmaking.

With each intricate movement and carefully composed scene, Van Cleef & Arpels reimagines time as a form of art. These creations are not made to simply measure time, but to become part of the experience itself, lingering in the mind like the favourite line of a poem.

All images are courtesy of Van Cleef & Arpels.