The 1927 Chinese Magician pocket watch is a landmark timepiece in the Maison’s watchmaking heritage, marking the introduction of mechanical automata into its creative repertoire.

Illustrating Van Cleef & Arpels’ vision of Eastern cultures in the 1920s, this Chinese Magician introduced a technical innovation through its mechanism, originally known as “bras-en-l’air” (“arms in the air”) and now referred to as "double retrograde movement". With a simple press of the winder or a button concealed within the bezel, its arms are set in motion, indicating the minutes on one side and the hours on the other. 

This dual movement, combining aesthetics expression with the art of watchmaking, illustrates the Maison’s commitment to animating the passage of time in its creations. First reintroduced in the Pont des Amoureux watch in 2010, this mechanism has since continued to inspire the Poetic Complications® collection.

These table clocks from the 1940s testify to Van Cleef & Arpels’ enduring taste for the creation of horological objets d’art since the 1920s, and echo the themes of nature and love, dear to the Maison since its founding. 

The Birds table clock from 1949 features two lovebirds facing one another, brought to life through emerald cabochons highlighted with gold. Introduced in 1944, the Lovebirds motif symbolizes romantic fidelity. 

The dial, seemingly perched on yellow gold branches, is adorned with heart-shaped leaves. Ruby corollas enhance this tableau with vivid splashes of color. Floral motifs engraved on the dial—reminiscent of the finely crafted elements of 18th-century pocket watches—complete this bucolic scene.

Launched in 1906, the Maison’s watchmaking repertoire took on a new dimension in 1929 with the introduction of the secret watch. This early example marked the beginning of a tradition that blends surprise and enchantment. These elegant pieces reveal their dial thanks to ingenious mechanisms.

The 1940 Flowers model at first glance resembles a bracelet. It is distinguished by a stylized yellow gold bouquet, accented by three sapphire and diamond forget-me-nots. A symbol of memory and fidelity, this flower embodies a positive vision of love. 

The corollas are framed by gold leaves, while each gently curved stem ends in a calibrated sapphire. Within this composition—imbued with a sense of delicate movement—the bouquet lifts to reveal a dial.

The pocket watch from 1925 and the two wristwatches from the 1970s are distinguished by their openwork architecture—known as “skeleton”— that unveils the mechanisms behind timekeeping. With visible gears, barrels and balance wheels, these models openly displays its actors on the stage of time.

First introduced in 1949, the PA49 watch (standing for “Pierre Arpels 1949”) is revisited in this piece. Shaped like arabesques, the yellow gold bridges are delicately engraved with stylized vegetal motifs as a tribute to nature. The finely crafted case is discreetly held by two central attachments called “rollers,” an aesthetic introduced by the PA49 watch that would become emblematic of Van Cleef & Arpels watchmaking. Framed by a dual trim, the case achieves a balance of restraint and refinement. The piece combines attention to detail with watchmaking savoir-faire.

To celebrate its centenary in 2006, the Maison created a watch mechanism reflecting its poetic vision of time. Endowed with a seasonal date module, this hand-wound movement links the passing of hours to the cycles of a year through shifting scenery. 

The technical feat lies in the subtle rotation—barely one degree per day—of the disc within the dial, depicting nature’s seasonal evolutions in miniature. The lower half of the scene is concealed by white mother-of-pearl clouds. 

This creation inaugurated the Poetic Complications collection, which continues to combine mechanical expertise, precious materials, and métiers d’art to bring each dial to life with its own story.

With this exhibition, Van Cleef & Arpels offers visitors a journey through time. The curated selection is a testament to the poetic vision of time that has guided the Maison since its inception, blending watchmaking and jewelry expertise with a constant pursuit of innovation.