The visitor will be guided on a journey of time to experience and feel the universe of Van Cleef & Arpels watchmaking and encouter poetic moments. To celebrate the exhibition the Maison will unveil Lady Jour Nuit des Fleurs, the newest Poetic Complication creation.

Alongside the Jewelry and High Jewelry collections, the Maison’s watches take center stage in four of its cherished universes: love stories – notably with the Pont des Amoureux watches, Feminine Figures, Poetic Astronomy and Enchanting Nature. Ever faithful to a poetic vision of life, Van Cleef & Arpels instills a distinctive dimension into the art of watchmaking: that of dreams and emotions. A blend of inventiveness and fantasy, its creations interpret the measurement of time as an invitation to imagine, wander and revel in happiness.

Born out of the marriage of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, the Maison has been celebrating love stories since its earliest creations. Like a sign of destiny, the first piece listed in the sales book in 1906 was a heart set with diamonds. Today, this founding theme continues to suffuse the Maison’s creations with poetry and enchantment.

The watches of the Pont des Amoureux celebrate love and the intensity of longed-for reunions. United by tender feelings, a young woman and a young man decide to meet on a Paris bridge. Indicating the hours and minutes respectively thanks to a retrograde movement, they move towards each other to exchange a kiss at midday and midnight. To relive the poetry of that moment at any time, an animation-on-demand module enables the romantic scene to be replayed at will.

Symbols of joy and hope, fairies and ballerinas form an emblematic source of inspiration, which began in the early 1940s. Born out of Louis Arpels’ passion for the world of dance, the first dancer clips soon won over collectors with their elegant poses and beautiful costumes. Today, these feminine figures also adorn the Maison’s watches: like muses, they accompany the passage of time on creations that combine craft skills and watchmaking savoir-faire.

As a tribute to the city where the Maison was born, some collections are inspired by the world of couture. Over the years, the Maison has reinterpreted the fluidity of fabric in gold and precious materials, giving rise to creations of timeless elegance.

Revisiting the style of the Ludo bracelets or presenting unique long necklaces hiding secret dials, Van Cleef & Arpels blends flowing lines and refined materials to bring new delight to the art of telling the time.

Since 1906, the wonders of the heavenly vault have inspired creations that elicit dreams and contemplation. After finding an echo throughout the years in the Maison’s Jewelry and High Jewelry pieces, the spectacle of the planets has been extended to watchmaking with Poetic Astronomy. From the starry night to the constellations of the Zodiac, the trajectories of the Sun and Moon and the ballet of the planets, the timepieces combine the poetry of the celestial bodies and the measurement of time to evoke a unique emotion with every second.

A cherished inspiration, nature breathes poetry and vitality into the creations. Enthralled by the constant metamorphoses of fauna and flora, the Maison transcribes spring in full bloom, the luxuriance of gardens or the beating of a butterfly’s wings. Closely linked to the passage of time, this theme is explored in Van Cleef & Arpels’ watchmaking collections through Enchanting Nature, a heaven of beauty and harmony.

Van Cleef & Arpels shares its poetic universe with children as part of its mission of "Transmission" through the Children's Workshop. Children will draw inspiration from the city of Paris, where the A Journey through the Poetry of Time exhibition takes place, to create their own creative artworks by coloring and collaging the cityscape of Paris.

Jan 12 (Thurs) 11:00, 14:00
Jan 19 (Thurs) 11:00, 14:00
Jan 26 (Thurs) 11:00, 14:00

- Children's program is only available by prior reservation and participation fee is free.
- Children between the ages of 6 and 10 (born between 2014 to 2018) are allowed to participate in the workshop.
- Each session is limited to 5 children. Only 1 adult is allowed per child.
- An adult must attend the workshop as the role of guardian during the making process.
- Each session takes maximum 1hour 30mins.

* Please be sure to arrive 5 minutes in advance. Admission is restricted 10 minutes after the start of the workshop.