Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre Arpels Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs

With the new Pierre Arpels Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs watch, Van Cleef & Arpels presents an understated and poetic interpretation of travel

Created in 1949, the Pierre Arpels watch has epitomized Van Cleef & Arpels’ vision of masculinity. A perfect blend of sophistication and understatement, it is notable for an exceptionally thin case held by two unobtrusive central attachments. In 2012, the Maison reinterpreted this icon of watchmaking and has since enriched the collection with new models that reflect Pierre Arpels’ way of life.

This new creation also displays other stylistic elements typical of the Maison, such as asymmetry – often found in its jewelry pieces – and the cursive script for the name of the watch, paying homage to the poetry of words.

The same quest for elegance is apparent in the single crown, which provides a means of winding the movement and setting both the minutes and the two time zones, while illuminating the case’s circle with a diamond.

For the first time, the Pierre Arpels collection welcomes a dual time complicated watch, reflecting Van Cleef & Arpels Poetry of Time. Developed in partnership with Agenhor (Atelier Genevois d’Horlogerie), this exclusive self-winding movement is distinguished by its double jumping hour and minute retrograde display.

The hour that acts as the reference – displayed in the aperture at the top of the dial – and the hour of the second time zone that appears in the lower aperture both jump at the same time, thanks to a single sector that synchronizes the two hour discs and the retrograde minute hand.

When the latter reaches 60 minutes on the graduated scale, it returns to its starting position at the same instant that the hour display changes.

In order to maintain the thinness of the case – a distinguishing feature of the Pierre Arpels collection – the automatic movement is equipped with a platinum micro-rotor that takes up remarkably little space. By oscillating in two directions, it can supply energy continuously.

The movement, which is visible through a sapphire crystal, is adorned with a snailed pattern on the bridges, the Van Cleef & Arpels hallmark and a blue lacquered design on the micro-rotor that echoes the piqué motif on the dial.

Technical details

Model: Van Cleef & Arpels Pierre Arpels Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs

White gold case, 42mm diameter, crown set with a diamond
Dial: White lacquer with piqué motif
Self-winding mechanical movement developed by Agenhor in exclusivity for Van Cleef & Arpels with double jumping hour and retrograde minute
Black alligator bracelet, white gold pin buckle