Van Cleef & Arpels launches "Midnight Pont des Amoureux" for men

A men's model with a 42mm case will be released for the Midnight Pont des Amoureux retrograde watch, which encapsulates the world of Van Cleef & Arpels.

A man's perspective on the poetic moments of time

　Since its founding, Van Cleef & Arpels has always been inspired by stories of love. Following the launch of its new women's watches in the fall of 2019, a 42mm men's model has been added. The Pont des Amoureux watch collection, which depicts the heartbeat of lovers reuniting on a bridge in Paris, now comes in both men's and women's models, creating a beautiful harmony and resonating its spirit. This adds another option to the luxury couple's watch collection.

Parisian landscape depicted in grisaille enamel

　Grisaille enamel is a technique developed in France in the 16th century. The dial of this Midnight edition is crafted with grisaille enamel, a white pigment on a black background. First, the metal base is coated with a layer of black enamel. The challenge at this stage is to create a thick, smooth black layer that is free of impurities and can withstand repeated firings. The enamel powder is finely ground and blended with natural essences specially developed for the grisaille enamel technique.

　Next, a layer of white paint called Limoges white is applied, adjusted in thickness to achieve the desired effect. The thicker the layer, the grayer the white, as the black base shines through the pigment. This technique creates a spectacular, mystical relief effect, giving the impression of three-dimensionality. This type of enamel technique takes around 60 hours of work, including 15 firings, to achieve the perfect finish.

　In addition to grisaille enamel, Van Cleef & Arpels' enamel department has a variety of advanced techniques, including stained glass enamel and paillon enamel, and creates a world rich in lyricism.

　The urban atmosphere is more vividly depicted in the grisaille enamel landscape. The scene of the couple's meeting is vividly depicted against the backdrop of Parisian apartment rooftops, chimneys and cobblestones. The two protagonists, now slightly larger than in the women's model, meet on a bridge with geometric lines in white gold. As with the existing model, this watch features a button that can be pressed to recreate the kissing scene, and the case back is engraved with a Parisian night view.

Like the Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux, this new model is equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement with a retrograde module developed exclusively for the Maison. The woman walks slowly across the bridge, marking the time, while her beloved crosses halfway across the bridge in 60 minutes, heading towards the center. The two meet at the center of the bridge at noon and midnight. To recreate this poetic moment at any time, this new model is equipped with an on-demand animation module. This romantic movement recreates the kiss that unites the two with each press of a button.

A retrograde mechanism that men will want to wear

　The watch's outstanding worldview and retrograde mechanism will catch the eye of both men and women. The name means "retrograde" in French, and the hands move in a fan-shaped pattern, and when they reach the end point, they instantly return to the starting point and start again.

　As a maison that specializes in feminine motifs such as fairies, ballerinas, butterflies, and flowers, men may not have had many opportunities to take a step forward in terms of their image. However, this piece, which appeals to the playful side of men in both its motif and mechanism, is definitely something we would like you to try out and get your hands on.