Van Cleef & Arpels launched this new Lover’s Bridge watch in their 2019 Poetic Complications collection, “Le Pont des Amoureux Jour,” continuing the romantic design inspiration. The new design ingeniously showcases the sweet moment of “Lovers Meet” through a complex movement, with an enamel micro-painted dial depicting the gorgeous Paris street scene.
The “Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux” was born in 2010 and became one of Van Cleef & Arpels’ most iconic timepieces. Its creative concept features a pair of lovers designed as the hour and minute hands. They meet and kiss affectionately in the center of the Pont des Arts at noon and midnight every day.
In this new piece, both the dial and movement have been uniquely improved. The moon on the dial rises higher, making the lovers’ kiss even more prominent. A small blank space is added between the hour and minute marks. When the time reaches 12:00, the lovers pause at both ends of the blank space for a second before stepping forward to kiss each other. This “poetic pause” is the most complex feature of the new movement.
To allow the wearer to enjoy this marvelous function, a new button has been added at 7 o’clock on the side of the case. When pressed, the two hands will move gracefully. The lover closer to the center of the bridge will arrive first, wait for the other to approach slowly, pause for a moment, and then move forward to kiss. The entire mechanism is powered by the kinetic energy of the button, so no matter how many times it is repeated, it will not consume the power reserve or affect timekeeping accuracy.
The dial is created using “Colored Ink Enamel” (Colored Grisaille Enamel), which gives a romantic purple-pink tone. Each dial requires more than ten firings and takes 30 to 40 hours to complete. The artistic bridge on the dial is crafted from platinum and rose gold, polished with both mirror and matte finishes, creating a rich visual effect.
The watch is equipped with a 38mm case housing a self-winding movement, providing a 30-hour power reserve. The movement includes a retrograde module developed independently by Van Cleef & Arpels. Flip to the back of the watch to see an exquisite gold carving pattern showcasing the romantic scene of lovers embracing under the stars.
For more, visit Van Cleef & Arpels: Van Cleef & Arpels Official Website.
