Novels tell a story in days and movies bring a story to life in several hours. However, for those impatient to know the ending, watches - like poetry - tell the tale in just a few minutes.
'People who own our timepieces are watch collectors who love stories. There are many objects that indicate time, such as mobile phones, but timepieces can give you more than time. They can give you emotions,' says Jean Bienayme, international marketing and communications director at Van Cleef & Arpels.
The brand's two new poetic complications - the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish and the Midnight Poetic Wish - come together to tell a love story starring a young couple in Paris, a city where people can't resist falling in love. 'It is important that a watch brand has vision, positivity and creativity because they work in all countries. There is no specific inspiration coming from one single country for Van Cleef & Arpels. We use symbols of happiness and positivity for our watches. The dial of the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish features a kite, which is a symbol of wish-making all over the world,' Bienayme says.
The Lady Arpels Poetic Wish shows a girl standing on the Eiffel Tower and wishing that she will meet her lover again. The Midnight Poetic Wish depicts her lover wishing on the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral that he will meet her again. The shooting star, which is a symbol of luck, makes their wish come true. The dial of the Lady Arpels Poetic Wish features cloud motifs carved out of mother of pearl and the River Seine. It also features a kite, which carries the young lady's wish to the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral. The watch case is in white gold set with diamonds and the bracelet is made of pearl grey moir? silk and calfskin leather.
The dial of the Midnight Poetic Wish features a diamond shooting star, which carries the man's wish to the Eiffel Tower, where the woman is making the same wish of reuniting with her lover. The shooting star indicates the minutes and is set with a diamond. The watch case is in white gold and the bracelet is made of alligator skin and calf suede.
Both timepieces contain the Poetic Wish movement, which has 60 hours of power reserve. The movement features a five-minute repeater mechanism that strikes the hours and the number at five-minute periods following the hour. The hammers of the repeater hit the bells at the crystal caseback, which reveals the movement and two display dials. The five-minute repeater mechanism has a high tone for the minutes and a low tone for the hours.
The timepieces come with a box telling the story of the two Parisian lovers. When the boxes are placed together, the lovers' prayer is answered - they are together again, with the Eiffel Tower, the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the shooting star as their witnesses.