Van Cleef & Arpels is back at it again with a new reference in their elegant Heure d’Ici & Heure d’Ailleurs collection, now in rose gold!
While there are exceptional jewellers and equally exceptional watchmakers, it takes a brand of a certain panache to move between both worlds. Only a few manage to do so, crafting icons of form and function all the while. The likes of Cartier, Bvlgari, Chopard and Jacob & Co. are almost always in the limelight, but there is another — one that the average watch enthusiast may not be familiar with.
Then again, the average person is not who ends up walking through the doors of a Van Cleef & Arpels boutique. The Richemont brand is the result of a literal wedding between two jewellery powerhouses, and has established a quiet yet dominant position in both the jewellery and watchmaking industries. Exemplary of this is its pursuit of “poetic complications”: watches that tell a story through aesthetic and technical mastery.
While these range from secret watches to mechanical marvels like the Pont des Amoureux, one of my favourite models has always been Van Cleef & Arpels’ Heure d’Ici & Heure d’Ailleurs. For Watches & Wonders 2026, the Parisian brand has expanded on this odd yet remarkable collection with a new rendition it calls Midnight.
Before Midnight
Sized at 38mm in case diameter, the watch achieves a delicate balance between presence and restraint. Offering a refined silhouette, it is a universally wearable piece designed to capture the attention of a unisex audience. Furthermore, its construction in 18k rose gold ensures that its presence on the wrist will not be forgotten, thanks to the case’s lustre and density.
Though understated in its external presentation, the Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs is designed with wearability in mind. The modest case size, combined with the warmth of rose gold, lends itself naturally to a dress-oriented aesthetic. It is a watch that feels equally at home in intimate settings as it does on the red carpet. Offered on a black alligator strap, Van Cleef & Arpels ensures maximum comfort without compromising visual impact.
Warmer & Colder
In terms of design, the dial stands as the centrepiece of the watch, showcasing the extraordinary capabilities of Van Cleef & Arpels’ enamel workshop in Geneva. Developed over months of experimentation, the enamel achieves a remarkable dichroic effect inspired by the optical properties of rubies, which change between warmer and cooler tones in the light. This amber-brown surface shifts subtly throughout the day, revealing layers of depth and nuance that are further enhanced by a mirror-polished gold base.
Achieving this effect required an exacting process. The enamel underwent more than 30 hours of initial firing at temperatures below 500°C to ensure uniform colour distribution, followed by multiple firings exceeding 1,000°C to eliminate imperfections and prepare the material for shaping.
Artisans at Van Cleef & Arpels then introduced a piqué motif – an homage to the Maison’s hallmark – by hand-stamping the surface with a custom die. Overlaying this is a guilloché pattern that radiates outward from the centre, both decorative elements executed within a single enamel layer. The result is a dial that not only captures light but interacts with it, creating a dynamic visual experience that evolves with every movement of the wrist.
Getting Jumpy
Beneath this intricate exterior lies a fully redeveloped automatic movement, engineered to support the watch’s distinctive display. Offering a 65-hour power reserve, the movement features two synchronised jumping hour discs, one for each time zone. Coupled with a retrograde minute mechanism, it reinforces the overall theme and title of the watch. In French, “Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs” literally translates to “Time Here & Time Elsewhere”.
The local time is displayed at the top, closest to the “Heure d’ici” text, while the second time zone is positioned at the bottom, alongside “Heure d’ailleurs”. As the retrograde mechanism snaps back to zero, two sector gears ensure precise coordination between the jumping hour windows, allowing both displays to advance simultaneously.
Initial Thoughts
You may have heard, at least once, the phrase “that’s not a watch; that’s a work of art”. It is usually spoken in the context of timepieces so beautiful that their function seems secondary. It is a compliment to the artisans, certainly, but when delivered incorrectly it can come off as a little backhanded to the watchmakers. While Van Cleef & Arpels specialises in such works of art, the Midnight Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs is perhaps the purest distillation of its dedication to both crafts.
This particular version of the collection is one of my favourites the brand has ever released. It is a deceptively simple concept, powered by complexity and framed with elegance. While most watches have to choose between utility and emotionality, the Heure d’ici & Heure d’ailleurs chooses both, proving that pragmatic design can still exist at the highest echelons of horology.
Reference: VCARPEVI00
Specifications:
| Dimensions | 38mm case diameter |
| Case | 18k rose gold |
| Dial | Brown enamel with sunray & piqué guilloché patterns |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Closed |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. TBC with double jump hour, retrograde minute, & caller-style second timezone complications |
| Power Reserve | 65h |
| Beat Rate | TBC |
| Water Resistance | TBC |
| Strap/Bracelet | Black alligator leather strap with rose gold pin buckle |