The Midnight Planetarium timepiece is in tune with Van Cleef & Arpels’ most cherished sources of inspiration: planets and constellations.

BY LESLIE JORDAN CLARY

Few things have moved poets and romantics throughout the ages more than the night sky. Now, the Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Planetarium timepiece brings the universe to us in a line of watches called Poetic Astronomy. Eighteenth-century planetariums that once offered visitors a three-dimensional representation of the solar system inspired the design. These early planetarium displays were often animated by hand or complex clockwork mechanisms. Van Cleef & Arpels revives the spirit of these historical planetariums, drawing inspiration from the moon, stars, and planets. Six years ago the Lady Arpels Day and Night models were launched. Now, the man’s wristwatch joins the collection.

—June 12, 2014