RISE & SHINE

Van Cleef & Arpels's Poetic Complications collection is the ultimate pick-me-up.

- CAROL BESLER

Just as a couture gown is more than simply a dress, the watches in the Van Cleef & Arpels Poetic Complications collection are about more than just telling time. In the brand's romantic interpretation, technical timekeeping elements are secondary to the drama that unfolds on the dial. Signature motifs include starry skies, the sun and moon, summer flowers, and, on some styles, a touch of magic in the form of a sprightly fairy to cast a spell over the scene. The real-life magic, however, happens at Van Cleef & Arpels's Geneva-based atelier, where savvy craftspeople apply their skills to the precision finishes that bring the narratives to life.