Key Highlights
- New Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune extends Van Cleef & Arpels’ Jour Nuit collection with a creation centred on the Moon.
- 42 mm white gold case framing a black Murano aventurine glass dial with guilloché golden Sun and white mother-of-pearl Moon.
- Self-winding mechanical movement pairing a 24-hour day/night display with an astronomical moonphase complication.
- On-demand animation rotates the dial 360° in around 10 seconds to reveal the Moon’s current phase at any time.
- Caseback reverses the view, portraying the cosmos from the Moon with engraved relief and enamelled Earth.
Poetry of Time, Written in Moonlight
Van Cleef & Arpels has long linked watchmaking with celestial themes, from a 1929 pocket watch with moonphase to mid‑century creations such as the Meteor secret watch. Since 2006, the Poetic Complications collection has translated astronomical phenomena into lyrical displays.
Within this context, the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune enriches the Jour Nuit collection—launched in 2008 and revisited in 2024—with a watch dedicated to the Moon that combines the signature Jour/Nuit indication with an astronomical moonphase.
A Celestial Dial in Murano Aventurine Glass
The dial is cut from black Murano aventurine glass, developed with the Maison’s Innovation Department and distinguished by deep coloration and bronze-toned sparkle. This backdrop hosts a daily encounter between Sun and Moon.
Across 24 hours, a guilloché golden Sun gives way to a white mother-of-pearl Moon encircled by star motifs. Both appear and disappear behind a guilloché mother-of-pearl shroud, painted in a gradient from black to white that suggests the horizon, while a rotating disc characteristic of Jour Nuit creations drives this choreography.
An Astronomical Moonphase with On-Demand Animation
Alongside the day/night transition, the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune offers a precise reading of the Moon’s changing face. A discreet disc completes a rotation in 24 hours, 16 minutes and 27 seconds so the dial follows its 29.5‑day cycle.
A button on the case rim activates an on-demand animation: the dial turns through 360 degrees for around 10 seconds, revealing the Moon’s phase even when hidden by the shroud and allowing the scene to be observed at any time.
The movement, developed over four years within Van Cleef & Arpels’ Watchmaking Workshops in Geneva, was engineered so that this additional rotation does not disturb moonphase precision, with the architecture refined to control the discs’ weight, minimise friction and maintain a fluid animation.
Engineering Lightness and Depth
To support this spectacle, the dial’s layers were thinned to open a clear view onto the aventurine sky and strengthen the impression of depth. The self-winding mechanical movement integrates time setting and moonphase adjustment into the crown, preserving a clean case silhouette and keeping the focus on the dial.
A Reversed Perspective on the Caseback
On the reverse, a white gold engraving evokes the Moon’s surface, while the sapphire crystal above the oscillating weight bears an enamel tracing of the Earth, encircled by miniature-painted planets over a guilloché ground.
This composition suggests a view of the heavens from the Moon, creating a dialogue between dial and caseback that expresses the Maison’s “Poetry of Time” through materials, relief and mechanical rhythm.
Why It Matters
For discerning collectors in the GCC, the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune offers a focused interpretation of celestial timekeeping that resonates with regional appreciation for astronomy and night skies. Its Murano aventurine glass, precious finishes and carefully developed astronomical movement turn the watch into a contemplative object, suited to formal occasions yet equally compelling in private moments.
For curated updates on Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest poetic complications and celestial creations relevant to the region, we invite you to connect with our editorial team or subscribe to our GCC-focused watch newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune’s dial unique?
The dial is crafted from black Murano aventurine glass developed with Van Cleef & Arpels’ Innovation Department, distinguished by deep coloration and bronze-toned sparkle. It features a guilloché golden Sun and white mother-of-pearl Moon that transition across 24 hours behind a gradient shroud, creating a celestial display against the aventurine sky.
How does the on-demand animation feature work?
Pressing a button on the case rim activates a 360-degree dial rotation that completes in around 10 seconds, revealing the Moon’s current phase even when hidden by the shroud. The movement was engineered over four years to ensure this animation does not disrupt the moonphase complication’s precision.
What astronomical complication does this watch include?
The Midnight Jour Nuit Phase de Lune pairs a 24-hour day/night display with an astronomical moonphase complication that completes a full rotation in 29.5 days, accurately tracking the Moon’s changing phases.
