Feel the universe ON your wrist with Midnight in Paris

Do you see yourself as one of those men who has an aura of mystery, romance and French elegance? Oui? Then Midnight in Paris, the latest offering from the house of Van Cleef & Arpels, is the watch for you.

Midnight in Paris was unveiled at this year's Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the unique international showcase for technical and aesthetic innovation in fine timepiece design.

This Dh470,000 watch comes with a white gold and paved baguette diamond case, an alligator strap, real meteorite stone in the back of the case, a rotating aventurine dial and mechanical movement indicating the constellations' position over 365 days and an exclusive complication.

"Midnight in Paris is infinite poetic inspiration," Stephane de Palmas, Van Cleef & Arpels' Middle East Director, told Emirates Business. "It was born of the French house's creativity and savoir faire and transports the watch owner to the four corners of the universe. It is a door opening onto eternity. Van Cleef & Arpels seeks with its fine watchmaking to apply technical skills to crafting dreams and poetry."

The timepiece replicates a map of the stars as seen in the Parisian sky. This unique movement, which is of an extreme complexity, links the idea of time to that of the cosmos. It is a dazzling homage to a universe both mysterious and fascinating.

Fine timepiece movements traditionally add complications in order to master the infinitely small. In this case the complication opens the way to new dimensions – that of the infinitely great, of the mystery of an uncharted world, of dreams and a voyage into immensity.

Midnight in Paris features a round case with classic lines and a dial adorned with the star map, replicated on a rotating disk in aventurine glass with hand painted gold points. The disk turns imperceptibly during the 365-day cycle of the year, unveiling each day, wherever one may be in the world.

"While not actually being an astronomical instrument, the enlightened enthusiast can use this map to guide them across the night skies above the French capital," added Palmas.

"We chose the sky in Paris as the roots and heritage of Van Cleef & Arpels are French. Using the Midnight in Paris watch, you will be able to identify several hemisphere constellations, such as the twelve constellations of the Zodiac as well as the Plough, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, the Northern Crown and many others."

Just like a pocket watch, Midnight in Paris has a cover to protect its back. When opened, you will discover a calendar surrounded by genuine meteorite stone.

Palmas commented: "The person wearing the Midnight in Paris watch possesses not only a piece of the sky, but also holds the key to explaining the creation of the world. The meteorite used for the watch is 4.5 billion years old, the age which marks the formation of primary solid matter. Indeed meteorites are the only known physical material to contain information explaining the creation of the elements of the solar system."

A dial enables you to choose your own view of the sky on a given date that is important to you such as your birthday or wedding date.

Palmas summed it up: "The person wearing this watch will not only possess a gateway to the universe, but also a little of the magic of the City of Lights".

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