quattro's comprehensive review of the Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight Heure d'ici & Heure d'ailleurs complication offers a valuable historical perspective. This article meticulously details the evolution of a unique dual time zone mechanism, highlighting design and movement changes across its three iterations. Readers gain insight into how a luxury maison refines its horological artistry over time.
Van Cleef & Arpels has released a
new variant of its
dual time zone complication with
double jumping hours and
retrograde minutes.
It's the Midnight Heure d'ici & Heure d'ailleurs ref. VCARPEVI00.
So I thought it would be interesting to
review the
three iterations of this
complication.
This
new 2026
variant features a
38 mm pink gold case, as opposed to the 42 mm of the previous 2018 version.
The
solid caseback features:
- an upper section with a guilloché sun and the model name in italic script
- and a lower section with a depiction of the moon accompanied by a starry sky and the name of the Maison.
The
amber-brown enamel dial combines a
guilloché pattern radiating outward with a
piqué motif, which is echoed by the
lozenge pattern of the
crown (see above and below).
The watch is powered by a
redesigned movement, which no longer features a micro rotor.
credit: Swisswatches Magazine
Now, here is the
previous iteration of the
Midnight Heure d'ici & Heure d'ailleurs, presented at
SIHH in
2018 as ref.
VCARO8T800.
The
case measured
42 mm.
The dial
didn't feature the
central piqué motif and the dial
wasn't made of
enamel.
The
movement was
displayed through a
sapphire caseback and featured a
micro rotor.
credit: A Blog To Watch
And here is, finally, the
first iteration ref.
VCARO4II00 launched in
2014.
It came with a
42 mm rhodium-plated, 18-carat
white-gold case with
T-bar lugs.
The
white lacquered dial featured a
central piqué motif, like the new released variant.
And the
micro rotor movement was displayed through a
sapphire caseback.
credit: Swisswatches Magazine & A Blog To Watch (two last photos only)
Do you like Van Cleef & Arpels' interpretation of the dual time zone complication?
And do you have a favorite among the three iterations?
The first one is my personal favorite, by I would like it to be sized down to 38 mm, like the newly released one.
Thanks for looking.
Best, Emmanuel
