Introduced in 2012, the very first Pierre Arpels wasn’t the most exciting timepiece on the block, but it did well to establish the primary aesthetic codes of a Van Cleef & Arpels gent’s watch. All about blending sophistication and understatement, it shows how serious the Maison is about not making just another men’s watch and it perfectly epitomises the personality of the man who inspired its birth.

Taking the watch to the next level, Van Cleef & Arpels didn’t merely incorporate typical complications like calendars, a big date or moon phase, but something which never before existed. The Pierre Arpels Heures d’Ici Et Heures d’Ailleurs ($48,500) offers double jumping hours for the dual time function with retrograde style minutes indication. And no, the Maison did not go out on a limb here. A product like this is perfectly in line with its DNA and watchmaking philosophy. Its name, though, could be difficult to embrace especially for the non-French speaking segment. ‘Heures d’ici’ means ‘time here’, referring to local time, while ‘heures d’ailleurs’ means ‘time elsewhere’ which can refer to the time at home or anywhere in the world.

The movement for this timepiece had been developed in partnership with Agenhor SA, a specialist in retrograde and jumping hour complications, but in strict accordance with Van Cleef & Arpels’s requirements. Thinness is a must, as it is a definitive feature of the Pierre Arpels, so the movement engineers chose to implement a micro-rotor (bi-directional in platinum and decorated with the signature piqué motif also seen on the dial). Also, to retain the minimalist design language, Van Cleef & Arpels was adamant that the watch should not compromise on elegance with pushers all over the case, so everything is adjusted through the single crown. Beautifully symmetrical, the Pierre Arpels Heures d’Ici Et Heures d’Ailleurs finds itself at the pinnacle of timekeeping elegance.