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This July, Melbourne’s most iconic shopping landmark, Chadstone, will host ‘A Journey through a Poetry of Time’, an enchanting exhibition where the public can discover the magic of watchmaking with Van Cleef & Arpels.
As part of a limited pop-up, the dedicated space has arrived at the shopping centre from July 17-30 to highlight the maison’s masterful craftsmanship and uncover the stories behind some of its most breathtaking creations.
With up to 40 watches on display, visitors can journey through a world of horological feats and awe-inspiring design echoed through three universes: Love Stories, Enchanting Nature, and Poetic Astronomy. Moving through these pillars of inspiration, Van Cleef & Arpels invites guests to indulge in the fantasy that comes to life with each of its unique pieces.
Beyond dials and digits, these timepieces interpret the measurement of time as an invitation to imagine, dream and rejoice. Fairies and ballerinas tick away the hours while the rhythm of nature meets the cadence of the cosmos. Each timepiece relates a tale of grace and enchantment in line with the various watch collections.
Take its Pont des Amoureux collection, for example, which calls upon lovers and the feeling of a long-awaited rendezvous. As Van Cleef & Arpels was founded upon the marriage of Estelle Arpels and Alfred Van Cleef in 1895, the maison’s soft spot for love stories inspires some of its greatest advancements, including this favoured fable.
Like a romantic film just for you, the watch’s layered design depicts a young couple as they meet on a bridge in Paris. They slowly move towards each other before embracing with a kiss as the clock strikes noon and midnight—although an on-demand module allows the wearer to replay this romantic scene at any time.
Due to popular demand, four jewellery watches were then created to represent the seasons, spurring the sweethearts to come together all year long. In springtime, the enamel-painted city setting is energised with pink flowers, while yellow butterflies lift the streets in summer. In autumn, leaves fall between the lovers before frost-capped terraces and romantic snowflakes announce winter.
After getting lost in ‘Love Stories’, travel through to ‘Enchanted Nature’ where the Lady Arpels Heures Florales Cerisier watch sits as just one of many awe-inspiring art pieces. With its depth of layers that mimic a personal terrarium, the watch encases a spectrum of life. Time is reimagined from the perspective of nature as an animation reveals a whimsical interplay of florals, butterflies and gems.
In Poetic Astronomy, Van Cleef & Arpels spotlights a long-held infatuation with the wonders of the cosmos and its infinite possibilities.
Featuring models like the Lady Arpels Planétarium watch, visitors are immersed in a spectrum of rare creations, showcasing an otherworldly level of detail and technical skill, diversity of materials, and métiers d’art that reflect the inexplicable beauty of the universe.
Visitors to the pop-up may also choose to share a note with their loved ones, with the option to either take home or post on-site one of the bespoke Van Cleef & Arpels postcards, which are rendered in an array of Parisian cityscape imagery.
Van Cleef & Arpels Poetry of Time pop-up is open to the public from July 17th to 30th, 2024. Entry is free at Chadstone Shopping Centre, Unit 413/1341 Dandenong Rd, Malvern East, Victoria, Australia. Discover more here.
