Time meets poetry, passion and play

[GENEVA] Feminine haute horlogerie has never been more captivating as Bvlgari reimagined serpentine elegance with its minimalist Serpenti Aeterna; Chanel’s lipstick-inspired “Kiss Me” Secret Watch blurred the lines between beauty and jewellery; while Van Cleef & Arpels enchanted with its poetic kiss-on-command Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate timepiece. 

Bvlgari

The Serpenti Aeterna reimagines Bvlgari’s iconic snake in its most minimalist and avant-garde form yet. Stripped of scales and eyes, the time-only quartz watch is transformed into a fluid, sculptural bangle. Available in two dazzling references – pink gold with diamonds, and a high-jewellery white gold version with full pave-set diamonds – the timepiece elegantly encircles the wrist with a sleek, tapered silhouette and an ingenious hidden clasp mechanism.

A snow-set diamond dial radiates brilliance, while diamonds extend along the serpent’s spine to its tail tip. On the white gold edition, interspersed oversized diamonds add dimensionality and dramatic presence. Etched-out hexagonal scales hidden within the bangle’s inner contour are a nod to the Serpenti’s rich heritage.

Chanel

This year, Chanel reinvents horology through the lens of its beauty universe, elevating its signature makeup items to the realm of high jewellery. From the Blush Watch Capsule Collection comes one of its most imaginative creations, the “Kiss Me” Secret Watch. Inspired by the maison’s iconic lipstick from 1954, this five-piece limited edition reinterprets the beauty essential as a whimsical jewel.

The glossy black-coated titanium tube, accented with yellow gold, opens to reveal a lacquered black dial resting on a ring of 20 baguette-cut golden beryls. Its deceptively realistic design, combined with the ease of opening and a satisfying click when closing, evokes the tactile delight of the original lipstick. Suspended from a yellow gold necklace adorned with onyx tubes and rhodolite beads, the showpiece is further embellished with brilliant-cut diamonds and a dazzling 0.7-carat centre diamond.

Van Cleef & Arpels

The French jeweller continues its romance with time in the Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate, a poetic new chapter in its beloved Pont des Amoureux collection. Set against a moonlit guinguette, or open-air dance cafe, this 38 mm white gold timepiece masterfully blends high watchmaking with metiers d’art.

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At noon and midnight, the two lovers meet at the centre of the dial and share a lingering kiss that lasts for about three minutes. Their graceful, lifelike motion is powered by a new in-house automaton movement that took four years to develop. For the hopeless romantic, this tender moment can be played on demand with a push of a case-side button.

The dial is a grisaille enamel masterpiece, depicting a starlit sky and glowing lanterns above a cobbled street, while star-tipped hands trace the hours and minutes via a double retrograde display. Framed by a diamond-set bezel, the watch can be paired with either a matching diamond-set bracelet or midnight-blue alligator strap.