Cherished by the Maison ever since the first lucky medals created in the 1950s, the astrological theme here comes to life in twelve luminous dials: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
The Midnight Zodiac Lumineux watches’ spellbinding illumination has its origins in a phenomenon known as piezoelectricity. An object of study since the 18th century, it refers to the capacity of certain materials to accumulate an electric charge when subjected to mechanical constraints.
Developed exclusively for Van Cleef & Arpels, the module incorporates a ceramic blade whose vibration – under the effect of the wearer’s movements – enables electrical energy to be generated mechanically. This energy is then used to supply between four and six LEDs: at the press of a button, they backlight the dial's translucent enamel beads for about three seconds. This feat of watchmaking is paralleled by the savoir-faire of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Meyrin workshops.
Finely sculpted in white gold, the signs of the Zodiac stand out against a background in blue glitter enamel, evoking the heavenly vault. Within each constellation, several points are depicted by delicate enamel beads: shaped by hand and mounted on the dial, some of them light up like genuine stars.
