A magician never reveals his secrets. That would ruin the magic. Creating magical complications with a poetic soul is what Van Cleef & Arpels is all about. This year, the brand celebrates 20 years of the Poetry of Time philosophy, a way of thinking that led to a string of so-called Poetic Complications. The creations are unique timekeepers, miniature wrist automatons that tell a story in mechanical motion. These mechanics work behind the scenes so as not to distract from the spectacle on the dial. Now, the creators of lovers kissing on a bridge or flowers telling time allow us a look behind the scenes and explain the micromechanics powering the poetry in motion. Will it kill the magic?

Rainer Bernard, the director of watchmaking development at Van Cleef & Arpels , doesn’t like the word “complications.” For him, the word has far too many negative connotations: life can be complicated, problems are complicated, and so on.…