Van Cleef & Arpels Takes Haute Horlogerie to the Stars aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard
On 14 April 2025, a pioneering all-female mission aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft offered more than just a leap for space tourism—it provided a poetic encounter between science and art. Among the six women who crossed the Kármán line on this suborbital journey was film producer Keriann Flynn, who carried with her a piece of horological wonder: the Lady Arpels Planétarium by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The mission—lauded for its groundbreaking all-female crew—also attracted attention for its blend of fashion and science. Singer Katy Perry, one of the passengers, drew media focus, while Oscar de la Renta’s creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia were responsible for the design of the custom flight suits, merging aerospace functionality with couture aesthetics.
Yet beyond fashion, it was the silent elegance of a watch that connected the earthly with the celestial.
A Universe on the Wrist: The Lady Arpels Planétarium
Part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ celebrated Poetic Complications line, the Lady Arpels Planétarium is a timepiece that combines astronomical accuracy with artistic finesse. Introduced in 2018, following the 2014 debut of the maison’s larger Midnight Planétarium model, this 38mm creation in white gold offers a feminine yet technically sophisticated take on the planetary complication.
At its centre lies the Sun, surrounded by Mercury (pink mother-of-pearl), Venus (green enamel), Earth (turquoise enamel), and the Moon (a brilliant-cut diamond). Each orbits the dial at true astronomical speeds: Mercury completes its cycle in 88 days, Venus in 224 days, Earth in 365 days, and the Moon around Earth in 29.5 days.
A shooting star in white gold glides along the outermost track, serving as the hour and minute indicator. The automatic movement, developed in collaboration with the master craftsmen at Christiaan van der Klaauw—one of the few independent watchmakers specialising in astronomical complications—provides 40 hours of power reserve and is visible through a sapphire caseback adorned with a starry sky motif.
This model is not merely a watch; it is a celestial ballet rendered in precious materials—where technical prowess is inseparable from artistic expression.
The Poetic Complications Legacy
Van Cleef & Arpels has long transcended traditional watchmaking. Since its entry into haute horlogerie in the early 2000s, the maison has carved a unique identity by treating time not as a constraint, but as a muse. The Poetic Complications collection, launched in 2006, embodies this vision—uniting mechanical sophistication with narrative and artistry.
Time, for Van Cleef & Arpels, is an experience. Whether depicting lovers meeting on a bridge, butterflies fluttering across dials, or the solar system in perpetual motion, each piece tells a story—a fusion of imagination, craftsmanship and science.
New Shepard: A Vessel of Discovery and Culture
Blue Origin’s New Shepard is designed for suborbital flights, reaching the edge of space—approximately 100 km above Earth—before returning passengers safely via a fully autonomous vertical landing. The 14 April mission marked one of the first instances in which all crew members were women, highlighting both inclusivity and a growing cultural dimension within space tourism.
The presence of the Lady Arpels Planétarium on board symbolised more than a watch in zero gravity; it underscored the convergence of precision engineering, art, and human aspiration. It is perhaps fitting that a timepiece representing the dance of planets should briefly leave Earth itself.
A Poetic Gesture Beyond the Atmosphere
In accompanying Keriann Flynn into space, Van Cleef & Arpels extended its poetic vision beyond Earth’s bounds. This was not merely a publicity moment, but a philosophical one—a reaffirmation that human creativity belongs as much to the stars as to the soil.
While watches have flown in space before—most famously the Omega Speedmaster worn by NASA astronauts—few have done so with such a lyrical purpose. This mission marked a different kind of milestone: not just what we do in space, but who we are when we get there.
As Van Cleef & Arpels continues to reimagine horology through beauty and storytelling, the Lady Arpels Planétarium’s journey into space feels not just poetic—it feels inevitable.
