The 19th-century French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin, one of the greatest illusionists of his time, also applied his love of optical trickery to his first profession: clockmaking. Among the mechanical illusions that he is credited with inventing, one stands out: the mystery movement, so called because the hands of the clock appeared to be floating over a transparent dial. Luxury watchmaking brands in search of technical credibility are now rediscovering the charms of what was, until recently, a rarely used complication. Dior and Louis Vuitton are two brands that have come forward with new interpretations of Robert-Houdin’s invention.
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