You’d be mistaken if you think that luxury brand Hermès is only known for the highly-coveted Birkin bag. The luxury French designers have been producing exquisite timepieces for more than a century and seamlessly woven its savoir-faire into the intricate world of watchmaking.
The Parisian designers, founded by French craftsman Thierry Hermès in the late 19th Century, have a vast and celebrated product range that spans luxury leather goods, clothing and homeware. But since the late 1970s, Hermés have gone from luxury goods designers to Swiss-made manufacture, establishing themselves as a respected player in the world of haute horologie.
This week at the 2024 edition of Watches and Wonders in Geneva, Hermés have released a selection of novelties that continue its traditions of creating artisanal objects of the highest quality, and could even give some of the more renowned Maisons a run for their money.
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Arceau Duc Attelé
First up, the Arceau Duc Attelé, a classic example of the Maison’s revered prowess. Incorporating innovative watchmaking features such as a central triple-axis tourbillon nestled beneath a sapphire dome, the Arceau Duc Attelé is emblematic of the brand’s unique approach to haute horologie.
First designed in 1978 by Henri d’Orign, the case is 43mm of polished Grade 5 titanium or rose gold case, and serves as nod to the Maison’s first steps into the world of high watchmaking nearly half a century ago.
The lower dial features a lozenge-type striped guilloché motif with anthracite coating. It sits centrally, like the beating heart of the piece, within a domed offset chapter ring and is finished with white or midnight blue arabic dials that slant forwards like the galloping of horses.
Aesthetically, this limited edition piece certainly takes some getting used to, but when you take a look under the hood, the Arceau Duc Attelé reveals its pièce de résistance: the Swiss-made H1926 manual-winding movement, assembled with 563 components and adorned with 54 precious jewels.
Arceau Chorus Stellarum
Inspired by the Chorus Stellarum silk scarf designed by Daiske Nomura, Hermès’ Arceau Chorus Stellarum is a celestial piece that captures the infinite beauty of the cosmos.
On the dial, Hermès have introduced a champlevé enamelling technique to embed lacquered constellations and decorated rhodium-plated stars in place of traditional numerals. A rearing skeletal rider sits atop a golden horse, which is embodied in mobile yellow gold appliques, engraved and painted by hand, and can be animated by a spring mechanism at the 9.
Under the hood, the Arceau Chorus Stellarum is driven by the Swiss-made Manufacture Hermès H1837, a mechanical self-winding calibre with an average power reserve of 50 hours.
Limited to just six (6) pieces, Hermès arrived in Watches & Wonders with works of art instead of timepieces this year; each piece is numbered 1 through 6 so collectors and purveyers can each possess a unique piece of this contemporary collection.