Hermès’s iconic Arceau gets a playful equestrian twist in a new duo of intricately decorated timepieces
The Arceau watch, created by Henri d’Origny in 1978, is a masterclass in Hermès’s sophisticated whimsy. The sleek design, with its classic circular silhouette, is interrupted only by its distinctive, asymmetrical lugs, a nod to the maison’s equestrian heritage. A new duo of timepieces takes this inspiration up several notches, featuring a dazzling and vivid depiction of a futuristic horse race recreated on the dial in astounding detail.
The playful characters are the work of illustrator Ugo Bienvenu, whose drawings adorned the Hermès Space Derby silk scarf. Taking its cues from 20th-century American comic book superheroes, the cosmic scenes see jockeys racing full speed against a starry backdrop of planets and constellations. These have been brought to life using a miniature painting technique, a painstaking and intricate process that requires the delicate shades to be built up through multiple layers of micro-painting, applied using a brush before being dried in a hot kiln.
There are two contrasting iterations, available in limited editions of 12 and 24 respectively. The first, crafted in white gold, reveals a rider in a chariot pulled by a thoroughbred in armour that guides it through a deep-blue, aventurine sky. Meanwhile, the second ups the modern-retro aesthetic further, with a stylish flame-haired driver at the reins of a horse-drawn carriage flanked by a pink opaline backdrop. Both come powered by Hermès’s in-house H1837 movement and presented on complementary alligator leather straps.
