The Arceau Costume de Fête timepieces by Hermès
Hermès perfects the art of transposing the magical allure of menagerie onto the realm of high horology.
Hermès and its connection with horses harks back to its equestrian roots where it crafted its first leather harness back in 1837. Today, the majestic creature is part and parcel of the Maison’s design language, subtly and artfully embedded in the detailing of its objects, from bags to tableware, jewellery and watches. Within the Hermès horlogerie métier, the Arceau, created in 1978 by Henri d’Origny, is recognised by its round case set on a stirrup, replete with asymmetrical lugs.
As the embodiment of the Hermès style, the Arceau has been lending itself to the Maison’s creative expressions — Arceau Costume de Fête is an outstanding example. Offered in two variants: white gold and rose gold, set with 82 diamonds, the watch’s dial serves as canvas for a myriad of craft techniques to conjure the lively equestrian motif, reimagined by illustrator, typographer and graphic designer Jan Bajtlik with Polish folk culture inspirations, such as traditional Krakow costumes and ornaments and the Polish art of paper cut-outs (wycinanki).
To bring the miniature horse to life on the watch dial, Hermès artisans masterfully employ coloured beads on a sculpted and micro-painted metal base. The steed is set on a leather marquetry backdrop composed of individually juxtaposed slim tesserae cut from different coloured leathers previously trimmed to just 0.5 mm thick. A finishing touch of six delicate applied sequins held together with copper wire and the hand-painting of the harness details complete the masterpiece.
As beautiful internally as it is externally, under its 38 mm case, the Arceau Costume de Fête is powered by the Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement, showcasing the finishing and “sprinkling of Hs” pattern that embellish its bridges and oscillating weight through the sapphire crystal case back. To match the Arceau’s two chromatic variations issued in 24-piece editions, the sakura pink or electric blue Swift calfskin strap more than gets the job done, with superlative finesse and refinement.
