Hermès Features a Range of Timeless Elegance at Watches & Wonders 2024
Including the Arceau Duc Attelé, Arceau Chorus Stellarum and Hermès Cut.
At this year’s Watches & Wonders event, Hermès has unveiled a range of watches, each encapsulating the brand’s legacy of crafting elegance and innovation in timekeeping. As the world of Haute Horlogerie meets to celebrate the latest advancements and artistry in watchmaking, Hermès’ offerings stand to speak directly to those who have an eye for design.
Leading the showcase is the Arceau Duc Attelé, a testament to Hermès’ equestrian heritage, featuring a sophisticated triple-axis tourbillon and a minute repeater with equestrian-inspired details. Next, the celestial-themed Arceau Chorus Stellarum dazzles with its enamel and diamond-encrusted display, offering a glimpse of the cosmos through its meticulously crafted dial. Finally, the Hermès Cut brings a modern twist to the collection, blending geometric precision with the playful interchangeability of straps, all driven by the refined Hermès H1912 movement.
Arceau Duc Attelé
The Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé timepiece stands as a stunning example of craftsmanship and aesthetic elegance. Limited to just 24 pieces, this watch showcases a lozenge-type striped guilloché motif dial with an anthracite coating, complemented by a domed chapter ring with a sunburst finish and rhodium-plated treatment. The white transferred Arabic numerals and power-reserve indication at 6 o’clock marry functionality with style. It encases a Manufacture Hermès H1926 movement, a mechanical manual-winding masterpiece, assembled in Switzerland, featuring a 48-hour power reserve and composed of 563 components, including 54 jewels.
Notably, the Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé’s case was first designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 and is crafted from polished grade 5 titanium — measuring 43 mm in diameter with a 22 mm inter-horn width. Its domed anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back not only protect the intricate mechanics within but also ensure water resistance up to 3 bar. The watch is anchored securely to the wrist with a matte anthracite leather strap, fitted with a polished titanium folding clasp.
Highlighting its sophisticated complexity is the central triple-axis tourbillon, an engineering feat that improves the watch’s accuracy by counteracting the effects of gravity. The tourbillon has 99 components and features mirror-polished carriages, with the outermost adorned with an interwoven “H” motif. Each carriage takes a different amount of time to complete one revolution, adding to the watch’s precise movement. Further enhancing its luxury, the minute repeater chimes the hours, quarter-hours and minutes, with an innovative design that includes U-shaped ‘tuning-fork’ gongs and mirror-polished equestrian hammers, visible through a transparent sapphire crystal back shaped like a horse with its mane. This watch is not only a timekeeping instrument but a piece of wearable art, tapping into the equestrian heritage of the house.
Arceau Chorus Stellarum
The Arceau Chorus Stellarum by Hermès emerges as a celestial symphony in horology, essentially offering a piece of the cosmos on the wrist. This limited and numbered series of timepieces is at the crossroads of art and meticulous craftsmanship. They evoke the festive spirits of equestrian heavens, where gods and goddesses dance among constellations, inspired by the equestrian accessories from the Émile Hermès collection. Each watch in this series becomes a unique work of art thanks to the skill of craftspeople from the Hermès Horloger workshops, FS Micromec, Débora Martinez and Jean-Vincent Huguenin, who breathe life into these masterpieces through engraving and miniature painting.
Encased in 41mm of 750 white gold, the Arceau Chorus Stellarum’s dial is an elaborate display of champlevé, lacquer and miniature painted stars, complemented by a dynamic 2N yellow gold horse applique that rears up at the push of a button. This horological marvel is powered by the Hermès Manufacture movement H1837, a mechanical self-winding caliber crafted with Swiss precision, promising a power reserve of approximately 50 hours and a balance frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The watch’s craftsmanship is matched by its material quality, with some models featuring 70 diamonds totaling 1.05 ct, embracing the luminosity of the stars it represents.
The Arceau Chorus Stellarum’s artistry extends beyond its visual appeal and down to its very construction. Master engravers utilize traditional tools to carve the gold dial, creating depth and texture, while miniature painters meticulously layer paint to give life to the intricate designs. The art of miniature painting, with its depth and vibrancy, requires extreme attention to detail, ensuring that each dial tells its own story. Strapped with either an abyss blue or pearl gray alligator leather band and secured with a 750 white gold pin buckle.
Cut
The Hermès Cut is a timepiece that embodies the house’s passion for simplicity and strong design. Embracing geometric minimalism, the watch plays with a combination of shapes — bold circles and precise lines that define its distinctive identity. The design harmonizes satin-brushed and polished surfaces, crafting a case with proportions that capture the eye. Its unique crown placement at 1:30, decorated with a lacquered or engraved “H,” underscores Hermès’ knack for originality. The watch dazzles with a bevel-cut bezel that crowns a generous dial, while luminescent Arabic numerals and an exclusive embossed font ensure clarity and elegance.
At its heart, the Hermès Cut is driven by the Manufacture Hermès H1912 movement. This mechanical self-winding caliber is displayed through the sapphire crystal caseback, animating the hour, minute and seconds display. The design of the hands — a polished baton shape for the hours and minutes and a large seconds hand with a luminous dot — complements the silver-toned dial, which is circumscribed with a gray and orange-accented minutes track.
Reflecting the versatility Hermès is known for, the watch’s metal bracelet integrates smoothly with the case, featuring links that mirror the case’s finish. An alternative rubber strap option is available in eight Hermès signature colors, offering wearers the chance to personalize their timepiece daily if desired. The Hermès Cut is available in pure steel or an elegant two-tone mix of steel and rose gold, as well as an option with 56 bezel-set diamonds for added luxury.
To learn more about how you can view the Hermès Cut, Arceau Duc Attelé, or Arceau Chorus Stellarum in person, visit Watches & Wonders’ official site for more information.
