ANIMAL Instincts

Perfecting the art of transposing the magical allure of menagerie onto the realm of high horology.

- TAN SIOK HOON

ARCEAU COSTUME DE FÊTE BY HERMÈS

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 handpainting of the harness details complete the masterpiece.