Posted on

Hermes Heure H TGM

The Hermes Heure H watch offers a timekeeping experience that can be endlessly customized and transformed. There are tons of case sizes to choose from, different straps and bracelet types, as well as classic and special colors and materials. Regardless of your style, if you love diversifying your accessories, the Hermes Heure H watch is a fantastic choice to add to your collection, effectively giving you “multiple watches” in one.

The Hermes Heure H watch comes in 4 different case sizes. From smallest to largest, Hermes Heure H case sizes are the Mini model (21mm), the Small model (25mm), the Medium model (30mm), and the Large model (34mm). Hermes records their Heure H watch case sizes using the lug-to-lug height measurement. The actual case diameter is what FASHIONPHILE goes by. If you know your Hermes case size, you can cross-reference the chart below whenever browsing Heure H watches at FASHIONPHILE. It is helpful to know which case size you have as that will guage which interchangeable strap size to buy.

Hermes Heure H watch cases are skillfully fashioned from stainless steel, available in both silver and gold-plated options, with some featuring a diamond-encrusted bezel for added luxury. The watch face, also referred to as the dial, typically features numerical hour markers, though some variations may lack them entirely or have only the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions marked. These subtle nuances cater to your personal preferences.

Aside from case sizes, the Hermes Heure H watch also has various straps and bracelet options. There are standard tour straps made of leather and double tour straps, which coil around your wrist multiple times to create a bolder and more pronounced look. For a dressier look, there are bracelets made of steel.

The leather tour straps on Hermes Heure H watch are interchangeable and can be removed, allowing you to transform your watch with new materials and colors! However, it’s advised to bring any Heure H steel watch to a trusted horologist to change up those – but they are interchangeable. If you need a size adjustment, the Hermes After Sales Specialists located in Hermes boutiques are always happy to assist!

Hermes regularly updates its inventory of Heure H leather watch straps, so if you have a particular item in mind, it’s advisable to check their website periodically or keep in touch with your Sales Associate (SA). Alternatively, for a more efficient option, consider setting up an item alert with FASHIONPHILE, and you’ll receive immediate notifications when we have the item you’re seeking in stock.  With the case sizes, bracelet, and strap options, the fun part is knowing all the colors and materials that you can choose from for your Hermes Heure H watch! Predominantly, leather straps come in Epsom, Swift, and shiny or matte alligator. These interchangeable straps also come with a steel pin buckle so make sure to note the color of your case so it matches your new steel pin buckle!

As for Hermes colors, the sky is the limit! As you know Hermes colors are vast and depending on the material you choose, the color can come out differently. Epsom, Swift, and alligator absorb color dyes differently.

While the Hermes Heure H watch is a chic timekeeping accessory, it also has so many options for personalization. From various case sizes to bracelet types as well as different colors and materials to choose from.

Posted on

Hermès Nantucket TPM

Downsizing does not mean simplifying, as is admirably demonstrated by the now extremely dainty Nantucket watch. At its birth in 1991, it featured an elongated case with the “anchor chain” motif dreamed up by Henri d’Origny, who Hermès Nantucket TPM had been asked to design a square shape. In the latest instalment of a resolutely rebellious creative saga, this Très Petit Modèle (17 x 32 mm) further accentuates the outline of the original drawing. Available in steel and opaline silver-toned dial or gem-set rose gold and natural white mother-of-pearl dial versions, Hermès Nantucket TPM is teamed with single or double wrap-around straps available in alligator or calfskin and in a wide range colours. Diamonds break out of the mould as the miniature Nantucket appears in a whirl of sparkling radiance. At its birth in 1991, this model was fitted with a rectangular case featuring the “Anchor Chain” motif created by Henri d’Origny who had been asked to design a square shape. Continuing the saga of an aesthetic rebellion, this “Très Petit Modèle” further accentuates the outline of the original design and celebrates diamonds for daily wear, dotted around as if the wind had scattered them across the Hermès Nantucket TPM watch. Nantucket thus becomes a relaxed piece of daytime jewellery.

Designed with a steel case and a rhodium-plated sand-coloured dial, this Hermès Nantucket TPM watch, driven by a quartz movement, is fitted with a choice of single tour alligator straps in smooth ember or matt étoupe, Mykonos blue, cactus green, abysse blue, black variations.

Posted on

Hermes Arceau L’heure de la lune moon

Continuing its tradition of creating watches that combine interesting mechanics with whimsical ideas, Hermès has released one of the coolest moonphase watches I’ve ever seen. The Hermes Arceau L’Heure De La Lune presents a pair of stationary mother-of-pearl moons with a complementary pair of floating lacquer dials floating over the top that rotate around the dial once every 59 days, covering and uncovering the moons to to indicate the current moon phase in both the southern and northern hemispheres at once. One of the floating dials shows the hours and minutes, while the other counts the date. Hermès has further amplified the dreamy effect by inverting the moons, with the the top one showing the southern hemisphere and the lower one the northern hemisphere. Finally, the moons show different designs, with the lower moon featuring a transfer of the luner surface on top and the upper moon baring a subtle pegasus motif by artist and designer Dimitri Rybaltchenko (a work he calls “Pleine Lune” or “Full Moon”). You have a choice of two executions, one with a meteorite dial and graduated grey lacquered discs and the other with an aventurine dial and white lacquered discs – both utilize the same 43mm white gold Arceau case. Each version is limited to 100 numbered pieces.

You’re probably wondering at this point how this unusual complication works. Inside is an Hermès caliber H1837 movement fitting with a module called the Hermes Arceau L’Heure De La Lune that was designed specifically to create this display. The module alone requires over 100 components and is 38mm across (which is the resulting “wingspan” of the rotating discs), and there is currently a patent pending for the mechanism. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune debuted a little over a year ago at SIHH 2019 and was one of the stars of the show. It combines technical mastery with artistic flourish in a way that’s quintessentially Hermès, and this was one of those watches that people stopped to look at in the windows every time they passed the brand’s booth. I count myself among them. The Hermes Arceau L’Heure De La Lune watch uses an Hermès in-house movement as a base for an exclusive complication that has a pair of discs showing the hours/minutes and date that spin over a dial with two mother-of-pearl moons. The result is a dual moon phase indicator that shows both the northern and southern hemispheres at once. It playfully reverses the usual hierarchy of displays on a watch dial and does so extremely effectively.

This year, we’re getting five new versions of the Hermes Arceau L’Heure De La Lune. They’re technically identical to last year’s two pieces, measuring in at 43mm and utilizing the same movement and module, but with new dial options. First up are two blue-tinted models, one with a dial of Lapis Lazuli and one utilizing a hard stone called Blue Pearl. The other three are made of real meteorite, with Lunar meteorite, Black Sahara meteorite, and Martian meteorite on offer. Yeah, that’s right – you can wear a sliver of the Moon or Mars on your wrist, elevating this watch’s concept to the next level. Meteorite dials are not uncommon these days, but Lunar meteorites are much more scarce, and I definitely haven’t seen a Martian meteorite available on a watch before.

The Blue Pearl and Lapis Lazuli versions are additions to the main collection, while the meteorite dials are all limited editions. The Lunar and Black Sahara versions are limited to 36 pieces each, while the Martian version is limited to just two (yes, two!) pieces with price only available on request. The Hermes Arceau L’Heure De La Lune has quite a few fans at HODINKEE, including Stephen Pulvirent and myself, and if you spend a little time with the watch and have anything like a romantic streak, you will probably find it quite captivating as well. The moon-phase complication in any form always has a whiff of the whimsical and pleasantly otherworldly about it, and the version of the complication used by Hermès is no exception.

Posted on

Hermès Arceau TGM Manufacture

Hermès Arceau TGM Manufacture has been on a pretty strong roll the last few years, introducing both new movements and new watches, most of which have been extremely strong. From the basic Slim d’Hermès to the perpetual calendar Slim to the more romantic complications, there’s been a lot to enjoy from the famed Parisian luxury house. And with this latest introduction, Hermès shows no signs of slowing down.

The pair of Hermès Arceau TGM Manufacture watches we have here are two variations of the Arceau Très Grand Modèle. The name really says it all here. We have the classic Arceau, which was first designed for Hermès by Henri d’Origny back in 1991, only in a “very large” (or très grand in French) size. The defining features of the Arceau are the swooping numerals, which curve as they go around the dial, adding some dynamism to the mix, and those semi-wire lugs that curve out from the round, slim-bezeled case. Both are intact here, and the new models look every bit the part of classic Arceau models, just with different colors and finishes. The first new Arceau Très Grand Modèle has a 40mm steel case paired with an elegant hazelnut brown dial. The dial features a stamped chevron pattern in the center and a sunburst finish on the chapter ring, which in turn has applied gold Arabic numerals in the classic Arceau style. The contrasting patterns make the dial look two-tone even though the color is even throughout. There’s a matching date window down at six o’clock, otherwise we have a simple two-hand layout here. The strap is a matching etoupe matte alligator Hermès strap that works perfectly with the rest of the watch.

Inside is the caliber H1837, which Hermès Arceau TGM Manufacture is the standard in-house automatic movement from Hermès. It has a full rotor (unlike the micro-rotor movement that powers the Slim d’Hermès watches) and is comprised of 193 total components. The power reserve is a reasonable 50 hours and the decoration is a mix of more traditional finishes and the signature Hermès H motif.
The other model introduced here starts with the same steel case, but utilizes a blue lacquered dial with an even sunburst finish and silvered Arabic numerals around the outer edge. Again, there’s a matching “Abyss blue” matte alligator strap and a date window that matches with the dial too.

The biggest difference with this model though is inside – there’s a Swiss quartz movement powering this Hermès Arceau TGM Manufacture watch instead of the mechanical H1837. While I understand Hermès wanting to hit multiple price points, it would have been nice to see both colors available with both movements – this blue dial with a mechanical movement would be quite the show stopper.

Posted on

Hermes Arceau Squelette

Hermes Arceau Squelette timepiece, designed by its longtime artistic director Henri d’Origny in 1978, is perhaps the watch that best expresses the brand’s historical roots as a saddle maker: its asymmetrical lugs are shaped like stirrups and the sloping font of it hour numerals evoke the silhouettes of galloping horses. This year, Hermès unveils a new edition of the Arceau that also elegantly demonstrates the maison’s watchmaking expertise: the Arceau Squelette. The Arceau Squelette’s rounded, 40-mm steel case houses a skeletonized self-winding movement and frames a smoked, sapphire dial through which that mechanism can be glimpsed. The Hermes Arceau Squelette dial is deep black on its outer edges, gradating to a transparent center, and features a beaded minute circle and silvered, openworked numerals in the signature Arceau style. Visible beneath the slim, lance-shaped hour and minute hands are the movement’s bridges, its wheels with anthracite treatment, and its openworked oscillating weight. The Hermès Arceau Squelette is attached via its hallmark stirrup lugs to a matte-black alligator leather strap from Hermès’s own atelier and fastens to the wrist with a steel pin buckle. It is priced at $8,600 and available via the Hermès website as well as authorized dealers.
The Hermes Arceau Squelette is one of the company’s older watch designs, going back to 1978, but the execution we have here is something entirely new. The classic form has been fitted with a skeletonized movement and a smoked black sapphire dial to show off the new caliber. The rest of the package is pretty familiar – 40mm stainless-steel case, the distinctive swirling numerals, and, of course, a killer Hermès strap (in your choice of a few colors) finishing things off. Some people knock watchmakers for “variations,” but this is very much a case of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Those few design changes do make a big difference, though. To me, the Hermes Arceau Squelette has always had a certain crispness about it, with the lithe hands, the fine lines of the numerals, and the clean shape of the case. This watch still has those things, but the multi-layer effect of the crystal, gradient-smoked sapphire dial, and open movement underneath adds a bit of cloudiness and extra depth. The watch has a totally new dimension. It’s making its way into Hermès boutiques now, and while it’s not a limited edition, production is limited on the new model.

Posted on

Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune

Continuing its tradition of creating watches that combine interesting mechanics with whimsical ideas, Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune has released one of the coolest moonphase watches I’ve ever seen. The Arceau L’Heure De La Lune presents a pair of stationary mother-of-pearl moons with a complementary pair of floating lacquer dials floating over the top that rotate around the dial once every 59 days, covering and uncovering the moons to to indicate the current moon phase in both the southern and northern hemispheres at once. One of the floating dials shows the hours and minutes, while the other counts the date. Hermès has further amplified the dreamy effect by inverting the moons, with the the top one showing the southern hemisphere and the lower one the northern hemisphere. Finally, the moons show different designs, with the lower moon featuring a transfer of the luner surface on top and the upper moon baring a subtle pegasus motif by artist and designer Dimitri Rybaltchenko (a work he calls “Pleine Lune” or “Full Moon”). You have a choice of two executions, one with a meteorite dial and graduated grey lacquered discs and the other with an aventurine dial and white lacquered discs – both utilize the same 43mm white gold Arceau case. Each version is limited to 100 numbered pieces.

You’re probably wondering at this point how this unusual complication works. Inside is an Hermès caliber H1837 movement fitting with a module called the “Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune” that was designed specifically to create this display. The module alone requires over 100 components and is 38mm across (which is the resulting “wingspan” of the rotating discs), and there is currently a patent pending for the mechanism. I’ll admit it: I actually let out an audible “Whoa!” when this one landed in my inbox. I’m already a big fan of what Hermès does, on both the more classic side and the more idiosyncratic side, and this one does not disappoint at all. If you told me about this Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune watch or only handed me a spec sheet, I think I’d probably assume the watch to be a little too over-the-top despite the fun idea, however Hermès has executed an already great idea with great skill too, resulting in a watch that’s beautiful in both concept and form. There’s the natural beauty of the meteorite, aventurine, and mother of pearl, sure, but I think it’s the way the various colors and textures interact that makes this one really sing – it’s all about subtle contrasts and mirrored forms. I’m not sure which of the two I prefer – I keep going back and forth – but if you asked me today I’d have to go with the meteorite version. The fact that the watch looks just a little bit different each day you wear it is awesome and I enjoy the idea of a dramatic but slow complication.

To come back down to Earth for a minute (get it?), a 43mm white gold Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune watch is probably a little more than my relatively small wrist can handle, and the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune is a lot of look to sport every day too, but that doesn’t make me wish I could rock one of these any less. Now if there were only a desk clock version I might be in business…

Posted on

Hermès Arceau Cheval Cosmique

I love art in all its forms Hermès Arceau Cheval Cosmique, be it musical, movement, pictures, or prose. Many think of art in the more traditional formats like paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, film, and possibly textiles. But art surrounds us in forms and mediums as diverse as grand architecture, beautiful sonnets, and live performances. And what’s more, art is understandable by specific principles using defined elements allowing for the creation of every possible piece of art imaginable.

One might think definitions and principles would fundamentally limit art, but they are not what you use to make art (even though you inherently do); they are what we use to dissect what the art is, regardless of the form it exists. It’s possible that you can create art that breaks every rule of design and composition, and yet we can still analyze it using the principles and elements of design.

That is because everything we can create will relate in some way: the principles and elements of design are based on how we humans sense and understand the world around us. Therefore, depending on who you are and what you have experienced in your life, you may fundamentally connect to certain elements and principles of design more than others.

I appreciate patterns (thanks to my primate brain) and contrast, both of which are principles of design, and the use of shape and line to create textures, elements of design.

This Hermès Arceau Cheval Cosmique also means that I am often drawn to bold patterns mixed and matched with subtle elements and details drawing attention to contrast. Perennial favorites include repeating patterns of lines juxtaposed with natural shapes. Think geometric architecture jutting out of the side of a rolling, grass-covered hill. This also results in a fondness for graphic design, logos, and graphical elements in traditional places.

And that brings me to Hermès, the Arceau, and Gianpaolo Pagni.

Design nerd side note: the elements of design include line, shape, form, color, texture, space, and value, together making up the “tools” of an artist, the objects that can be used to create art. The Principles of Design include pattern, contrast, emphasis, balance, scale, harmony, and movement, together making up the “methods” of using the “tools” to create art. Some sources separate principles or elements into more distinct categories, but they still cover the same results. One that is mentioned specifically in non-static art (i.e., film, music, theater, literature, performance art) is time, which can be used both as an element or a principle of design. As more art becomes multimedia-based, time is referenced more often.

Pagni is an Italian born printmaker, illustrator, and artist who has been professionally active in Paris since at least 1993. Specializing in geometric patterns, primary colors, and an emphasis on pure shape, Pagni has created a wide array of works that help to distinguish his work as distinctly his own. He first began working with Hermès in 2011 designing prints for scarves, which translated into shawls, blankets, twillys, and other accessories highlighting Pagni’s unique penchant for patterns.

One key aspect of his work is how Pagni creates hand stamps, which he uses to create repetition with shapes, lines, and colors. Across his career, specific patterns have become frequent visitors to his works, sort of like subtle signatures of the artist’s creative mind. One of these patterns is concentric arced lines, often used to create incredibly striking, undulating squiggle patterns.

Searching through many of his past works, the first evidence of this specific pattern is found illustrated in his print book La Pasta from 2003. The entry for linguine depicts the origins of this pattern, which has evolved over the years as Pagni created different stamps for variations and alternate uses.

The most replicated version is in his book Everybody Loves Somebody . . . And Nobody from 2015. This pattern was also coincidentally first seen on an Hermès scarf in 2013, though in a less undulating manner than seen later. That playful use of the pattern eventually found its way back to Hermès when Pagni designed an illustration dubbed Cheval Cosmique (“cosmic horse” in French), which has been featured on a scarf, blanket, hand-painted tray, and now a watch (you might have seen that coming).

The Hermès Arceau Cheval Cosmique silhouetted trotting horse, by the way, is said to be based on one from Émile Hermès’ private collection.
But the fun and creativity that comes from Hermès, its collaborations with artists, and its willingness to combine fine craftsmanship (something very important to me as a maker) with all sorts of inspirations gives me the impression that the brand has a sense of humility with its work, wanting to play and create interesting things without taking itself too seriously.

I’m excited to see more creativity from Hermès and its design collaborators, and if things go we’ll find more examples of bold patterns with high-contrast juxtaposed with the gentler beauty in so many things. If the relationship with Gianpaolo Pagni to create the incredible Arceau Cheval Cosmique is any indication, I’m bound to be hypnotized again before I know it.

Posted on

Hermès Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel

Hermès presents a new Hermès Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel watch. Featuring a slender case, it incorporates a much appreciated horological mechanism.

The ultra-thin Manufacture H1950 with perpetual calendar complication ensures that the date of months with 30 and 31 days is automatically adjusted, while taking account of leap years by indicating February 29th every four years without any need for corrections. Adorned with a ‘sprinkling of Hs’ and meticulously hand-bevelled, the movement also powers day/ night, dual-time and moon-phase indications within a composition measuring just 4 mm thick. This intricate self-winding mechanical calibre may be admired through the sapphire crystal case-back.

The numerals with their font specially designed by Philippe Apeloig stand out with light and airy grace. While the date, month, dual-time and leap year indications are displayed on various counters, a mother-of-pearl moon phase graces an aventurine sky backdrop at 3 o’clock. The elegant and graphic dial perfectly harmonizes with the rose gold and titanium or titanium and platinum case. The new Slim Quantième Perpétuel watch from Hermès unites the full spectrum of watchmaking skills, like the expertise in crafting mechanical complications and the proficiency of case and dial-making artisans. The matt graphite alligator strap reflects impeccable leather craftsmanship.
Yes, we have our very first Baselworld pre-release coming to you a few days before SIHH, but trust me it’s a good one. Hermès is unveiling an updated version of the Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel, this time in Hermès Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel watch platinum with deep blue dial. This one looks like it’s going to be good.

You may remember the Hermès Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel watch from when it was released two years ago or when we did this in-depth review of the time-only Slim d’Hermès. It was quite a hit with us (and many of you), so we are really excited that the French luxury house is continuing to develop the collection, bringing us the Slim d’Hermès QP in an updated configuration. Originally it was only available in rose gold with a silvered dial and the new edition offers a massive contrast with a platinum case and dark blue dial. The watch is powered by the in-house caliber H1950, which is an automatic ultra-thin movement (wound by a micro-rotor!). This is the same impressive movement used in the previous edition, and it shows the date in the top sub-dial, the month and leap year cycle on the left, and the moonphase on the right, with a second timezone hour indicator with day/night functionality tucked down at six o’clock. The detail on the moonphase is incredible, with the mother-of-pearl moon set against the aventurine glass sky. It’s a small touch, but an important one. The new platinum case measures 39.5mm in diameter, again like the edition before. The Hermès Slim d’Hermès Quantième Perpétuel watch slim hands stand out nicely against the blue dial, as far as we can tell from photos, but this is clearly a watch you have to see in person to truly appreciate. You can be sure we’ll have live photos and a full report on this one for you as quickly as we possibly can.

Posted on

Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune “New York”

The Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune has quite a few fans at HODINKEE, including Stephen Pulvirent and myself, and if you spend a little time with the watch and have anything like a romantic streak, you will probably find it quite captivating as well. The moon-phase complication in any form always has a whiff of the whimsical and pleasantly otherworldly about it, and the version of the complication used by Hermès is no exception. We’ve covered the complication, which was designed for Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune by Jean-François Mojon (the founder of complications specialist Chronode SA), in-depth in our previous coverage, but a quick review is probably in order. The basis of the complication is a satellite system with two dials mounted on the opposed arms of a carrier; the carrier rotates clockwise once every 59 days. The dials are geared from underneath so that they stay “right side up” as they rotate (the 12 on the dial for the time is always at the top, in other words). The movement is the same as in previous versions of the watch, of course – the caliber H1837, on a Vaucher base, running in 28 jewels at 28,800 vph. As we’ve seen in earlier versions of the watch, the two Moon disks are labeled Nord and Sud (north and south) as each represents the Moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres. The Sud disk, rather counterintuitively, is up top (north conventionally is at the top of most maps), but the reason for this is that to an observer in the southern hemisphere, it is the leftmost side of the Moon which falls into shadow first after a full Moon, and vice versa in the northern hemisphere. The special and unusual feature of this version of the L’Heure De La Lune is the dial. This isn’t the first time this model has gotten a meteorite dial, but the specific meteorite used for this dial is the so-called “New York” meteorite, of which Hermès says, “The Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune New York meteorite was originally discovered by a fishing boat, purely by chance. The captain sold it in 1965 to a private individual in New York harbour and it fell into oblivion for several decades. In 2008, meteorite hunter Luc Labenne was contacted by Mark Grubb, son of the man who had bought the meteorite in 1965. Mr. Labenne decided to purchase the meteorite, which weighed 2.95 kg at the time. He had it analyzed and officially declared it. It was subsequently acquired by Hermès and used for this limited edition piece.” The meteorite in question, when cut, exhibits a cross-hatched pattern of very large iron-nickel crystals which form what is called a Widmannstätten pattern (named for Count Alois von Beckh Widmannstätten, who described the pattern in 1808. As an aside, some people also call it a Thomson pattern, for the English scientist William Thomson, who discovered the same pattern four years earlier after treating sections of iron-nickel meteorites with nitric acid to remove surface oxidation). The pattern can only be formed when an iron-nickel meteorite has slowly cooled, over a period of millions of years, and as they cannot be duplicated in a lab, or industrially, the crystals and the patterns they form are definite proof of the extraterrestrial origin of the material. The Hermès Arceau L’Heure De La Lune 43mm case is platinum (you might recall we took a close look at the origin and properties of platinum not long ago) which is a sufficiently heavy element that it is thought to be formed only in very powerful hypernova stellar collapses, or in the collision of neutron stars, so you’re getting some additional celestial bang for the buck in the case material as well. This will be a limited edition timepiece, consisting of 16 pieces, and priced at $69,950. As I said at the outset, I’m a big fan of these watches. They have all the elegance you could want from something from Hermès, and the execution of the moon-phase complication gives a sense of drama, coupled with serenity of the evolutions of motion of the heavenly bodies, not easily found elsewhere. That, coupled with a dial which underwent a journey of untold eons through the vast and silent darkness of interplanetary space, and a case made of a metal born in some of the most violent events in the known universe, makes for a watch that seems to reach up from your wrist for the stars themselves.

Posted on

Hermès Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes

Hermès is on a tear this year, like a runaway horse pulling a carriage full of the GPHG awards it racked up a few weeks ago. The brand won both the Mens’ and Ladies’ complications categories with their respective Arceau Le Temps Voyageur models. It still may come as a surprise to a lot of the watch community, however, that the maison has so many complicated offerings in its catalogs that many haven’t even made it to its website.

Case-in-point: Hermès Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black. Though not GPHG award-nominated (I’d imagine it would be in the running for any “longest name” category) it’s still a technical marvel. In this case, the achievement is not just making a watch with a tourbillon and a minute repeater, rather, it’s the fact the designers have paid homage to the brand’s heritage, showing their confidence that Hermès can hold its own against the big names of the watch industry. Issued in a numbered 24-piece limited series, the Arceau Lift tourbillon répétition minutes so black watch by Hermès features a black grand feu enamel dial revealing part of its captivating mechanism It combines two magnificent horological complications. The complex mechanism of the double-gong minute repeater can be admired through the horse-shaped dial cut-out. The flying tourbillon is revealed through a round aperture at 6 o’clock.

The double-H tourbillon structure of the Hermès Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes So Black watch is inspired by an emblematic motif of the Hermès boutique in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. This distinctive design surmounting the carriage and barrel bridge echoes the shape of the wrought iron adorning the entrance, railings, staircase and elevator of the Parisian establishment.

Hermès expands its iconic Arceau watch family by revealing a high-complication watch with flying tourbillon and minute repeater mechanisms.

The timeless silhouette of this Arceau watch takes the form of a round case with stirrup-like asymmetrical lugs. A one-of-a-kind model in rose or white gold, the Arceau Lift tourbillon répétition minutes features a white or Abyss blue-lacquered dial. A horse-shaped cut-out in the lacquered dial reveals the Hermès Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes movement. Framed by the equestrian profile cut-out hugging the curves of the case, the complexity of the double-gong minute-repeater mechanism is captivating. This traditional horological complication is combined here with another horological exception – the flying tourbillon – coiled inside the horse’s neck and visible through a round aperture at 6 o’clock. Forming a double H, the architecture of the tourbillon is inspired by mot emblematic of the Hermès boutique on the Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. This design crowning the tourbillon carriage and barrel bridge picks up the pattern of the artistic wrought ironwork adorning the entrance, railings, staircase and lift at the Parisian establishment.

Visible through the dial cut-outs and the sapphire crystal case-back, the new mechanical hand-wound movement H1924 from Manufacture Hermès emits the clear chime of its minute repeater from a white or rose gold case measuring 43 mm in diameter. Hermès Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes Re-designed to incorporate two major Haute Horlogerie complications, this precious case was designed in the Hermès Horloger workshops, as were the lacquered dial and matt black alligator strap.