16 May, 2021

Hermès Arceau Space Derby

The Hermès Arceau Space Derby is offered in three variants, one with a 38mm gem-set case and two 41mm models house in white gold. All references are limited in number and uphold the Maison’s fondness for the equestrian world. However, in this instance, the dials depict a make-believe cosmic world, portrayed using the medium of miniature painting.

The über-luxury Maison, Hermès, founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, began life as a harness workshop, sating the requirements of well heeled patrons looking for saddles, bridles and other leather riding paraphernalia. Later, the Parisian brand entered new market sectors, drawing on its expertise with leather and its amassed knowledge of luxury goods.

Today, Hermès sells ties, shoes, handbags, leather goods, belts, fragrances, jewellery, scarves, watches and much, much more. The company still supplies products for equestrian use and has never forgotten its origins. Indeed, it is the equestrian world that often proves a source of inspiration for many of its other products.

The Arceau watch, designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, is presented in a round case with ‘asymmetrical stirrup-shaped lugs’. The dial of this mechanical watch has often been used as a medium for showcasing artistic crafts and, in particular, equestrian-themed scenes. Over the years, artisans have masterfully depicted horses in almost photorealistic form using the finest brushes.

Now, Hermès has unveiled three timepieces each depicting a make-believe world of brightly hued horses galloping across the wildernesses of a distant planet all set against a backdrop of infinite skies and twinkling stars. Each scene is created using miniature painting, set atop either pink opaline or aventurine. The former option is housed in a 38mm white gold case, set with 82 diamonds, while two variants, sporting aventurine dials, are paired with a 41mm white gold case and eschew any precious stones.

Each model is equipped with the Manufacture Hermès H1387 movement, an automatic Swiss movement.

The brand’s press release

Designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the Arceau watch lends itself to a fresh illustration of spontaneity and expertise. Its round case with asymmetrical stirrup-shaped lugs is the setting for a thrilling and futuristic horse race, brought to life by vibrant colours, hand-painted on a glittering or iridescent dial.

We are thus propelled into the futuristic and colourful universe of the illustrator Ugo Bienvenu, who designed the Space Derby silk scarf, inspired by 20th century American comic book superheroes, and imagined brightly coloured cosmic equestrian teams: a breathless derby in the stars; mysterious planets and constellations; as well as jockeys racing at full speed on a track winding through space.

Miniature- painted on an aventurine or pink opaline dial, this scene lends a new creative dimension to the Arceau watch. This art requires extreme care, a sure touch and a keen sense of colour in order to compose and give life to a palette of nuances, contrasts and unique details. The glowing shades spring to life through a multitude of layers of micro-painting meticulously and successively applied using a brush and dried in a hot kiln.

Two limited series reinterpret the original design of the Space Derby silk scarf. The first, crafted in white gold and aventurine, reveals a jockey and his aerodynamic chariot, pulled by a thoroughbred in armour, beneath a star-studded sky. The second, in diamond-set white gold, features a crimson moon-phase display as well as a flame-haired driver holding the reins of a horse-drawn carriage hurtling at full speed. Both models are equipped with a Manufacture Hermès mechanical self-winding movement and paired with an abyss blue or old rose alligator strap matching the dial co- lour. They are entirely crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops, based on the skills cultivated by the Maison.