With its round case featuring stirrup-like asymmetrical lugs, the Arceau watch designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978 radiates a timeless, understated and distinctive allure.
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Appearing in a white gold case set with 82 diamonds framing an engraved and hand-painted porcelain dial, the Arceau Harnais Français remix limited edition highlights the expertise and creativity of Hermès Horloger.
The dial motif, composed of a pair of splendidly harnessed horses, echoes the central element of the “Harnais Français Remix” silk scarf, originally designed by Hugo Grygkar, the prolific in-house designer from the 1940s to 1959.
The artist was inspired by a work kept in the private collection of Émile Hermès: a team of horses richly caparisoned and topped with multicoloured feathers, designed by two young 19th century architects – Fontaine and Percier – who were commissioned to design a coach for the coronation of Napoleon I in 1804.
Transposed to the modest dimensions of the Arceau watch dial, this equestrian depiction requires almost a month of meticulous craftsmanship. The profile of the horses is hand-engraved on bisque (unglazed) Limoges porcelain.
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Produced in a limited and numbered series of 24, the Arceau Harnais Français remix watch is driven by the H1912 mechanical self-winding movement, which, like the gem-set gold case and raspberry alligator strap, is crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops.