When Henri d’Origny designed the first Arceau in 1978, he had the equestrian world in mind. And although the name evokes the idea of an arch and a curve, it was the shape of a stirrup that inspired the round case and the two asymmetrical lugs that are now among the Maison’s most recognizable features. Over the years, the Arceau has become one of the most versatile platforms in Hermès watchmaking, allowing for orbital interpretations of L’Heure de la Lune or the complications of Le Temps Sospendu. With the most recentmétiers d’art interpretations, Chorus Stellarum and Rocabar de Rire, imagery linked to horses and the carré tradition makes a comeback.
Even in the new Arceau Le Cavalier en formes, the dial features a small miniature of a horse and rider, but adds two new complications: the Lift tourbillon and a minute repeater.
For this piece, the design was created by Gianpaolo Pagni and is based on an equestrian lithograph from the Émile Hermès collection, which the artist had originally reinterpreted for a silk carré.
The transposition from one medium to another (from the expansive, soft surface of silk to the smaller, technical surface of the watch dial) is central, because it allows, on the one hand, for the graphic character to be preserved, and on the other, for the design to adapt to a completely different scale, with varying depths. This transposition continues a dialogue with Hermès’s silk-making tradition, which has been one of the Maison’s primary vehicles for visual storytelling since 1937, the year the first carré was created. Since then, the square surface of the scarves has served as an artistic canvas where equestrian motifs, archival references, maps, animals, objects, and fantastical compositions intertwine, eventually becoming autonomous images and, in fact, collectible works of art.
The dial is a masterpiece of engraving and gold decoration inspired by Cubism
The dial is constructed in layers. The background, dominated by shades of blue and teal, features engraved palm-leaf motifs that emerge at the edges of the scene in an intertwined floral pattern. Above this base are elements arranged at different heights. Of the two central elements, the horseman is broken down into geometric shapes including orange circles, greenish squares, and hand-painted blue fields. The horse, on the other hand, engraved in yellow gold, retains a distinct and more classical figurative presence, differing, for example, from the previous version, the Arceau Rocabar de Rire.
Slightly offset to the right, the figure stands out with its body in relief and its front leg raised; the mane, bridle, and anatomical details are finely crafted, contrasting with the skeletonized hands. The contrast between the rider’s composition in blocks of color and the horse’s textured form is one of the most interesting elements, making the new Arceau one of the most complex and successful versions in the entire series.
The Arceau Cavalier en Formes is a tourbillon with a minute repeater
In this multi-layered design, a tourbillon is added at the 6 o’clock position, framed by a gold ring that echoes the color of the engraved horse. The tourbillon cage features the double-H motif of the historic elevator in the Hermès boutique at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. In addition to this visible complication, the watch features a minute repeater, activated via the slide on the left side of the case.
The H1924 in-house mechanical hand-wound movement (measuring 30 mm in diameter and 6.1 in thickness) powers the hours, minutes, and minute repeater, with a 90-hour power reserve and a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. On the back of the movement, the equestrian motif reappears on the barrel bridge, shaped like a double horse head.
The 43mm white gold case is complemented by anti-reflective sapphire crystal and a sapphire caseback, as well as an alligator strap in the “mat abysse” shade , crafted in the Hermès workshops.
Our Thoughts and Price
Produced in a limited edition of just six pieces, the Arceau Cavalier en Formes continues Hermès exploration of the watch as an object that bridges design, craftsmanship, and complications, bringing together some of the most recognizable elements of Hermès watchmaking: the equestrian motif, silk painting, the métiers d’art, and the grand complication. The result is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, among the finest of recent years.
It will be available on the market at a price upon request.
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