The mysterious and enigmatic Hermes Arceau watch confines itself to essential: the mysteries of an elegance imbued with understated lightness. Its skeleton heart appears beneath a smoked crystal, punctuated by openwork numerals.

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Designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the Arceau watch is the epitome of formal classicism tinged with singularity. Its sober and carefully studied design, its round case with asymmetrical stirrup-shaped lugs, along with its sloping font evoking a galloping horse, all contribute to establishing its timeless yet contemporary nature. Hovering between shadow and light, this new interpretation of Hermès time subtly reveals the complexity of mechanical architecture.

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The Arceau Squelette watch features a round steel case framing a smoked sapphire crystal dial. From the deep black gradient on the chapter ring, enhanced by a beaded minute circle and silvered numerals, to the transparency of the centre revealing the skeleton movement, the magic weaves its spell. The bridges, the anthracite wheels and the openwork oscillating weight play with the lightness of the slender hour and minute hands, while the cut-out numerals and the Hermès signature appear to be levitating. This aerial display, powered by a mechanical self-winding movement, is complemented by a black alligator strap crafted by the artisans of Hermès Horloger, as indeed are the case and dial.

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Hermes Arceau Squelette

Technical specifications:

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Movement:

·      Type: Mechanical self-winding, crafted in Switzerland (based on Sellita SW300)

·      Functions: Hours, minutes

Case:

·      Shape/Size: Round, 40 mm in diameter

·      Material: Steel

·      Water resistance: 3 bar

Dial:

·      Dial in gradient-shaded black sapphire, transparent in the centre.

·      Silvered Arabic numerals.

Strap:

·      Black alligator

·      Graphite alligator

·      Abyss blue alligator

·      Havana alligator

·      Étoupe alligator

For more information please visit Hermes Online.