Cosmic and dreamlike. Setting foot on the moon and losing one’s sense of time and space. The new Hermes Arceau L’heure de la lune watch offers a unique vision of Earth’s satellite with the simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres. Two mobile counters gravitate on a meteorite or aventurine dial, revealing mother-of-pearl moons in step with an exclusive module, coupled with a Manufacture Hermès movement.

Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

An offbeat expression of a classic horological complication, the Arceau L’heure de la lune watch offers an original interpretation of Hermès watchmaking expertise. Framed by a white gold case, the mechanics adopt a light, barely-there role. Meteorite or aventurine inlaid with mother-of-pearl form a cosmos in which satellite dials float above hemispherical moons.

These mischievous displays have swapped cardinal points, with the south above and the north below. A topsy-turvy direction inviting observers to lose their bearings, with their head in the stars...

Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune Dial
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

The horse, representing the origins of Hermès, gallops elegantly into the world of dreams. At 12 o’clock, the moon is adorned by a Pegasus created by the “dreamer- designer” Dimitri Rybaltchenko. Entitled Pleine Lune (Full Moon), this portrayal of the winged horse hints at a passage between two worlds, where magic and reality merge. On the other side, at 6 o’clock, the view of the moon from the northern hemisphere provides a realistic depiction of its surface.

The New Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

The mobile counters displaying the time and date turn weightlessly to reveal the moon discs, while maintaining their horizontal orientation. This contemporary dance is choreographed by a module exclusively developed for Hermès and for which a patent has been filed. With a total thickness of just 4.2mm, its 117 polished and bead-blasted components are incorporated within the Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement: a technical challenge designed to preserve the slenderness of the overall mobile chassis, which sweeps around the dial in 59 days.

SIHH 2019 Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

The mother-of-pearl moons set into the stone display the lunar cycles in the northern and southern hemispheres. This mysterious game of hide-and-seek reveals nothing of its technical complexity, so as to give pride of place to dreams.

Within this space-time, metal, stars and rock seamlessly merge the watch exterior with the movement to form an unprecedented technical and aesthetic display of simple and graphic readability. The double moon here eclipses a traditional aperture-type display, instead covering the entire surface of the dial.

Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune Review
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

The result is a free-spirited and impertinent vision of mechanical watchmaking according to Hermès.

The Arceau case with its asymmetrical lugs, designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978, becomes a lunar crater made of meteorite stone or aventurine, while the lacquered dials, gravitating like satellites, display Arabic numerals with a distinctive sloping font. This Haute Horlogerie timepiece is issued in two 100-piece limited editions, and fitted with a matt alligator strap in graphite grey or abyss blue.

Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

Technical specifications:

Dial:

·      Aventurine Dial: White-lacquered mobile counters, black transfers

·      Meteorite Dial: Gradated grey-lacquered mobile counters, white transfers

·      Moons in white natural mother-of-pearl

·      Southern moon: Pegasus transfer inspired by the Pleine Lune motif designed by Dimitri Rybaltchenko

·      Northern moon: lunar surface transfer Blued hands

Case:

·      Designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978

·      White gold case (≈ 68.2g)

·      43mm in diameter, 22mm interhorn width

·      Antiglare sapphire crystal and case-back

·      Water-resistant to 3 bar

Movement:

·      Hermès Manufacture H1837 movement Mechanical self-winding, Swiss made

·      Diameter: 26mm (111⁄2’’’); Thickness: 3.7mm

·      193 components, 28 jewels

·      Frequency: 28,800 vph (4Hz)

·      Circular-grained and snailed baseplate, satin-brushed bridges and oscillating weight, signature “H” pattern

Module:

·      Exclusive “L’heure de la lune” module

·      Diameter: 38mm (163⁄4’’’)

·      Thickness: 4.2mm

·      117 components, 14 jewels

·      Polished and bead-blasted bridges

Functions: Hours, minutes, date, double moon phase (display of moon phases seen from the northern and southern hemispheres)

Strap:

·      Aventurine Dial: Matt abyss blue alligator

·      Meteorite Dial: Matt graphite grey alligator

·      17mm white gold folding clasp (≈ 26.39g)

Hermes Men Watch
Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune

The price for the Hermes Arceau L’heure De La Lune is $25,500 and is limited edition to 100 pieces for each version.

For more information visit Hermes Online.