LEATHER MOSAIC
The “Robe du Soir” silk-scarf pattern arrives on the rose gold Arceau dial with a mosaic of tiny leather fragments. A magical work of craftsmanship!
Mosaics have existed since Antiquity, for around 6,000 years, and are basically made up of terracotta or stone fragments put together to form tiling or a pattern. Over time, the practical technique became a refined and elegant form of decorative art. It has also been miniaturised, sometimes using less common materials like in the Arceau Robe du Soir model, a beautiful watch available in just 12 pieces, which celebrates a new form of art on the dial: the leather mosaic. Is it any wonder? Not really, since leather-making was Hermès’ original business and elegance its leading feature.
To make the miniature format of the Robe du Soir silk-scarf pattern, designed by the very talented Florence Manlik, the artisans from the Parisian firm painstakingly cut out tiny square fragments from full-grain calf leather. In all, 2,200 minute fragments form the colourful profile of a harnessed horse’s head against an electric blue background. The animal with a brown coat and beige mask is dressed in striking colours such as bright red and deep turquoise. At the centre of this profusion of colour are a pair of gilded, leaf-shaped hands unobtrusively moving around the hours and minutes. The hands are driven by the H1837 calibre, a self-winding movement made in-house by Hermès and providing 50 hours of power reserve.
The leather mosaic is shown to advantage in an Arceau case with asymmetrical lugs. It is 41mm-wide, made of rose gold and attached to the wrist with an electric blue Swift calf leather strap, rounded off with a tang buckle.
Price: CHF 52,000 hermes.com
By Sharmila Bertin
The watch design might evoke the past, but the calibre inside driving the time elements and the date display at 3 o’clock is very contemporary. The self-winding movement is also certified by the COSC, guaranteeing accuracy.
The time information is shown on a finely sanded and lacquered black dial with golden hour, minute and central seconds hands making their way around an hour rim with baton indices and slender, bronze Arabic figures for the 6 and 12. The date is shown white against a black background in a counter at 3 o’clock.
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This new watch by Hermès blends the craft of champlevé enamelling, enamel painting and leather marquetery work on a surface area that is little bigger than a coin. A work requiring patience and meticulousness. The white gold disc is incised to form the outline of a zebra and then coated with several layers of white enamel. Then, after delicate polishing, the animal’s decorative winding stripes are painted using a mixture of enamel powders and essential oils. The last stage is to add fragments of full-grain calf leather that are reduced to a thickness of just 0.5mm, using the marquetery technique, to provide the finishing touch.
In the 41mm-wide steel case (waterproof down to 100m), the self-winding movement with 38 hours of power reserve drives the hour and minute hands, as well as the red central second hand with a Minerva arrow. As on the original model, the hours are placed on a unidirectional bezel machined in black ceramic. If you are travelling abroad, the bezel can be rotated to provide a second time zone. A date at 3 o’clock rounds off the time elements.
This limited edition of the Reverso Tribute Tourbillon Duoface is worn with a leather strap. With only 50 watches made, it is sure to delight collectors.
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In the original model, a self-winding movement designed by Concepto was housed in a 43.5 or 44mm case, depending on the material used. While the calibre LM39 still drives the ballet of the watch hands, it is now placed in a 44mm case, with a design borrowed from another flagship in the Louis Moinet collections, the Memoris.