Created by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the round Arceau watch with its stirrup-inspired lugs lends its singular aesthetic to a new stylistic expression. Imagined by Swiss artist Fred Rawyler for a silk scarf, a gleaming graphic design – reinterpreted to create fascinating depth and effects of light – brings sunshine to the dial of the aptly named new Arceau Soleil.

Sunbeams radiating across a subtle chiaroscuro gradient accentuate the path of the slender hands, in an endlessly mesmerising geometry. The diamond hour-markers, set into the sapphire crystal, create the illusion of levitating above the dial, while a translucent lacquer in shades of blue or grey swathes the engraved motif in an aura of mystery. The exquisitely light gem-set steel case of this elegant watch is paired with an alligator strap.

Hermès Arceau Soleil

Case: Henri d’Origny (1978)
Medium Model (MM), 36 mm, round
Gem-set 316L steel case, 100 diamonds (0.34 ct)
Gem-set anti-glare sapphire crystal, 12 diamonds (0.03 ct)

Dial: Laser-engraved and gradient blue-lacquered dial.
“Soleil” motif by Fred Rawyler
Dial: Laser-engraved and gradient grey-lacquered dial.
“Soleil” motif by Fred Rawyler

Movement: Quartz, crafted in Switzerland
Functions: Hours, minutes

Bracelet: Polished sapphire blue alligator
Matt pearl grey alligator
Clasp: 316L steel pin buckle, 16 mm
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About Hermès

Time, a Hermès object

Hermès creates objects. Objects shaped by the hands of artisans to make them true companions for those who wear them. Practical, functional and stemming from uncompromising expertise, they radiate the lightness of the unexpected. They make everyday life their playground, and each instant a uniquely special moment.

For Hermès, time is also an object. Its inherent tension is translated by the house into a singular characteristic. Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for spontaneity and recreation.