Henri d’Origny designed the iconic luxury wristwatch Arceau first in 1978. Ever since, it has been Hermès’ most preferred collection for experimentation. This continues in style with the introduction of the new Arceau Cheval Natté, a limited-edition Hermès watch whose dial is entirely woven from silk.
If that sounds unheard of in a watch, it’s because this is, for the first time, a watch dial that features a horse’s head woven geometrically using 400 silk threads. The way the threads are used on the timepiece is beyond the ordinary. Each individually selected silk thread is laid one by one, in a precise direction, by hand. This is done meticulously to ensure that when light moves across the surface, each woven section behaves differently, creating an eye-catching interplay of light, depth, and texture.
Designer: Hermès
This silk thread motif was originally created for Hermès home accessories by designer Tong Ren, and has been for the first time interpreted on a watch dial as horse’s head, which honors Hermès’ association with horses, which started with its days crafting high-quality leather harnesses and saddles. The silk dial, enhanced with the use of 123 diamonds and champlevé engraving, sits within a 38mm rose gold case.
The watch also has a bezel to look out for. Complementing the unique dial is the bezel embedded with 70 diamonds and a crown on the side adorned with a single diamond. The Arceau Cheval Natté is powered by an in-house, self-winding H1912 movement. Hermès states, it’s crafted in Switzerland, and that the calibre measures 23.9 mm in diameter and 3.9 mm in thickness, and operates at 28,800 beats per minute. It offers the watch a 50-hour power reserve.
The watch has a see-through sapphire crystal caseback, which provides a clear view of the signature sprinkling Hs on the movement. Besides the embellishment and the dial, the Arceau Cheval Natté is a simple horological instrument. It has only the primary hours and minutes hands and is made in two versions. One of them is a luminous model, which is pretty close to the vivid colors of the original design. The second, on the other hand, is a variant with more intense black, red, and brown tones.
Each version of the Arceau Cheval Natté, Hermès notes, is a limited edition of 24 pieces. Water-resistant to 30 meters, the watch comes paired with either a dune or black matte alligator strap secured with a rose‑gold pin buckle. Straps are also made in Hermès’ own workshops. The new Hermès watch does not intend to present time through complication, it chooses to weave time in silk for $95,200.
