HERMES
ARCEAU CASAQUE
Four decades after artistic director Henri d’Origny came up with the design for the Arceau watch, (a round watch that escapes from the classicism confinements with asymmetrical lugs in a shape inspired by stirrups), the story continues with the Arceau Casaque, in which the 36mm case is modelled after an equestrian manège, an arena marked with curved hoof prints on the sand. Upon a dial lacquered in red, yellow, green or blue, the outline of the Cavale motif gallops on majestically ‒ a reminiscence of the horse-head pawns of a classic French children’s board game. The craftsmanship behind the seemingly simplistic design on the dial is the lacquer and transfer techniques called champlevé: hollows are first created in the dial base, before it is filled with lacquer, and finally, a matte tone-on-tone transferred chevron motif lends the final touch to this colourful composition.