HERMES ARCEAU POCKET PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP

THE ARCEAU WRISTWATCH IMAGINED IN 1978 BY HENRI D'ORIGNY LENDS ITSELF IDEALLY TO A POCKET-WATCH VERSION. ITS ASYMMETRICAL ATTACHMENT AND ITS LUGS NATURALLY INVITE A CORD-STRAP FIXED TO THE ARCH LIKE STIRRUP LEATHER TO A STIRRUP, THUS EVOKING THE SADDLE AND HARNESS MAKING ORIGINS OF HERMES. WHETHER IN A TROUSER OR JACKET POCKET, THE MANNER OF WEARING THE ARCEAU POCKET FURTHER ACCENTUATES THE INNATE CLASSIC CHIC OF THE ORIGINAL WATCH DESIGN. THE ARCEAU POCKET PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP INTRODUCES A NEW DIAL THAT IS A TRUE WORK OF ART SCULPTURE FROM A BLOCK OF NATURAL MOTHER OF PEARL. IT DEPICTS AN EQUESTRIAN SCENE USING A RELIEF MODELING TECHNIQUE: THE CARRIAGE, HORSES AND PROTAGONISTS ARE THEMSELVES ENGRAVED ON TWO SUPERIMPOSED GOLD PLATES. THE PERSPECTIVE LINES, THE VARIOUS PLANES AND THE DEPTH OF FIELD, UNDERSCORED BY THE THIRD DIMENSION OF THE CREATION, INSTILL A DISTINCT SENSE OF LIFE AND MOVEMENT. THE MOTIF EVOKES THE CENTRAL DETAIL OF THE PROMENADE DE LONGCHAMP SILK CARRE DESIGNED BY PHILIPPE LEDOUX IN 1965. THE WHITE GOLD 43.2mm CASE AND SHIMMERING GREY-BLUE MOTHER OF PEARL DIAL RADIATE A SENSE OF DIAPHANOUS HARMONY THAT MAKES A STRIKING CONTRAST WITH THE CORD-STRAP AND POUCH IN MATT HAVANA ALLIGATOR LEATHER.