Hermès unveils hand-painted porcelain dial in arceau harnais français watch

french high fashion luxury goods manufacturer Hermès has unveiled a limited and numbered edition of 24 arceau watches adorned with a dial that resembles a painted porcelain miniature. originally designed in 1978 by henri d’origny, this timepiece exudes a timeless allure with its white gold case set with 82 diamond framing an engraved and hand-painted porcelain dial. called the arceau harnais français, this one-of-a-kind watch highlights the expertise and creativity of Hermès horloger.

Hermès’ arceau harnais français has a stunning dial composed of a pair of harnessed horses which echo the central element of a silk scarf with the same name originally designed by hugo grygkar — Hermès prolific in-house designer from the 1940s to 1959. for the scarf, grygkar took inspiration from a work kept in the private collection of émile hermès displaying a group of caparisoned horses topped with multicolored feathers.

the image of the opulent horses has been embodied to the modest dimensions of the arceau harnais français watch dial, requiring almost a month of meticulous craftsmanship. first, the profile of the horses is hand-engraved on unglazed limoges porcelain where the different colors are applied directly interspersed with precise firings in the kiln in order to fix and enhance the pigments.

image by david marchon

produced in a limited and numbered series of 24, the arceau harnais français remix watch is driven by the H1912 mechanical self-winding movement, which, like the gem-set gold case and raspberry alligator strap, is crafted in the Hermès horloger workshops.

image by david marchon

technical characteristics

arceau harnais français

limited and numbered edition of 24

movement
manufacture hermès h1912 movement
mechanical self-winding,
crafted in switzerland

diameter: 23.9 mm
thickness: 3.7 mm
power reserve: 50 hours
frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour / 4hz
functions: hours, minutes

case

shape / dimensions: round, 38 mm in diameter
material: white gold set with 82 diamonds
glass: anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back
water resistance: 3 bar

dial: painted and engraved porcelain

strap: raspberry alligator