Watches and Wonders 2024: Hermès continues to find inspiration in the equestrian world

Hermès unveils unique complication inspired by its original muse and an all-new ladies’ sports watch, writes Gloria Fung

Taking thoughtful inspiration from the equestrian world since its inception as a saddle maker, Hermès has brought forth its signature demure aesthetics to everything from ready-to-wear and leather goods to home furnishings and lifestyle accessories. Traces of the equine lifestyle are injected in items like silk scarfs and designs of its bags like the horse-feed-inspired Picotin purse.

The same thoughtfulness is put into retaining and expressing its ethos when it comes to the house’s watchmaking. Still, that’s not to say the house is all about appearances, especially when it comes to its creative take on time-telling.

This year at Watches and Wonders, the house introduces a new silhouette that sees it enter the stainless steel sports watch space as well as a limited edition high-complication piece.

There’s plenty of it across the dial of the new Hermès Arceau Chorus Stellarum. The minute repeater complication is housed alongside the tourbillon. Alongside those complications, the watch’s automatic in-house movement also brings motion to the horse automaton on the dial. Various saviour faire are employed to create the dial, including gold engraving and miniature painting. Hermès is making just six of these pieces completed with a diamond bezel.

The Hermès Cut is an all-new ladies’ reference that features a cushion cut housing a round dial.

While the design looks simple enough, thought has been put into creating visual focal points across the dial. Applied Arabic numerals surround the dial, and an inner seconds track, along with the second hand, is accented with pops of Hermès’ signature orange hue.

A number of iterations are presented in this initial launch of the design, including two-toned cases and diamond set bezels. The integrated interchange bracelet can be swapped out for a rubber strap in one of eight hues, including Hermès orange. Powering this 36 mm watch is an automatic in-house automatic movement.

Also see: Watches and Wonders 2024: Couture meets horology as Chanel presents new Premiere and J12