The Arceau Cavalier en Formes emerges as one of Hermès’ most evocative expressions of time, a watch where engraving, miniature painting and high complication coexist in a single poetic gesture. Since its introduction in 1978, the Arceau line has played with asymmetry and equestrian heritage, using the round case as a quiet stage for creative experimentation. In this new interpretation, the maison transforms that familiar silhouette into a layered artwork, where horology becomes a medium for sculpture, colour and light.

At the centre of the composition lies a sapphire crystal set directly onto the dial, painted on both sides to create a floating tableau. The scene unfolds in superimposed fragments: radiant blocks of blue in square and round forms, finely engraved leaves that seem to unfurl in motion, and an engraved yellow‑gold horse that anchors the entire visual rhythm. Through the interplay of transparency, engraving and pigment, the dial acquires a sculptural depth that shifts with every angle of light, a quality that invites the wearer to linger rather than simply glance.

The imagery originates from Gianpaolo Pagni, whose graphic language reimagines a rider concealed within a constellation of geometric shapes. His design, first conceived for a silk scarf, draws inspiration from an equestrian lithograph in the Émile Hermès collection. By retaining only the horse and reconstructing the rider through cubist‑style motifs, Pagni creates a visual puzzle that feels both modern and steeped in the house’s artistic lineage. On the wrist, this pictorial dance becomes dynamic, animated by the mechanical life beneath it.

That movement is the hand‑wound Manufacture H1924 calibre, crafted in Switzerland and endowed with a 90‑hour power reserve. Beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, it drives hours and minutes while also commanding a minute repeater whose chime remains hidden yet essential to the soul of the watch. At 6 o’clock, a Lift tourbillon reveals its rotating carriage, shaped with the “double H” motif of the historic lift in the Hermès boutique at 24 Faubourg Saint‑Honoré. The complication appears almost suspended beneath the painted sapphire, reinforcing the sensation of depth and architectural layering.

The watch is housed in a 43 mm white‑gold case fitted with anti‑glare sapphire crystals on both sides and water‑resistant to 3 bar. Its dial, a fusion of miniature painting, engraving and hand‑painted gold appliqué, is paired with a bleu abysse alligator strap crafted in the Hermès workshops. Only six pieces will be made, underscoring the artisanal intensity required to bring such a creation to life.

Hermès approaches time not as a measure to be controlled but as an object to be shaped—an invitation to emotion, spontaneity and reverie. In the Arceau Cavalier en Formes, that philosophy becomes tangible. The watch is not merely a vessel for complications; it is a companion shaped by human hands, a meeting point between craftsmanship and imagination, where each glance reveals a new fragment of its story.