A (central) triple axis tourbillon isn’t a complication one associates with Hermès, let alone combined with a minute repeater, but that’s exactly what you get in the new Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé, coming in two numbered limited editions of twenty-four pieces in either a polished titanium or rose gold 43mm-sized case. It was the former that I got to see at Watches & Wonders 2024.
But the Arceau Duc Attelé isn’t just about the double complications, as there are brand-inspired equestrian features built into the watch.
Let’s start with the case and dial of the titanium model. Underneath the sapphire dome is a dial with an overlapping striped guilloché decoration with anthracite coating. These stripes are meant to represent the sound waves of the minute repeater. The dial has a domed chapter ring with sunburst finishing and rhodium-plating, and which has claw-shaped blued hands reaching over the curved hour circle. The Arabic numerals are white transfers, and there is a power reserve indication at 6 o’clock.
The central triple-axis tourbillon has ninety-nine components and a mirror-polished titanium carriage shaped with a double ‘H’ (representing the union of Émile Hermès and Julie Hollande in 1900) covering it. The rotation speeds of the three axes are one full turn in 300, 60 and 25 seconds.
The minute repeater chimes the hours, quarter-hours and minutes, with U-shaped ‘tuning-fork’ gongs and mirror-polished horse head-shaped hammers. The gears feature a cut-out design inspired by the wheels of the Duc Attelé horse-drawn carriage. The mainplate and bridges have anthracite PVD treatment, horse head-and-mane shaped repeater mechanism, and toothed wheels. The open-worked sapphire-crystal strike work bridge is to enhance the sound of the repeater.
Powering the watch is the in-house manually-wound Hermès H1926 movement which has 563 parts, beats at 36,000VPH, and has a power reserve of 48 hours.
This is a thoroughly modern looking watch which, not content with some visual design nods, incorporates the brand’s equestrian heritage in a very clever way which at first glance, you may not even pick up (well on the dial side, anyway). It smoothly achieves the task of combining technical achievement with good looks.
As mentioned, the limited edition Arceau Duc Attelé comes in titanium or rose gold cases. They have either a matte anthracite or blue alligator strap with a metal-matched folding clasp.
Categories: Hands-on, Hermes, Limited Editions, Watch Profile, watches, Watches & Wonders Geneva 2024
HOROLOGIUM 
Leave a comment