The iconic Hermès boutique on Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the centre of Paris was chosen for the launch of the timepiece that signals clearly the brand’s entrance into the world of high-end watchmaking. The strange name of the piece, the Arceau Lift, is an indication why the store was chosen over, say, BaselWorld, for such a significant launch. It is because this new watch has been designed from scratch on the basis of an idea that the brand’s product manager, Philippe Delhotal had when visiting the store.

In the 3,000 square metres that make up this bastion of luxury, Mr Delhotal spotted an intertwined double H motif on the principal lift in the store, which symbolises the union of the Hermès and Hollande families when the grandson of the company’s founder, Emile Hermès, married Julie Hollande. He chose this symbol as the basis for the design of a new flying tourbillon using the Arceau case but with a movement that has been designed and produced exclusively for Hermès by La Joux-Perret.

The Arceau Lift flying tourbillon by Hermès

What is immediately apparent is the striking architecture of this flying tourbillon, which is dived into two horizontally across the centre of the dial by a slender bridge that conceals the gear train, allowing the upper and lower halves of the dial to be dominated by the barrel and flying tourbillon respectively. A second glance, however, shows that the six months that were spent perfecting the design were worth it: from the discreet chevron guillochage on the background of the dial to the hand-bevelled surfaces (40 hours are required just for bevelling the bridges, wheels and screws on the movement) and contrasting brushed and polished surfaces show, the attention to detail is clear. This movement has been designed around the watch, rather than the other way around, as is often the case. The mirror-polished jewel surround at 12 o’clock and double “H” on top of the tourbillon carriage are the icing on the cake.

This highly accomplished movement, baptised H1923 (the lift was installed in the Hermès shop in 1923), beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz) and offers a power reserve of 90 hours. The Arceau Lift is a limited edition of 176 pieces, which corresponds to the current age of Hermès. It naturally comes with an alligator leather strap that is produced in the Hermès leather workshops.

The new Arceau Lift marks the start of a new direction of exploration at Hermès, which aims to produce high-end watchmaking models with sober designs that will complement the intricate craftsmanship in the decorations found on models such as those that feature straw marquetry. “It will be another dimension using what I like to call ’traditional complications’,” as Hermès’s CEO Luc Perramond explained to Europa Star. “By this I mean those that are familiar and that offer a good technical performance. Here we need to develop a wider offering without, of course, forgetting our unique pieces such as the Temps Suspendu.”