The Arceau Le temps voyageur timepiece by Hermès does not have the usual bells and whistles of a complication watch such as a tourbillon or a minute. Yet, the world of watch collectors, media and industry observers had nothing but praises for its creation when it made its debut at this year’s Watches and Wonders watch fair in Geneva.
The secret lies in its complexity in creating two time zones that fulfil the travel philosophy of Hermes: Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for spontaneity and recreation.
Such is the beauty of the timepiece that it has inspired the installation at the Hermes booth at the fair, where visitors are taken on an exclusive trip around the world through an installation that guides us into the universe of Hermès time. The Arceau Le temps voyageur watch is an ode to discovery. It combines the rigorous discipline of an object designed to last through time with a singular approach to mechanical watchmaking; offering a playful vision of the hours of the world.
After all, travel is very much the Maison’s DNA. We are invited to go on a unique journey that is conducive to curiosity, wonderment, and reverie. It is about setting out to meet the world with an open mind, daring to go further, and travelling through objects.
But how does one begin to design such a masterpiece? This can only be answered by Hermès Horloger CEO Laurent Dordet, who made a trip to Singapore last month after a two-year hiatus. At the VIP room at Hermès Liat Towers, Dordet speaks to Options on various topics ranging from the future of luxury timepieces to business strategies.
What is the design philosophy behind the Arceau Le Temps Voyageur?
I can tell you more about our brief to [creative director] Philippe Delhotal when we started this project. The brief was straightforward: We would like a watch for travellers, frequent travellers, for men and women. A highly convenient, easy-to-use, intuitive, practical watch that simultaneously invites our customers on a journey into the imaginary world of Hermès.
We gave him a list of about 20 words, such as open-mindedness, imagination, poetry, and more. With this, he explored different ways to answer that need technically with our development teams. But also with our partner in Switzerland and Véronique Nichanian, the artistic director of the Hermès men’s universe. To complete the design, Jerôme Colliard, designer of the Jumping silk scarf, and Philippe had the idea to work with him to put an equestrian design on the dial. The Arceau Le Temps Voyageur comes in two sizes, and it is not only functional but also very playful.
Described as having no tourbillon and no chimes, the timepiece caught the media's and visitors' attention. Has Hermès found a secret formula?
There is always the idea of inventing something new. Always open to new ideas, new trials, and new universes. We came to a hybrid piece: we were happy to see the mix of a GMT and a universal time zone because it makes the object functional, aesthetically exciting, and emotional.
How was this timepiece conceived, given that a travel-themed watch made its debut at a time when borders were still closed?
The fact is that we launched this project before Covid-19. At the same time, we also launched the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune in 2019. So when Covid-19 arrived, we said, ‘Well, we'll see what happens at the end of Covid-19.’ Then early this year, we decided to launch it, which is a kind of optimistic view in the comeback of normal times.
Who is this collection aimed at?
Basically anybody. I mean men and women, Hermes lovers, the Hermes watch collectors. When we launched the Arceau L’Heure De La Lune, it was a very aesthetically-pleasing watch. Yet it was a very unusual watch in terms of functions, so we launched it with a limited series at that time. It's a practical and joint function but expressed in a very original way. And that's why we decided to launch it in an unlimited version.
I think it will become a classic, we hope. We don't specifically target either nationalities or ages. We create what we think is balanced.
Do you foresee Hermès timepieces going the same way as the other luxury watch brands, where accessibility will be a problem for serious watch collectors?
Yes and no. It will not be a deliberate choice not to deliver to our customers, organise scarcity, and increase the second-hand value or in the second-hand market. We think it's good when the demand is here when our customers desire an object. We think it's good to let them have it.
When I answer yes to your question, it's because the trend is high for some brands, including ours, which affects capacity, production, etc. The industry is under pressure. When you lack one component in your watch, there is no watch at all. We will try to serve our customers, but many of them will probably have to wait a little bit.
Hermès’ late entry into the world of watches has paid off handsomely. What has the journey been like?
Hermes is a latecomer, yes, relatively, as compared to the pure players that dominate the market still. Hermes came to this business in 1978 after a long period of co-branding with Swiss brands during the 1960s. But in 1978, we started manufacturing watches in Switzerland. From day one, Jean-Louis Dumas asked his team to be as good as the best brands in terms of quality and technique.
Even though we started with simple watches, we progressively took steps to elevate to more complex and technical watches. But quality has to be there from day one. Another point Dumas mentions is to be as different as possible from the other brands. In terms of style, fantasy, imagination, playfulness, and bringing the Hermes spirit into it. So that's what we have been doing successfully.
By 2006 we decided to integrate suppliers with the manufacturer and go for much more complex watches. Now we are playing on the same field, with all the players in a very intense competition. It took us some years to find our path. Now the growth is here.
I think it's time for, let's say, brands that are not pure players are beginning to emerge because if we are doing things seriously with our originality, our style, and our spirit, then we can propose something quite new.
Bloomberg reported that “the watch division was the top performer with a growth rate of 49%, helped by the popularity of its Heure H model”. What are the reasons behind the success?
We did indeed plus 55% at the end of June. Heure H and Cape Cod are still booming, and the newness is more on the Hermès H08 watch. This is already an addition of all the pillar lines like Heure H and Cape Cod, but the new growing segment is the Hermès H08.
Has the lockdown in China affected the way you plan your business strategies?
As of today? No. The lockdown is in stages in various cities, and in April, it was Shanghai. As soon as the city reopens, the sales compensated for the lockdown. As for today, let's cross our fingers that there is no more impact because we are a brand that is almost 95% internally distributed. And so we don't push when they are closed, we don't deliver.
We don't create an overstock situation, so we deliver to other markets when they are closed. And that's it. Of course, it would impact us if the lockdown is too long. But one month here and there is not that much.
How confident are you about the future of Hermès watches?
I would say for the time being in this very uncertain and unstable world that if the economic and political situation doesn't get worse, we are highly optimistic for our future. First of all, because I think we have a lot of models, more watches are coming out for men and women.
The second point is that we are still small compared to the big brands. So we have a lot of room for improvement, growth, and a lot of appetite from our customers worldwide. We are living in a pretty dangerous world. Nobody can predict what will happen in the next month. Strangely this has not affected any market, not even Europe.
In two time zones
Hermès takes us on a dreamlike escape with the Arceau Le temps voyageur in three models: A 41 mm-diameter platinum iteration enhanced by a matt black DLC-treated titanium bezel, as well as an all-steel 38 mm-diameter version and its feminine interpretation set with 78 diamonds are paired with alligator or Swift calfskin straps secured by a pin buckle and crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops by the saddlery and leatherwork expertise cultivated by the House.
Time is read through a gravitational counter that journeys across continents, moving from city to city, and flying over time zones. As one travels, the face of the watch is transformed as the satellite gravitates on a fantasy map created by Jérôme Colliard for the Planisphere d’un monde équestre silk scarf. A metaphor for the ties between horses and the House of Hermès, this design was inspired by a giant globe created by the French graphic designer for the 2016 Saut Hermès show jumping competition in Paris.
Crafted in platinum and titanium or entirely in steel, its round case with asymmetrical lugs reveals a new reading of world time. Set against a background, the continents and oceans of this dreamlike universe stand out in relief and depth that features subtle finishes: lacquered, sand-blasted, sunburst, transferred, or even powdered silver.
See also: Defying traditions
The unique “Travelling time” mechanism developed exclusively for Hermès displays 24 time zones using a circular disc. From city to city, the satellite enables observers to discover the world and see all the hours of the planet at a glance. This mobile counter occupying the dial space, along with the peripheral aperture at 12 o’clock indicating home time, is powered by a 122-component module, all within a thickness of just 4.4 mm.
The “Travelling time” complication is integrated within the Hermès H1837 mechanical self-winding movement, with a mechanism that powers the display of hours and minutes and a dual-time display with city indication.
