Hermes Temps Suspendu
Having recently been awarded the
'Prix de la Montre de l'Année" and the 'Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de
Geneve', it will come as no surprise to note that just as Hermès has brought
a unique and single-minded elegance to their designs be it a Kelly
bag or a saddle, they have continued to do the same with their
newest watch, the Arceau 'Le Temps suspendu'. Taking a look at the
video below will give you some idea of just how complicated this
little marvel is.
A perfect combination of simplicity
and sophistication, this playful design is a world first, mixing
haute horlogerie with a fresh look at the philosophy of time. As
much as it has been conceived to give the most accurate reading
possible, the 'Le Temps suspendu' also emphasises the importance of
taking respite from the ceaseless march of time, by literally
stopping it in it's tracks. Push the button on the side of the case
and you can "freeze the moment" by sending the hands flying back to
the 12 o'clock position and keeping them captive until they are
summoned back to action when they are allowed to resume their time
keeping function: all this without loss of precision.
"The 'Temps suspendu' is a very
simple idea with a very complex execution," explains Luc Perramond,
CEO of Hermes watches. " Innovative complications like this one is
the way Hermes wants to go". The 'Temps suspendu' features 24
jewels and two 360° retrograde hour and minute components, with
every millimetre of the watch bearing the refined trademarks of
Hermès' approach to watchmaking; their hallmark adorns the
herringbone guilloche dial motif, with an asymmetrical design
mirroring the watch's playfully particular approach to
timekeeping.
Having come a long way from their
first flirtation with watches in 1912, when a pig skin strap was
designed to keep a nine year old Jacqueline Hermès' pocket
watch from falling out of her pocket, the company still seeks to
make waves in watchmaking not so much for their technical
innovations, but for their philosophical approach to time. The
'Temps suspendu' itself took four years to develop.
The mechanism was only possible
thanks to new technology that allowed the teeth of the cogs to be
precise to within 1 micron. The watch itself continues to show why
Hermès have
managed to so beautifully bring together haute couture and haute
horlogerie, by combining both their exquisite craftsmanship and the
concentrated creativity that ensures an increased involvement in
production. The spirit of this watch that plays with our notions of
time is captured in the photographs of Geoff Kern commissioned by
Hermès.
Available in three incarnations,
one is a limited to 174 pieces and has been crafted in 750 rose
gold with a silvered dial and Matt Havana alligator strap and there
are two stainless steel versions, one with a white and another with
a black dial. Le 'Temps suspendu' will tell you the time but also
let you exercise your will over it - to dream, to consider, to
suspend a moment and prolong it as long as you wish. There
literally is no other timepiece quite like it.