HOWLING AT THE MOON
The Hermès wolf was originally designed for a silk scarf. It has now arrived on the dial of the Arceau model to make its trademark howl and celebrate the beauty of artistry and craftsmanship.
The substantial animal ranks at Hermès have now been joined by a wolf howling in the moonlight. The wolf was created in 2016 by a young designer from London, Alice Shirley (born 1984), who has worked with Hermès since 2012. The wild canine was originally designed for a silk scarf, but has arrived this year on the dial of a watch made by the Parisian brand, the Arceau Awooooo, which was launched at the 2019 SIHH.
Far removed from childhood fears, fairy tales or horror films, the Hermès wolf has nothing very scary about it. In fact, with its nose raised to the moon and its fur blending in with the night sky, it is totally inoffensive and even inspires respect. The thick fur combines several colours – brown, yellow and blue – and is made using enamel miniature painting on a white-gold disc. The wolf stands out against a black background scattered with tiny white stars. In the centre of the miniature painting, two silvered, leaf-shaped hands display the hours and minutes with the power supplied by the calibre H1837. The self-winding movement runs at the standard frequency of 28,800 an hour (4Hz) and provides 50 hours of power reserve. The calibre is housed in the famous 41mm-wide white-gold Arceau case with asymmetrical lugs.
The Arceau Awooooo model is a very exclusive edition with only eight pieces made. The watch comes with a graphite alligator-leather strap and a white-gold tang buckle.
Price on request hermes.com
By Sharmila Bertin