BAROQUE FANTASY
Isn’t it about time we reconnected with nature? Well here, every creation, pretty much like one of Arcimboldo’s paintings, links a cycle to a chimerical animal and reminds us that life is a celebration.
The dreamlike Slim d’Hermès Le Sacre des Saisons quartet, a hymn to the incredible wealth and diversity of nature, conjures up the different periods that rhythm our year. Hermès has chosen the watch designed by Philippe Delhotal in 2015 to represent these four variations, issued in just 12 pieces each. The slender 39.5 mm-diameter case becomes a precious casket for extraordinary scenographies fashioned by the expert hands of métiers d’art craftspeople. Spring is portrayed through a rose gold case set with 66 diamonds and a dial featuring a horse adorned with glorious flowers. This scenescape comes to life through a myriad of layers of miniature painting applied on a lemon chrysoprase stone.
The three other versions dazzle with white gold. A beaming lion symbolizes summer. The mischievous feline, engraved in sapphire crystal and painted from the back of the dial, capitalizes on the light emitted by the 66 diamonds. For the fall season, sculpted gold and delicate painting center stage a flamboyant eagle. An ice wolf, imagined in paillonné enameling, encircled by 52 baguette-cut diamonds, depicts winter. Each piece is complemented by a matte or smooth alligator strap in a dial-matching color, fashioned in the Parisian firm’s workshops. These watches’ hour and minute hands are driven by the H1950 caliber which beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations an hour. This extra-slim, 2.6 mm-high, selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 48 hours. Perfect for enjoying the benefits of every season to the full.
