Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé Featuring both a Central Triple-Axis Tourbillon and a Minute Repeater
by Martin Green
With a watch like the Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé it is very tempting to jump right into the technical details, as it has so much to offer in this field. While it is a triumph of micro-mechanical creativity, craftsmanship, and capability, there is something else that makes this Hermès even more extraordinary.
Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé in pink gold
Sometimes, what really adds to the equation is not what you make but how you make it. Combining a triple-axis tourbillon with a minute repeater is quite a feat, but the positioning of the complications is what makes the Arceau Duc Attelé truly special.
Superb understated layout design
Developing such a complex movement is challenging, but it becomes significantly more difficult when you also want to position certain complications in preferred positions. At this moment, design dictates the movement while using what could be seen as its constraints to its own advantage, becoming the perfect symbiosis.
What is so exceptional is that Hermès kept the dial side very organized, almost clean, yet gives aspect making this watch so special a role that any one feature is no less than any other.
Triple axis central tourbillon of the Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé
The dial is placed off-center, more positioned towards the top of the dial. It lacks traditional hands, as there is no place to mount them. The inside of the dial houses the triple-axis tourbillon, like the eye of the Cyclops. This means that the blued hands turn around the outer periphery of the dial.
dial side repeater gongs of the Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé
A very elegant solution that also leaves plenty of space for the two gongs that are curved inside the case. They support the minute repeater with their hammers positioned at six o’clock.
Above them, Hermès even found space to position the power reserve indicator, which is always a welcome feature on a watch that requires manual winding, like this Arceau Duc Attelé.
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Technical delightful
From a technical perspective this Hermès is a true powerhouse. Of course, how couldn’t it be when you combine a triple-axis tourbillon with a minute repeater, but the Arceau Duc Attelé is more than that. It is not only these technical features, nor even how they are positioned, but also how well they are executed.
Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé in titanium
The frequency of the balance is 5Hz, which makes the triple-axis tourbillon a high-speed delight to watch. The outer cage makes a full rotation every 5 minutes, while it takes the middle cage only 1 minute to do the same.
The core cage of this tourbillon makes a full rotation in just 25 seconds, and all together, they weigh just 0.449 grams.
Movement of the Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé
As expected of such an exquisite piece of horology made by Hermès, every component is finished with dedication and craftsmanship. The caseback displays a beautiful sense of symmetry that is underscored by using a sapphire bridge.
Even the minute rack for the minute repeater is shaped like a horse with its manes clearly visible. Another nod to the equestrian world that is never too far away at Hermès.
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The gift that keeps on giving
For the Arceau Duc Attelé, Hermès taps once again into their rich history, starting with utilizing the Arceau case designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978.
Over the nearly half a century that the Arceau case is part of Hermès heritage, it has been used by modest yet elegant quartz-powered watches, up to utterly complex horological masterpieces like the Arceau Duc Attelé. The Arceau case gives all models a timeless class.
The stirrup design is different, but not so much that it becomes eccentric. It works well with smaller watches, but it has perhaps even more to offer to larger designs like the Arceau Duc Attelé. With a diameter of 43 mm, it is quite a watch, but given the movement, this cannot come as a surprise.
The case design places the strap very close to the case, making it wearable for even modestly sized wrists. To achieve this, Hermès also tapered the strap to the extreme, as it is 22mm wide between the lugs, yet 17mm at the folding clasp.
The only challenge left then is the height, as the movement alone is already 16 mm thick.
Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé in titanium
The smooth, round shape of the case and the domed sapphire crystal help in making living with the Arceau Duc Attelé quite easy, but it won’t always slip under a tight cuff.
The question is also if buyers of such an exquisite watch even want that, as it is the horological counterpart of the supercar, and there aren’t many of those that look so understated that you might take them for a Toyota.
When you say Hermès, many minds wander immediately to their spectacular store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. It oozes pure elegance, and that extends to the decorations on the elevator. Crafted from metal, it might be a detail, but it is a sight to remember.
Hermès has used this design in the past, but it seems more fitting than ever that they incorporated it in the outer cage of the triple-axis tourbillon. As it is constantly in motion, it brings another tangible link to the heritage of the brand, without making it look forced.
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Two versions
Hermès is making two versions of the Arceau Duc Attelé, each limited to 24 pieces. While technically identical, they differ quite a bit visually. The first can even be called sober, as it combines a titanium case with a stunning lower dial featuring lozenge-type striped guilloche motif with an anthracite coating, which matches in color the chapter ring displaying the hours and minute markers.
Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé in titanium (left) and pink gold
Quite different is the second version, here Hermès opted for pink gold, combined with a lower dial of aventurine. The chapter ring here offers more contrast, as it is varnished in white, giving it a sense of dynamic. Hermès daringly opted for a calf leather strap, which matches the dial much better than a traditional alligator would do.
While the pink gold version of the Arceau Duc Attelé ticks many boxes, many of those boxes are associated with being a very complex, very costly Haute Horlogerie creation. The titanium version looks more sophisticated, a tad more understated, and its aesthetics better balanced with its technical nature.
Another plus for the titanium case is that it will resonate the sound of the minute repeater better and, due to being lighter in weight, make the watch more comfortable to wear,.
Personally it’d go for the titanium version, but that’s a very personal choice as between these two options both are excellent.
The Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé has been shortlisted in the Mechanical Exception category of the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)
For more information, please visit www.hermes.com/fr/fr/content/329264-montres-hermes-duc-attele/
Quick Facts Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé
Case: 43 mm, titanium or 18k pink gold
Movement: manual wound Hermès Caliber H1926 with twin spring barrels; 5 Hz/26,000 vph frequency, 48-hour power reserve, triple-axis tourbillon
Functions: hours, minutes, power reserve; minute repeater
Limitation: 24 pieces
Price: CHF 378,000
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