Hours fly by with ease when one is treated to a sight of a meadow of colorful flowers! Hermès has managed to bring thousand miniature glass flowers to tell time in the most beautiful way on the new Arceau Millefiori watches.
Seamlessly blending the art of watch making and glass making, the new watch blossoms with a colourful glass flowerbed crafted by Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis in France. The French glass manufacturer makes use of such glass baguettes to manufacture glass paper-weight. However it is the first time that these crystal-glass baguettes are produced in such a small scale to fit on the dial of the Arceau Millefiori. Offered in pocket watch as well as wrist watch edition, the Arceau Millefiori time telling pieces enclose a bouquet of vibrant glass flowers! Powered by in-house self-winding movement, it can be marvelled upon through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Packed with a power reserve of 50 hours, the 48mm white gold pocket watch features a Millefiori dust cover to protect the dial. Strap over thousand flowers on to your wrist with the white gold watch available in diameters of 34mm and 41mm. Both the watches bloom with colourful Millefiori dials. While the vivid blue dial is illuminated by a myriad of white stars and multi-coloured flowers, the vibrant pink model adds glamour with 60 diamonds on the bezel.
FYI, the term millefiori is a combination of the Italian words “mille” (thousand) and “fiori” (flowers). The watch maker has cashed on to this glasswork technique which produces distinctive decorative patterns on glassware. Inspired by 19th century Millefiori paperweights, the making of such dials demand incredible patience and expertise. The Jewellery Editor reports that artisans blow, twirl, stretch and fire the molten ‘gob’ to create the colourful canes or rods that in turn will be assembled to form a Millefiori motif. Lined up like sticks of barley sugar or candy canes, the rods containing crystal and enamel are cut into 7mm portions and arranged vertically in a cast-iron bowl to form a carpet of flowers. The flowers are then protected by a clear crystal dome, which in turn is whittled down to a wafer-thin crystal to become the dial.
The Hermès Arceau Millefiori wrist watches are fitted with matching raspberry pink or indigo blue alligator straps. While the grey pocket watch can be held with graphite strap, the bold red edition is complemented by a red strap.
