Hermes showcases at Watches and Wonders event
Hermès Horloger's Immersive Timepiece Presentation at Watches and Wonders 2021
At this year's Watches and Wonders, artist Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit has crafted an enchanting and contemplative environment for Hermès Horloger's watch releases. The scenography, inspired by the beauty and precision of watch mechanisms, invites visitors to pause and take in their surroundings more mindfully.
Desbenoit's design is a harmonious blend of an enchanting forest theme and a poetic, tactile experience. Stylized trees, delicate branches, and an elegant, naturalistic setting create a serene woodland atmosphere that reflects Hermès' emphasis on craftsmanship and nature. This dreamlike landscape serves as the perfect backdrop for the presentation of the timepieces, highlighting both their technical and artistic qualities.
The space Desbenoit has created sets the stage for a meditative and immersive experience. The spectator is immersed in a continuous loop, a steady pulse where time imprints itself into the architecture. Sound plays a crucial role in the design, with the ticking of a watch being transformed into a meditative breath by a composition created with musician Julien Perez.
In this world, time is not seen as a simple linear measure; it frees itself from usual constraints and opens up to fantasy. Every moment becomes an invitation to recreation, to escape, where the suspended moment becomes a precious parenthesis. The longer the spectator lingers in the space, the more details emerge, prolonging the sensation of suspended time.
Hermès Horloger has collaborated with Desbenoit for the scenography of this year's event. Among the watches released are the Slim d'Hermès Cheval brossé, featuring an artistic interpretation of a horse sweeping across the dial, and the Arceau Petite lune, a new deep blue edition featuring diamonds set into a gem-set steel case. Three new versions of the Arceau L'heure de la lune watch, first unveiled in 2019, have also been released.
Desbenoit finds the watch mechanism beautiful and precise, believing it carries a universal language: that of time. In her design for the Watches and Wonders scenography, she interprets watch images, such as the horse, as a break in the ordinary. The watches are not merely displayed objects; they serve as anchors, structuring the perception of time.
The design breaks away from the usual urgency associated with time, offering a more relaxed and contemplative experience. It encourages visitors to take in their surroundings more mindfully, creating a meditative and immersive experience that invites reflection on the passage of time.
- The harmonious blend of an enchanting forest theme and a poetic, tactile experience, as designed by Desbenoit for the Watches and Wonders scenography, provides a space where technology, specifically the precision of watch mechanisms, seamlessly intertwines with fashion-and-beauty, as exemplified by the artistic horology of Hermès Horloger.
- The watches released by Hermès Horloger, such as the Slim d'Hermès Cheval brossé and the Arceau Petite lune, are not merely fashion accessories; they are intricate pieces of technology embedded within a lifestyle that values artistic craftsmanship and mindfulness, as portrayed by Desbenoit's immersive design at Watches and Wonders.
