The epitome of rigorous discipline and perfect balance, the Slim d’Hermès watch created in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal is also a distillation of Hermès craftsmanship skills. In this instance, it features a dial woven with gold threads, according to the art of Ikat fabric-making, a dyeing and weaving technique that originated in Asia.
 

To create the raised equestrian motif, the artisan places a multitude of threads three times thinner than a hair on the dial, having first determined a starting and ending point for each thread and then laser-hollowed the cavities intended to accommodate its ends – which are fused by means of 24K gold poured into these attachment points. Each of the specifically shaped 1,165 threads required is arranged in a highly precise order and position so as to create the play of transparency and light in the weft. The crossings and the different levels of the threads, along with the extreme slimness of the dial (0.35 mm) represent a constant challenge for the creation of this miniature work.
 

Produced in two 36-piece limited and numbered editions, the Ikat Slim d’Hermès watch matches the dial featuring gold thread embroidery with a white or rose gold case combined with a black or Chantilly alligator strap. The thin baton-type hands sweep over the horse’s silhouette and stand out against the white or blue dial. The ultra-thin Manufacture Hermès H1950 movement gives life to this singular expression of time. Rhythmically counting off the hours and minutes, the refined mechanical mechanism adorned with a sprinkling of Hs and hand-bevelled bridges is revealed through the sapphire caseback which, like the movement, dial and strap, is developed and crafted in the Hermès Horloger ateliers.