Hermès Arceau Les folies du ciel

The Arceau Les folies du ciel watch is a dreamlike, airy composition from the early days of the conquest of the sky. A tribute to the pioneers who were foolish enough to believe that man could perhaps fly one day...

Created in 1978 by Henri d’Origny, the Arceau watch once again lends itself to the expression of Hermès creativity. The Arceau Les folies du ciel watch combines painting, engraving and animation to create a unique composition, inspired by Loïc Dubigeon’s «Les folies du ciel» silk scarf motif designed in 1984 to honour aerostatics. Capturing those first moments between earth and air, between dream and reality – when man could at last fly – it encompasses 18 projects ranging from the most serious to the most eccentric. They testify to the research conducted until the start of the 20th century in the field of hot-air balloon, airships and flying vessels. The parade begins, pennant flags flying high.

Escape, discovery and curiosity are at the heart of the journey embodied by Les folies du ciel. Before the aeroplane became a necessity for crossing land and sea, man first sought to soar, to rise higher.

The first aircraft took to the skies yet remained immobile was the aerostat. A prelude to the balloon and the airship, it allowed humans to break free from gravity. Icarus is a myth and the aerostat was a dream giving access to an impassable frontier that humankind would incessantly pursue: the horizon. The horse provided a chance to cover distances, while the aerostat brought a third dimension: altitude.