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Today we are looking at a gorgeous new, Japanese-inspired timepiece from French luxury powerhouse Hermès; introducing the Arceau Temari.

The Art of Temari

For those of you who don’t know what Temari is (and I must admit I was not familiar with the term either), it is thousand year old craft from Japan that has its origins in the Imperial court.

Temari ball

Back then Temari simply involved making a silk ball from the off-cuts of a Kimono, which was then given as a gift for children to play with. Over time however this practice has evolved into something of an art form in its own right, increasing in both its complexity and sophistication.

Naturally the elegant beauty of these historical silk balls became the source of inspiration for a Hermès silk carré and now one of the motifs of this delicate creation has been brought to life in the new Arceau Temari.

The Arceau Temari

The design is quite unlike anything I have seen before. The Arceau Temari is elegant and refined and yet at the same time completely breathtaking. Of course that probably has something to do with the fact that the 34mm white gold case is snow-set with 675 diamonds, not to mention the additional 27 diamonds in the crown, including a rosecut diamond.

Hermes Arceau Temari

What I find really fascinating though is that according to Hermès the snow-setting is done without any predefined plan; each stone is individually selected and put in place; each claw is cut and each grain is beaded on an individual basis with the goal of creating a harmonious overall image. The process takes an experienced gem-setter almost three weeks to complete.

Interspersed amongst the diamonds is a pattern composed either of white mother-of-pearl, onyx, lapis lazuli or opal. In total twenty tiny fragments of all different shapes and sizes are milled from a block of stone or mother-of-pearl according to a pre-determined layout based on the setting of the diamonds. The pieces are then individually assembled on the already gem-set dial.

The overall effect is nothing short of spectacular, providing the perfect accompaniment to an elegant evening dress. Paired with a leather strap the Arceau Temari is powered by the Hermès H1912 automatic movement.

Source: Hermès

Jenifer Varzaly
Jenifer Varzaly
Jenifer is a luxury watch lover who brings a much needed lady's perspective to The Watch Lounge. Read her for advice on what women's watches to buy and just as importantly what to wear them with!

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