Jarabe Tapatío, sometimes known as the Mexican hat dance, originated in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and has since evolved into the national dance of Mexico. In 2007, artist Virginie Jamin designed the Belles du Mexique silk scarf for Hermès, depicting a birds-eye view of the dancers and the colorful twirling dresses that are characteristic of the Mexican folk dance. Hermès has now taken this popular scarf pattern and reworked it into a dial design that’s not only vibrant in its aesthetic but also dynamic thanks to dancers that move with the motion of the wrist. Feast your eyes on the brand new Hermès Arceau Belles du Mexique watches, available in two striking colorways, each limited to 12 examples.
Available in pink or orange, the painted dials of the Hermès Arceau Belles du Mexique watches include 14 hand-crafted dancers, colored with successive individual layers of paint. Seven of the dancers, which encircle the ring of 23 diamonds at the center of the dial, are mounted on a free axis to permit them to twirl when the watch is in motion. The remaining seven are placed on the dial periphery and though motionless and only half visible, they’re no less vivid in their palette.
These dancing dials are housed inside 38mm white gold cases, complete with 82 diamonds set into the bezel. Water resistance is 30 meters, which is adequate for a watch like this that will unlikely spend any significant amount of time getting wet. Both sides of the case are furnished with anti-glare sapphire crystals. As is customary for all Arceau watches, there are asymmetrical stirrup-shaped lugs that draw upon the company’s origins as a bespoke harness-maker.
Powering the pair of hands of the new Hermès Arceau Belles du Mexique watches is the in-house Hermès H1912 self-winding movement (made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a movement specialist in which Hermès is a stakeholder). Operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) the caliber H1912 includes 50 hours of power reserve. Finishing off the look of the watches are the color-matched smooth orange alligator and smooth raspberry alligator straps.
Luxury houses such as Hermès are renowned for excellent craftsmanship, whether when making leather goods, silk scarves, clothes, or timepieces. The beautiful dials of the Arceau Belles du Mexique watches illustrate this care-for-craft ethos, and in my opinion, impart plenty of joy in their execution. Each color of the new Hermès Arceau Belles du Mexique watches is limited to 12 pieces and they retail for $69,800 USD. Sure, for that cost, you can book a lovely luxury vacation in Mexico and see the dances for yourself, but for the regular Hermès-buying crowd, this price isn’t out of the ordinary — especially within the company’s “Exceptional Watches” category. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
