We’ve come to expect bold and expressive design from Hermès’ Arceau collection, especially the striking enamel-dial pieces by master artisans like Anita Porchet. They’re undeniably beautiful, but their prices place them firmly in dream territory. So what about collectors who love Hermès’ artistic style but want something more accessible? Hermès has finally given an answer with the Arceau Locomotion, and in fact, a cleverly good one.

Riding through spacetime with a comical twist

There is something addictive about the style of Hermès. It is timeless in its own unique way. The look is clean and modern, even futuristic, yet still has enough funk to capture the charm of the good old days. The dial of the Arceau Locomotion shows this perfectly. An equestrian riding a machine-built horse is a clever mix of the brand’s heritage with a futuristic, comic-style touch.

Arceau Hermès locomotion

The rest of the scene carries the same energy. The cars, the plane, the building, all are beautifully arranged in a way that feels both nostalgia and a sense of what lies ahead. The bright pink recalls the neon glow and funky cars of the 1970s, while the blue and green tones feel lifted from a city of the future. It feels distinctly Hermès and that is exactly what makes the brand so compelling, the way it draws people in through design alone.

If it all feels familiar, like something out of comic books or sci-fi films, that is no coincidence. The artist behind the piece, Ugo Bienvenu, drew directly from those references. Ugo is a French illustrator, director, and producer based in Paris, but his background is far from typical. His father was a diplomat, which meant he grew up in several cities including Guatemala, Paris, and Mexico, while his mother worked as a graphic designer for Playboy. With all that exposure to creative and exciting things, he decided to become an illustrator and director when he was just a teenager. And that is what he does today.

Ugo Bienvenu at the 2025 Champs-Élysées Film Festival, for which he won the Audience Prize for “Arco”

“Wow” double-face scarf 90 designed by Bienvenu. From a series of short, animated films he produced for the Hermès, he created a protagonist, the Hermès woman. Here, featured in a silk comic strip, the heroine travels across Paris in a sports car, on horseback, on rollerblades and by jet-ski. Presented on a double-sided scarf, the design plays on translation and color, offering a multicolored French version on one side and a monochrome English version on the other

A few years ago, Hermès approached Ugo to create an animation and short film for one of its social media campaigns, which was met with great response. That led to a collaboration on a silk scarf series called “Wow”, featuring colourful paintings of women riding space horses, inspired by mid-20th century American comic books. The series was a success and quickly sold out.

Now Ugo returns with his signature style on the Arceau watch. But this time, it is not just a painting. There is a clever twist in how the dial is built. If the visuals seem layered and almost three-dimensional, that is because they actually are. The dial is painted, and so is the underside of the sapphire crystal, which adds a subtle sense of depth and gives the watch a more dreamy and playful feel. It is a simple idea, but a smart one.

To go with the lively design on the dial, the bezel has been set with a full ring of diamonds, and the crown has them too. Both details work beautifully with the dial to bring out the luxurious yet artistic side of Hermès.

The rest of the watch follows the familiar formula. It features the asymmetrical Arceau case, here in white gold, and runs on the automatic H1912 movement. This movement is based on the Vaucher VMF 3000 and offers a power reserve of 50 hours.

Tech Specs: Hermès Arceau locomotion

Movement: Self-winding Hermès H1912; 50-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes
Case: 38mm; 18K white gold set with 71 diamonds; water-resistant to 30m
Dial: Miniature painting
Strap: Mauve pale alligator leather
Availability: Limited and numbered to 12 pieces