Slim d'Hermès Cheval Ikat

Created in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal, the Slim d'Hermès is the watch of choice for Hermès to illustrate the beauty of fine craft skills. In this instance, the art of Ikat – a dyeing and weaving technique from Asia – is employed to create an equestrian motif on the dial of two 36-piece limited editions: one with blue dial and one with white dial, each woven with gold threads. In creating the design, the artisan works with a multitude of threads, each a third of the width of a human hair, that he or she positions on the dial, having first determined a start and finish point for each one. The ends of each thread are inserted in laser-cut hollows then fused by pouring a drop of 24k gold into these points to secure them. Each of the specifically shaped 1,165 threads must be arranged in a precise order and position so as to create a play of transparency and light in the weft. The criss-crossing of the threads on different levels, together with the extreme thinness of the dial, are a test of the artisan's talent and skill. The movement is the extra-thin H1950 with hand-chamfered bridges and a "sprinkling of Hs" decoration, and can be observed through the sapphire caseback.