Hermes has been making watches for a long time, and has created some absolute classic designs such as the Arceau and Kelly in the 1970s, and the Cape Cod in the 1990s. It was not until more recently that the luxury brand icon was considered a real player in the horological landscape; in 2006, it bought a stake in movement-maker Vaucher manufacture, and a few years later acquired a dial-maker and case-maker as well. Its current portfolio, populated with perpetual calendars, chronographs, and skeletonization, is a testament to this watchmaking legitimacy.

The new Arceau Les Folies du Ciel is one such watch, which translates a motif from a scarf that came out in 1984 within the 38mm diameter of its white gold case.