When La Montre Hermès gave Hideki Yoshimoto Japanese artist the briefest of briefs to design an installation around its ‘Arceau L’Heure De La Lune’ timepiece, he was amazed. ‘It was just “double moon” and “dream”,’ he says of the project, which was realised at the watch launch in Geneva earlier this year. ‘They really put their trust in me.’
Yoshimoto had worked for the maison before, creating window displays and a high-tech dispenser of Hermès shampoo bubbles. ‘But this was my first watch-related project. I soon realsied that it was not easy to make watches – which are much smaller than the artworks – stand out in every scene.’
Hermès Arceau L'Heure de la Lune
Yoshimoto’s concept consisted of vitrines with interstellar scenes arranged around a vast floating planet. ‘The work reflects an astronaut’s travel in space,’ he explains. ‘He heads towards deep space, encountering various elements before reaching another galaxy, where he discovers a blue planet with an ocean.’
The ambitious work is a celebration of La Montre Hermès’ most audacious mechanical watch to date. The ‘Arceau L’Heure De La Lune’ features two lunar discs showing the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres. Yoshimoto’s giant sphere, made of recycled solar panels, was assembled in London, where he lives and runs his studio, Tangent. ‘This type of blue solar cell is now defunct. It has a distinctive aesthetic, and by giving a waste material new life, I hoped to create a narrative about sustainability,’ explains Yoshimoto, who studied engineering in Japan.
Yoshimoto's concept consisted of vitrines with interstellar scenes arranged around a vast floating planet
Having made an impact 12 years ago with a DIY airship operated using voice recognition, he moved to London in 2010 to study at the Royal College of Art. He won a design award in Milan in 2013 for his ‘Inaho’ light, inspired by golden ears of rice swaying in the wind. For now, he’s intent on designing products, especially lighting, where interactivity is a feature. ‘But I only use technology when it’s needed, not for its own sake,’ he says.
Work on the installation for Hermès has taken Yoshimoto to the brand’s workshop in Paris, where the focus is on usefulness, longevity, craftsmanship and sustainability.
‘Watches featuring trendy tech to fulfill a one-time curiosity are on the rise, so it’s important that maisons like Hermès make pieces that are timeless.’
INFORMATION
-
This surreal new seafood restaurant in LA is the stuff of mermaid's dreamsAt Cento Raw Bar, delectable fare is complemented by playful, oceanic interiors by Brandon Miradi
-
What’s new in the wearable world of smart glasses, and extended and augmented realityAre you ready for AR? Meta, Google, Snap and more are gearing up to compete with Apple and deliver frames-based communications devices – complete with AI integration
-
Italian-Japanese fusion’s a joy at east London’s Osteria AngelinaA Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields has been given a slick modern makeover to house a unique Italian-Japanese restaurant
-
All eyes on Greek jewellery brand Lito as it launches bold new amulets to mark its 25 yearsStriking amulets, seductive stones and secret messages characterise Lito's striking new anniversary collection, an extension of its ‘Tu es Partout’ series
-
The best layering necklaces for an elevated yet casual lookHow to mix, match and stack jewellery for the ultimate high-energy, low-effort style
-
Hermès sets the scene at Watches and WondersHermès has collaborated with artist Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit at this year's Watches and Wonders, creating an atmospheric stage for the 2025 watch releases
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: best watch reinterpretationsWatch brands including Casio, G-Shock and Audemars Piguet are going full circle – and we’re here for it
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windowsFour British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
-
Wild beauties: high jewellery dripping with dramaThe latest high jewellery collections are fantastic and flamboyant, drawing on a wealth of influences, from a Chopin composition and César Ritz to crocodiles and colour refraction
-
Late summer jewels: what to wear at Golden HourLate summer signals a jewellery style-shift. These independent designers have got it covered
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hitWhat started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
