Intricate horsehair braiding.

Hermès only appears to be quite conservative at first glance — the brand is constantly reinterpreting symbols connected with the maison's history, viewing them from new angles. The Slim d’Hermès Masan Masan pocket watch with horses on its cover is yet another example.

This interpretation of a classic symbol of the French luxury design house was created in partnership with the Thai graphic designer Terawat Teankaprasith, one of the six winners of the Le Grand Prix du Carré Hermès contest held in 2019.

Over 11,000 projects from 123 countries were entered into the open competition. Only six entrants satisfied the competition's strict shortlisting process, whose designs were used to create silk scarves at Hermès, including the Masan & Masan scarf welcomed into the collection in 2021.

The main motif on this scarf — a woven horse — is a nod to traditional artisan techniques in Thailand, where many everyday items, baskets and animal figurines are woven from sun-dried water hyacinth.

The illustration has been transferred to a watch dial for 2023, where the Thai artist's inspiration has been given greater depth. The cover of the Slim d’Hermès Masan Masan pocket watch depicts two horses.

Their silhouette is created using horsehair: the hair in carefully selected tones is cut to the required length, and adhered to the surface, woven like the items created in Thailand. Horsehair has also been also used to decorate the dial. 

The head of a second horse is also engraved in rose gold and comes together with the first horse to form an equestrian-themed yin-and-yang symbol. The one-of-a-kind watch is equipped with an automatic manufacture Hermès H1950 caliber with a 48-hour power reserve.

This movement with a frequency of 21,600 vph measures a mere 2.6 mm in height. The watch is fitted with a transparent caseback made of sapphire crystal. The white-gold case of the Slim d’Hermès Masan Masan pocket watch measures 45 mm in diameter.