At Agenhor, we believe that watchmaking isn’t just about measuring time; it’s about embodying it.
It’s with this philosophy that we had the privilege of collaborating with Hermès to bring to life a truly poetic complication: the Arceau Le Temps Suspendu watch.
The story of this exceptional timepiece began with a simple question posed by Emmanuel Rafner, the former CEO of La Montre Hermès, to our founder, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht: “What if we could suspend time?” Far from simply stopping the mechanism, this idea gave rise to a unique technical solution.
Suspending Time Without Stopping It
The true feat of this complication lies in its ingenuity: it allows the hour and minute hands to freeze on demand while the watch’s movement continues to run in the background. To achieve this, we designed an ingenious module that, when activated by a simple push-piece, disconnects the hands from the main gear train. The hands then “suspend” themselves, withdrawing from the time display to reveal an enchanting interlude. They return to the correct time once the push-piece is released, as the time was never truly lost.
This complication, protected by two patents, is the result of three years of intense development. It paved the way for a new watchmaking language at Hermès, where the measurement of time becomes an emotional and philosophical experience.
A Fruitful and Lasting Collaboration
Launched in 2011, the Arceau Le Temps Suspendu has since seen several iterations, a testament to the success and relevance of this bold idea. We are proud to have contributed to every step of its evolution, from the custom module of the first version to the calibres that followed.
This project marked the beginning of a new era for Hermès watchmaking, which has continued to explore equally unique and poetic complications, such as the Arceau L’heure de la lune or Arceau Le temps Voyageur. The Le Temps Suspendu remains a milestone in our history and a strong symbol of our partnership with Hermès, a collaboration where technical innovation is always in the service of creativity.
EXTRAIT DU WATCHTIME INDIA − JULY SEPT 2025
Hermès’s Le Temps Suspendu
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