Hermès unveils kinetic scenography and skeleton watches at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026

Hermès presented a kinetic installation by French artist Jean-Simon Roch at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, running from April 14th to 20th, 2026. The wooden scenography functioned as a large-scale automaton with ropes, pulleys, and rotating wheels, creating a theatrical environment where movement became narrative. Composer Pierre Ronin developed a soundscape that transformed the structure into a resonant instrument, synchronizing mechanical rhythms with visual elements. Within this shifting environment, Hermès introduced three new skeleton timepieces: the Hermès H08 Squelette with a 39-millimeter DLC-treated titanium case and H1978 S caliber, the Arceau Samarcande with a minute repeater and horse-head motif engraved by Gianpaolo Pagni, and the Slim d’Hermès Squelette Lune featuring a double moon phase complication. The installation incorporated an equestrian figure that emerged through moving panels, aligning with the brand's iconography while creating temporal suspense. Miniature theater-like vitrines displayed the watches, reinforcing horology as staged spectacle. The project positioned time as a space for emotion and recreation rather than mere measurement.