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Arceau asymmetric stirrup lugs

Probable

The Arceau's defining feature: lugs of deliberately unequal length and profile, drawn from a stirrup, with the upper pair differing from the lower. A fixed proportional relationship rather than a styling flourish.

Part reference

Brand
Hermès
Material
Steel, gold and gold-set executions
Introduced
1978

Documented variations

Classification

FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.

  • Correct asymmetry and lug-to-case proportion

    FactoryProbable

    Whole production

    Upper and lower lug pairs distinctly different in length and section, meeting the case band cleanly, in the published proportion to the case diameter.

  • Asymmetry present but proportionally wrong

    CounterfeitProbable

    Whole production

    The characteristic counterfeit error: the idea of asymmetry reproduced without the ratio. Shows most clearly where the lugs meet the case band and in lug length against case diameter, both of which are measurable against published dimensions.

Documented on these references

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Secondary sourceCollector research

Research on Hermès watch counterfeits, principally Cape Cod and Heure H

Authentication services, collector communities and specialist dealers

Accessed
2026-08-19

Cited for

This referenceProbable

Last verified: Not yet reviewed