The generous 43 mm case of this Arceau Le temps suspendu model provides ample scope for the imagination. A simple gesture makes the hour and minute hands stand still at an impossible time at about 12 o’clock. The retrograde date hand simultaneously disappears from the dial. Repeating the same move enables the three hands to regain their place and time to continue its onward march.This apparent simplicity conceals a sophisticated mechanism driving three retrograde hands and capable of making the user forget time thanks to a clever set of cams, pinions and segments. An additional module fitted on the self-winding movement powers the alternating readings. A column wheel dedicated to the minutes also suspends the date through an ingenious mechanical device coupling the two hands. The time is thus momentarily eclipsed without ever interrupting the smooth running of the movement.