Hermès, "Watches and Wonders" Haute Horlogerie Exhibition, one is the world's top fashion brand, and the other is a very prestigious industry event in the field of watches. Many people may not know the relationship between this fashion giant and fine watchmaking.
(Hermès Watch Headquarters)
Hermès' relationship with watches began in 1912. In the 1920s, Hermès officially started the watch business, cooperating with famous Swiss manufacturers to develop timepiece products, including but not limited to Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet and so on. In 1978, Hermès established its watch headquarters in Biel, Switzerland.
(Case and dial production)
(Hermès watchmakers install and adjust the movement)
After 2000, Hermès acquired a 25% stake in Vaucher Manufacture, one of Switzerland's leading watch factories (where Hermès makes mechanical movements for high-end watches), a 35% stake in the case manufacturer Joseph Erard Holding Company, and a wholly owned acquisition of Natèber SA, a high-end dial manufacturer based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. and the addition of a leather strap making workshop at Hermès Watches' headquarters in Switzerland. In the field of movements, cases, dials, and straps, Hermès can independently develop and produce. It can be said that Hermès is a proper watchmaking brand.
(Arceau World Time Watch)
In the past two years, at the "Watches & Wonders" Haute Horlogerie exhibition, Hermès has brought a number of eye-catching creations. Launched in 2022, the Arceau Le temps voyageur is a worldtimer that has been developed exclusively by Hermès with the "Wandering Time" function, which allows the hour and minute display in the middle of the dial to move in multiple dimensions. Unlike traditional worldtimers, which mostly display the time in multiple places at the same time, the Arceau Hitchhikers go beyond the norm by displaying the time in the city through a movable "disc" on the dial and the time in the home country through a peripheral aperture at 12 o'clock.
A few months after the Arceau was launched, Hermès won the Best Complication at the GPHG Grand Prix de la Haute Horlogerie de Genève in the same year.
(H08 Monopusher Chronograph)
In 2023, the Hermès H08 watch will lead the starring role. Watch lovers were impressed by the H08 monopusher chronograph, which could keep all the functions of the crown alone, and the H08 Glow watch, which was made of high-performance composite materials.
Of course, there are many more Hermès models worth talking about, but let's leave it for now, and I hope that all of the above will give you a new or deeper understanding of Hermès watchmaking. Next, it's time to talk about the new Hermès Cut watch.
(全新Hermès Cut腕表)
At the 2024 edition of Watches & Wonders, Hermès presents a new watch to watch lovers around the world, the Hermès Cut. It was also Hermès' first mechanical watch for women. (The following are all real shots of the watch house)
Hermès Cut case is the only luxury sports watch
(全新Hermès Cut腕表 镶钻双色款)
(New Hermès Cut two-tone version)
The Hermès Cut is a completely new collection created by Hermès. The integrated design of the watch head and bracelet belongs to the category of luxury sports watches, which are very popular at the moment. The Hermès Cut watch changes from the moment the case shape, you say it's cushion-shaped, but the corners aren't so distinct, you say it's round, but you can see some of the edges and corners. In the official words of Hermès, the case seems to be round but not round.
The Hermès Cut watch collection is available in four different versions: stainless steel, diamond-set steel, two-tone stainless steel in rose gold, and two-tone in diamond-set rose gold. The two models in front of us are two-tone models.
The two-tone model has a stainless steel case with a diameter of 36 mm. As for why this size was chosen, it was essentially an aesthetic consideration. After a series of tests, Hermès decided that the 36 mm was the most suitable for the shape of the case of the Hermès Cut, and that it also met the requirements of the movement. Every Hermès watch is designed to strike the best aesthetic balance possible.
The front of the stainless steel case is ring-brushed. Turning to the side of the case, the essence of the Hermès Cut watch is revealed: the sides are chamfered and polished to reveal different facets. To put it bluntly, the side of the case is like a one-size-fits-all Hermès cut, a true Hermès Cut.
The Hermès Cut is water-resistant to 100 metres. It has reached the average level of popular luxury sports watches on the market.
(Regular two-tone version, the bezel is brushed)
(Diamond-set two-tone bezel set with diamonds)
The second color of the two-tone model comes from the 18-carat rose gold bezel. Whether or not the diamonds are set is reflected in the bezel. The bezel of the diamond-free model is brushed to match the case. The diamond-set version features 56 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel, adding sparkle to the watch.
The header detail is full of Hermès flavor and is 100% Swiss-made
The position of the crown is another design highlight of the Hermès Cut. Philippe Delhotal boldly placed the crown between 1 and 2 o'clock. The main purpose is not only to be "unique", but also to ensure the integrity and aesthetics of the header. The crown of the two-tone version is made of rose gold and engraved with the H motif.
The round opaline silver dial uses a three-hand layout, and the hands are gold-plated, and it can be seen that all three hands are polished. The baton hour and minute hands are hollowed out. The second hand is slender, and the stick-shaped shape at the end echoes the hour and minute hands.
The design of the Arabic numerals is interesting. Each Hermès watch with numerals has a different font, but one thing that is common is that the numerals are exclusive to Hermès.
In the case of this Hermès Cut, the numerals are three-dimensional, with rounded edges and corners to echo the "round, not round" style of the watchhead. In particular, the shape of the numeral hour marker 10 almost restores the shape of the case.
The Arabic numerals, the first half of the hour and minute hands, and the dot indicator on the tip of the second hand are coated with Super-LumiNova®. We experimented a little in the dark, and we could see that the glow-in-the-dark effect was quite good.
At 6 o'clock, there is the inscription SWISS MADE (Swiss made). Since 1978, when Hermès established its watch headquarters in Biel, Switzerland, it not only shows Hermès' determination to make watches professionally, but also symbolizes Hermès' identity as a Swiss watch company. Hermès timepieces are 100% Swiss-made.
Automatic movement H1912
It is not a miniature version of men's watches, but only for women's watches
The new Hermès Cut uses the H1912 automatic movement. The H1912 automatic movement was launched in 2012 and is mainly used in women's watches. In a practical sense, it was the first self-winding movement to be officially launched on the market and mass-produced by Hermès. Hermès' iconic Arceau collection, the Carré H and the Cape Cod TGM all use the H1912 calibre and have been tested by the market for a relatively long time.
As we mentioned earlier, in the early years Hermès acquired a stake in the VMF movement factory, which is known for its high-quality movements, and in addition to supplying Hermès with movements, it also supplied most of the automatic movements to Parmigiani Fleurier and Richard Mill. There is information that the H1912 automatic movement is a variant of the VMF 3000, and the H1912 movement uses a double barrel, which does not increase the length of the hairspring, but can increase the energy of the wheel train. It has a power reserve of approximately 50 hours when fully wound.
In terms of movement decoration, you can see that the bridges and oscillating weight are brushed and decorated with a fluted Hermès H motif, which has a satin finish to give it a satin-brushed finish. In addition, through the plywood, you can also see the pearl and swirl polishing marks on the bottom plate. The entire movement presents a unique Hermès character.
One more thing to say, the H1912 automatic movement has another "sibling movement", the H1837 movement, which was launched at the same time, and the H1837 movement is mainly used in men's watches. So, if the market for Hermès Cut watches is doing well, perhaps there will be more models in the future (of course, this is just our guess).
A variety of strap options Women need different moods and different combinations
The Hermès Cut is available with a metal bracelet or rubber strap. The two-tone version of the two-tone model used in the inter-gold bracelet is made of stainless steel and pink gold, with brushed steel links and pink gold links polished, alternating between two different finishes, which greatly enhance the luxury of the watch.
A rubber strap accentuates the sporty nature of the watch. Hermès offers a very wide range of colors, including pearl grey (pictured above), white, orange, pewter grey, wisteria, lizard green, denim blue, and orange-red.
In addition, Philippe Delhotal has designed a very discreet system for the interchangeability of the strap, at the junction of the case and the bracelet. This quick-release system is so easy to operate that the bracelet can be separated from the case by pressing and holding the buckle and pressing down slightly. It's not difficult to install, just press and hold the buckle and align the bracelet with it.
The new Hermès Cut watch is now available in stores, so you can try it on and feel it for yourself.
Summary: For Hermès, watches are used to measure time, but it is not bound by time. Hermès watches want to be an "everyday watch" that pursues performance.
I still remember that at the tasting meeting, some colleagues asked how Hermès watches stand out in the fiercely competitive watch market? "Recognition" is the primary condition that Hermès believes. The special shape of the case, the materials, the unique details and the unique presentation of the complications by Hermès are all factors that make Hermès watches recognizable. As for the process of the formation of classic elements, Laurent Dordet and Philippe Delhotal put forward an interesting thought: "The so-called classic elements are created through the perspective of the brand, or are they formed after market testing?"