A supreme melting pot of inventiveness, luxuriousness and artistic skills combine to produce something quite extraordinary, the Hermès Atmos Clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

An Atmos clock uniquely, never needs to be wound and providing it is carefully placed in a quiet spot and left undisturbed, will need no human intervention in order to maintain accuracy.  It has a movement which defies conventional clockmaking mechanics, one which integrates a gas-filled and sealed capsule  which expands or contracts when the temperature around it changes, and in doing so powers the mainspring to which it is connected.  Even a one degree Celsius change in temperature is enough to give 48 hours of power.

This ingenious invention is largely unchanged since it was devised in 1928 – coincidentally, this was also the year when Hermès first outsourced the supply of movements to power timepieces which would be branded with their own name, finding in Jaeger-LeCoultre a perfect partner.  Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis have also been involved with Hermès, providing them with handcrafted crystal objects to sell to their clients.  All three have contributed  to this, the newest Atmos timepiece.

Such an originative mechanism should never be concealed, is deserving of a vitreous showcase, and like the memorable Marc Newson Atmos editions, also showcased in glass, the Hermès model features a unique handblown and hand-cut housing crafted by the master glassmakers at Les Cristalleries de Saint-Louis, which serves to both magnify and provide a look-see through to the workings.

In honour of the years that Hermès have been in existence, the Hermès Atmos Clock by Jaeger-LeCoultre will be limited to 176 pieces.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I find it charming that Hermès should celebrate an important milestone with this lovely thing, the Hermès Arceau Petite Lune.

This piece will mark the 35th anniversary of the Arceau collection, but – 1978 also meant much, much more – this was the year that Hermès became serious about watchmaking and created a designated department in order to do so.  The cross-over from luxury accessories to a collection of high-end timepieces can be perilous, and it can take many years to gain respect in the industry, but Hermès  have managed to achieve this and more.  Lofty ambitions were realised in 2012 with the unveiling of the first Hermès Manufacture movement and perhaps almost as important was the honour of “Best Men’s Watch” at the 2011 Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix for the superb Arceau Temps Suspendu and – last year I reviewed the Arceau Marqueterie de Paille, a showcase piece as worthy of the tag “Artisan Watch” as others who have been handcrafting dials for a century of two.

The Arceau Petite Lune  features the distinctive case shape and unconventional stirrup-inspired lugs.  Against mother-of-pearl the tilted numerals are graceful and pleasing on the eye.  Between 10 and 11 o’clock is a perfectly placed crescent displaying the moonphase and a pointer date draws the eye to 6 o’clock.  Inside is a mechanical self-winding movement with moonphase module created by Dubois-Dépraz.

Two editions of the Hermès Arceau Petite Lune will be available with a choice of white or black mother-of-pearl dials, more information at Hermès.

Also a look-back at the Arceau Temps Suspendu and the Arceau Marqueterie de Paille.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hermès have reason to celebrate – in 1978 when they became serious about making watches and created a designated watchmaking division, the brand had high ambitions, this year those aspirations have been realised – they have just presented to the industry their first manufacture movements.  This is not the luxury brand’s only horological milestone in recent times – in 2008 they launched their first proprietary movement, the H1, developed with Fleurier-based Vaucher, a company partly owned by Hermès, and last year their Arceau Temps Suspendu was awarded the prize for Best Men’s Watch at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix.  No longer can the industry be sniffy about La Montre Hermès, the brand may have its roots in saddlery and scarves but this is serious stuff – Hermès are playing with the big boys.

Both calibres have been produced using the building blocks laid down by the H1.  The one we will feature is the H1837, built to power the Dressage and named in honour of the year the brand was founded.  This is an automatic calibre producing 50 hours of power reserve and as you can see is proudly engraved with the strong Hermès “H” branding.

In order to house the new calibre, the Dressage, first released in 2003, has been given a “nip and a tuck” – but it still retains its equestrian-ism, its combination of round and tonneau forms, its circle-enclosed numerals and its characteristic lugs.

The piece will be available in either 18K pink gold case, limited to 175 pieces or a stainless steel edition.  On the dial all is classically styled and in perfect proportion with applied numerals and markers, a textured centre section and a recessed small seconds at 6 o’clock.

The Hermès Dressage for 2012 will come presented on a finest quality Havana alligator leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet.

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The Hermès Arceau Temps Suspendu award-winning watch.

The Hermès Arceau Marqueterie de Paille also new for 2012.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Hermès unveil two new, and very unique pieces at SIHH 2012, the Hermès Arceau Marqueterie de Paille.

The Parisian luxury goods brand launched its first proprietary movement in 2008, an indication that the brand were serious about watchmaking – a commitment which has paid off, at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix in November the prize for “Best Men’s Watch” went to the Hermès Arceau Temps Suspendu.  Fleurier-based Vaucher are partly owned by Hermès, so that’s the mechanisms sorted – the aesthetics?  well you wouldn’t expect anything produced by La Montre Hermès to have even a shred of shoddiness and these new pieces, with their sublime dark blue hand-crafted dials are outstanding.

Rye straw, grown in just one location (a farm in France) is harvested and coloured on site before arriving at the workbench of some talented and extemely patient Artisans.  The miniature pattern is assembled on paper before being applied to the watch dial.  Expect natural variations, expect each one to be unique.  A showcase technique deserves centre stage, so the sloping numerals normally found on an Arceau dial have been removed and the brand’s logo is etched straight onto the inside of the crystal.  Inside is the H1928 Vaucher Manufacture self-winding calibre with 55 hours of power reserve.

The superb Hermès Arceau Marqueterie de Paille comes presented on a matching indigo blue alligator leather strap.

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The award-winning Hermès Arceau Temps Suspendu

…. and the Hermès Arceau Grande Lune.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hermès present a new piece the Hermès Arceau Temps Suspendu or “Time Suspended” watch.  The piece gives the wearer the ability to stop the time indicated.  Simple – I hear you say, pull out the winding crown! dear me no, this is Haute Horlogerie darling and thankfully this piece is much more complex and ingenious than that.

Here is how it works, the pusher at 9 o’clock brings the hour and minutes hands to noon and the date on that beautiful retrograde display disappears from view.  Meanwhile the movement keeps on running, so that when the wearer feels able to return to the realities of their day a simple push of a button brings the indications back to the here and now.

This unusual complication is housed within the classical Hermès Arceau case with its distinctive stirrup-shaped lugs and is available in 18 carat pink gold or stainless steel with opaline silvered dial or an additional choice of black dial available only with the steel version.  The automatic movement with the added Time Suspended module has a power reserve of 42 hours.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Of course you will already know the Hermès brand.  From a heritage of producing saddlery and such-like for upper-class horsey types in Europe and beyond to signature scarves etc. for the privileged, you might think that owning a Hermès watch would be like a membership card for the Snooty Club who dine at Snobby-Ville.  However as it turns out, the Montre Hermès section of the group are quite serious about watch production and in 2008 the brand launched its first proprietary movement, the H1, developed with Fleurier-based Vaucher – a company part owned by Hermès.  Back in 1978 when Hermès created a designated watchmaking division, the first piece released was the Arceau, inspired by the shape of a stirrup.  The Arceau Grande Lune continues the theme with the addition of a moonphase module created for the piece by Dubois-Dépraz.

The classic features are still there, the distinctive case shape and lugs, a herringbone motif stamped onto the dial and the sloping numerals (if any of your friends poke fun at the upside down numbers on your watch dial – drop them they are philistines).  The moonphase is large-ish but sits nicely proportioned on the dial and is combined with a calendar display.  Day and month indications are located just below the Hermès logo. The piece is constructed from stainless steel and measures 43mm.  Two dial versions will be available, opaline silvered and galvanic black.  Both pieces will be presented on a matching alligator strap of the finest quality, after all it is a Hermès.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Prominent Parisian purveyor of pricey premium products Hermès have recently announced the launch of a new addition to their collection of timepieces. The Hermès Carré H will be released in a limited edition of 173 pieces – denoting the number of years since the founding of the luxury goods family company in 1837.

Employing the skills of renowned French designer and architect Marc Berthier, the company set him the brief to create “what a Hermès timepiece for a travelling dandy might look like”. The result is a clever microbead blasted titanium cased carré design incorporating the Hermès signature stirrup theme with strap loops in lieu of more conventional lugs.

Hermès Carré H

Berthier’s take on the shape of the case was to maintain the lines of a square yet remove every sharp or right angle from it, with the result being an almost pebble-smooth finish, curving round as the flanks join the caseback which has a sapphire crystal exhibition window through which can be seen the decorated Girard-Perregaux Calibre 3200 automatic movement.

Hermès Carré H

The bezel is highly polished and it contrasts against the gunmetal grey of the case and beneath the sapphire crystal the dial is an unapologetic art deco throwback and perpetuates the watch’s carré theme featuring square small seconds within a square recess as well as classic period baton hour markers and hands.

The strap is black Barenia calfskin with titanium tang buckle.

Hermès Carré H showing 'H' decorated G-P automatic movement

This is a lovely designer’s watch – not as in ‘designer watch’ like you can pick up for a tenner in your nearest shopping centre – but as in the execution of Berthier’s concept. It’s almost too nice to limit to just the planned 173 pieces.

Who knows, if it is well received and sells as quickly as is hoped, then maybe we’ll see a more widely available model sometime in the future.

Popularity: 4% [?]