Hermès is a huge name luxury goods.
But in the world of Swiss watchmaking it has been an odd man out.
As recently as 2109 its boss, Laurent Dordet, who heads up the watch division, was talking about his ambitions of becoming “legitimate and accepted” in the field.
“We are one of the challengers to an industry that is 300 years old,” he said.
You could see his point.
Hermès is French (not Swiss), is best known for its silk ties and handbags and has only been properly making its own watches for less than 50 years.
Recently, it may have been able to relax a little. Sales in its watch division were up a whopping 73 per cent last year, making it one of the fastest-growing brands in the business.
One of its most recent hits was the H08. Launched in 2021 it came in a style that was typical of Hermès watches and of the brand overall. High-quality execution, custom off-beat typography and an unusual cushion-shaped case. The whole look spoke of a certain low-key Parisian chic. It was quirky without being, you know, annoying.
Today Hermès has announced a new version of the H08, in blue.
Previously available in titanium, two-tone DLC-coated titanium and a graphene composite, the new version keeps the H08's previous design codes intact.
The case is blue titanium, while the bezel is black ceramic. As before, the dial gets its pleasing texture and depth from being treated in PVD. The new version is set off with pops of orange accents.
To Esquire's eye, it's one of the coolest, most (relatively) affordable watches in the luxury market.
The H08-Blue is self-winding and measures 39mm x 39mm, with a 45-hour power reserve.
It comes on a blue rubber strap with a black DLC titanium buckle, a sporty touch that is intended to be of a piece with Hermès men’s ready-to-wear.
That division, incidentally, was only up a mere 59 per cent last year.
£6,310 on a fabric strap; £6,330 on rubber; hermes.com
