We’ve seen open-worked designs among Hermès watch collections in the past, most notably with the recent, very sexy smoked-dial Arceau Squelette. But until this month, this famed luxury house hadn’t offered a skeletonized version of either its superb in-house movements, namely Caliber H1837 or Caliber H1950, each made with its partner Vaucher.
The new Hermès Slim d’Hermès Squelette Lune.
That omission changes with the recent announcement of the Slim d’Hermès Squelette Lune, Hermès’ first skeleton timepiece with a manufacture movement. Hermès has created Caliber H1953 from its thin H1950, the movement underneath the highly successful Slim d’Hermès collection first debuted in 2015.
Hermès cleverly mixes its metals with this release, combining a bead-blasted 39.5mm titanium case with a platinum bezel and a white gold crown. The mixture allows light to dance across the airy dial and bezel, aided by alternating matte and glossy finishes.
Equally interesting is the double moonphase display at the 6 o’clock position. As the sunray-patterned linked orbs rotate, they expose two moon images, marking the satellite’s position in both hemispheres. Very cool, and superbly executed. Price: $20,550.
Case: 39.5 mm bead-blasted grade-5 titanium middle and back, bezel in platinum with white gold crown and pusher. Anti-glare sapphire crystal and caseback.
Dial: Skeletonized, black gold sunburst flange and grey-transferred minutes track, blue PVD-coated hands. Hours, minutes, double moon-phase at 6 o’clock
Hermès adds ultra-light graphene to one version of its all-new H08, a cushion-shaped debut that could become a flagship model of the brand’s contemporary watch collection.
The 39mm H08 will debut with two titanium-cased models and one created using a novel graphene-filled composite case, topped by a brushed and polished ceramic bezel.
The new Hermes H08, with graphene-filled composite case.
This darker graphene version also offers a black gold-coated dial, distinctive Arabic numerals and black nickel-coated hands. The two other H08 debuts are titanium-cased, with one in matte black DLC-coated titanium and the second in satin-brushed titanium. These arrive with a black nickel-coated dial and can be matched with a blue or black fabric strap or a black or orange rubber strap.
As is typical from with Hermès watches, the dial font and the case’s pleasing geometric lines complement each other perfectly.
In fact, with H08 Hermès utilizes a dial font that specifically mimics the cushion shape of the case. Note how the namesake 8 and the 0, are especially evocative, with perfectly proportioned shapes that could also be called cushion-shaped.
The H can be seen in the link shape of the new titanium bracelet used on the brushed titanium model, as well as on the visible movement bridges and rotor.
Inside each watch Hermès places its own H1837 automatic movement, visible through the sapphire caseback.
Prices: $5,500 (titanium on rubber strap or webbed fabric); $5,700 (titanium with DLC coating on rubber strap or webbed fabric); $6,050 (titanium on titanium bracelet) and $8,900 (graphene on rubber strap).
Hermès this week adds sixteen pieces to its artistic moonphase watch collection with the launch of the new Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial limited edition.
In the style of existing models in the Arceau L’heure de la Lune collection, Hermès highlights the watch with a light brown quilted-pattern dial created using a thin slice of meteorite discovered by fisherman and sold in New York in 1965. The new models will be cased in platinum.
Known as siderite, the meteor-sourced dial’s material appears metallic brown, which signifies that it comes from the center of an asteroid. Owners of the Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial limited edition, which will be exclusively sold in the United States, will also be able to claim possession of a section of the only meteorite legally bearing the name New York.
You may recall that in 2019 Hermes wowed observers at that year’s SIHH when it debuted the first models in the 43mm gold-cased Arceau de la Lune collection with stone dials and at least one model crafted with a dial made of lunar meteorite. Earlier this year Hermès added several new models to the collection with dials of celestial origin, including one fashioned from a piece of Martian meteorite.
Quirky displays
The 43mm platinum-cased model, a high-end alternative to the classic moonphase watch, offers a simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres. Two discs, one indicating the date and one showing the hour and minute, rotate around the dial. As they do, their position above two mother-of-pearl moon discs syncs exactly with the moon’s phase at the time and date indicated. Blued hands contrast nicely to display both time and date on white lacquered discs.
In a quirky Hermès touch, the southern hemisphere’s moon is displayed at the top of the dial while the moon as seen in the northern hemisphere rests at the 6 o’clock position.
Jean-Francois Mojon (who has worked with MB&F and Harry Winston, among others) created the dial’s 59-day lunar dance for Hermès by developing a patent-pending module linked to the Hermès H1837 automatic caliber.
Each Hermès Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial is priced at $69,950.
Reprising the ethereal Arceau de la Lune moon phase watch that was for many a highlight of the 2019 SIHH, Hermès during this past week’s virtual Watches & Wonders 2020 unveiled five new models in the collection.
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune with Blue Pearl stone dial.
If you recall, Hermès in 2019 presented the 43mm gold-cased Arceau de la Lune as an alternative to the classic moonphase watch. Instead of a single moon display showing monthly moonphases in the northern hemisphere, the Hermès Arceau de la Lune offers a simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres. Two discs, one indicating the date and one showing the hour and minute, rotate around the dial.
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune with Lapis lazuli dial.
As they do, their position above two mother-of-pearl moon discs syncs exactly with the moon’s phase at the time and date indicated.
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune with black Sahara meteorite dial.
In an interesting – and appropriately quirky – Hermès touch, the southern hemisphere’s moon is displayed at the top of the dial while the moon as seen in the northern hemisphere rests at the 6 o’clock position.
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune with Lunar meteorite dial.
Jean-Francois Mojon (who has worked with MB&F and Harry Winston, among others) devised the dial’s 59-day lunar dance for Hermès by developing a patent-pending module linked to the Hermès H1837 automatic caliber.
While the first two Arceau de la Lune models in 2019 had the time and date counters floating over an aventurine or a meteorite dial, the new releases extend the celestial exploration. Among the five new models Hermès includes a platinum-cased limited edition (of two) with a green-tinged Martian meteorite dial and two new meteorite models. In addition, Hermès debuts two stunning stone dials, made from Lapis Lazuli and from Blue Pearl stone.
Also found on the dial, within the moon at 12 o’clock, is an image of Pegasus, which links the equestrian origins of Hermès even more tightly to the Arceau de la Lune collection. The second moon at 6 o’clock is a more realistic depiction of the lunar surface.
On the Southern moon on each version you’ll find a Pegasus transfer by Dimitri Rybaltchenko .
As you’d expect from Hermès, each watch is matched to he appropriate color matte alligator strap in black, Havana or Veronese green, depending on the Arceau de la Lune versions. Prices begin at $33,200 for these models and rise to $54,100. The price of the platinum-cased model with the Martian dial is available on request. Details are below.
Slim d’Hermès
The Hermès Slim d’Hermès GMT in a rose gold case–new in 2020.
Hermès is also expanding its Slim d’Hermès collection in 2020 with a new Slim d’Hermès GMT, which artfully combines its ultra-thin Manufacture Hermès H1950 movement with a thin GMT module exclusively developed by Agenhor for Hermès. We’ll present more details about this 39.5mm rose gold model in future posts.
Specifications: Hermès Arceau L’heure de la Lune (five models)
CASE: 43mm white gold, rose gold (lapis lazuli) or platinum (green Martian dial), 17 mm width between lugs , sapphire crystal and caseback with anti-glare treatment, water-resistant to 30 meters
DIALS: Black Sahara meteorite with crystal-effect silver lacquered mobile counters (36-piece limited edition, $54,100)
–Blue Pearl stone dial w/crystal-effect gradient grey-lacquered mobile counters (white gold case, $33,200)
–Lapis Lazuli stone dial with white lacquered mobile counters (rose gold case, $33,200)
–Martian meteorite (platinum case, two-piece limited edition, price upon request)
Moons in white natural mother-of-pearl . Southern moon: Pegasus transfer inspired by the Pleine Lune motif designed by Dimitri Rybaltchenko Northern moon: lunar surface transfer blued hands
As is typical from with 
