Hermès
- Founded
- 1837
- Based in
- Paris, France (watches made in Biel, Switzerland)
- In our catalog
- 3 watches from $3,150 to $7,000
Hermès makes watches the way it makes everything else: with confidence, a sense of humor and very good leather. Its watches are made in Switzerland, and the house has quietly become a serious watchmaker with a stake in a respected movement maker.
History
Thierry Hermès opened a harness workshop in Paris in 1837. The company moved into saddles, bags, scarves and clothing, and made its first watches in the early twentieth century. In 1978 it founded La Montre Hermès in Biel to make watches properly.
Designer Henri d'Origny created two of its best-known models: the Arceau (1978), with asymmetric lugs shaped like stirrups, and the Cape Cod (1991), whose shape comes from the anchor-chain motif found on Hermès jewelry. In 2006 Hermès bought a quarter of Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, which makes movements for its high-end watches. The H08, a sporty cushion-shaped watch, arrived in 2021.
Signature models
- Cape Cod Small: A rectangle inside a square, inspired by the anchor-chain motif, often worn on a double-tour strap that wraps twice around the wrist.
- Arceau 40: A round case with stirrup-shaped lugs, often with playful dials and complications.
- H08: A modern sports watch with a cushion-shaped case and an in-house-made movement.
What it's known for
Hermès watches have character and a sense of fun, from dials showing horses and animals to complications like the "Le Temps Suspendu", which lets you stop time on the dial. The straps are made by Hermès's own leather workshops.
Price and positioning
A Cape Cod starts around $3,000, an Arceau around $4,000 and an H08 around $6,000, with complications and artistic dials much higher. Among fashion houses only Cartier and Chanel are in the same league, and the leather straps alone are a reason to choose Hermès.
Hermès watches in our library
- Hermès Cape Cod Small ($3,150 to $3,500)
- Hermès Arceau 40 ($4,300 to $4,800)
- Hermès H08 ($6,000 to $7,000)