Hermès recently released their latest Slim d’Hermès Flagship watch. This is the latest iteration of the Slim d’Hermès series of watches and is limited to 12 pieces. Read on gents, Hermès is getting real serious on watches. The next time you enter Hermès, the reason will not be the Mrs wanting a new Birkin but you curious about their horological masterpiece.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: Hermès Horloger – Slim d’Hermès Flagship
The Hermès Horloger – Slim d’Hermès Flagship has a retail price of SGD 146,000. Limited Edition of 12 pieces. Price is inclusive of GST.
Commentary
Hermès is probably a brand that many watch enthusiast overlook as a true watch brand but things are changing. The Paris based brand is so committed into watchmaking that they first acquired a 25% stake in Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier a movement maker back in 2006. In 2012 and 2013, the French Luxury powerhouse acquired Natéber (dials) and Joseph Erard (cases). Their watch assembly workshop and La Montre Hermès S.A. (leather) are based on a site in Brügg, Switzerland thus giving the brand a “Swiss Made” stamp of approval. Fast forward to year 2024, Hermes representatives in Singapore tells us that they are currently in the midst of expanding and upgrading their factory to meet the demand of their clients.
Now, for the main character of this article, Hermès released the Slim d’Hermes Flagship timepiece. The movement in the gorgeous watch is the mechanical self-winding Manufacture Hermès H1950 ultra-thin micro-rotor movement. The base of this movement is the Vaucher VMF5401 a variant of it is also adopted by Parmigiani Fleurier in their Tonda PF Micro Rotor with some tweaks of their own.
Encasing the movement is a yellow gold 39.50mm case along with a very interesting dial. The dial features an iconic design by Dimitri Rybaltchenko that first appeared on the brand’s silk scarf. It is an image observed through Dimitri’s telescope as the great Hermès ship navigates itself through a starry night. The process of making this intricate dial is certainly a tedious one.
Firstly, the dial starts off as an aventurine disc which is meticulously painted layer by layer using a fine brush to mimic a starry night sky. It is then heat-dried in a kiln. This proces is very labour intensive. And there is the ever present threat of the dial cracking in the kiln, destroying the painted work.
Secondly, the design features the artist depiction of Hermés’ Flagship store at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris as the hill of the ship. The ship is handcrafted individually and independently from the dial. This done by an engraver using a traditional burin and chisel to achieve the desired shape and lines. Thereafter, a painter would hand-paint the mast, sails, hull and bow of the Hermés ship. It is then carefully placed on the completed aventurine dial to achieve this detailed dial.
So gents, the next time when you accompany your Missus or Mister to the store, don’t forget to check out their gorgeous horological work of art.
Release details
Finely engraved in yellow gold, the Hermès ship’s colourful unfurled sails and emblematic bow glide beneath a star-studded aventurine sky.
Viewed through a telescope, the Hermès flagship – its hull inspired by the historic boutique at 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris – steers its way through the starry night with its blend of miniature painting and engraving. Its bow bearing the effigy of the famous firework maker and its billowing sails come to life at the virtuoso hands of Hermès artisans.
Created in 2015 by Philippe Delhotal, the Slim d’Hermès watch vividly expresses the singularity of the house with its blend of understated elegance and visual balance. Modern yet timeless, its pared-down lines highlight Hermès’ inimitably creative, fanciful touch, offering a subtle interpretation of the patterns adorning its iconic silk scarves.
Produced in a limited edition of 12, the Slim d’Hermès Flagship is inspired by Dimitri Rybaltchenko’s eponymous design for a silk scarf. Surging ahead amid a shower of shooting stars, the vessel reflects the artist’s poetic universe navigating between the imaginary and the real.
After a multitude of layers of micro-paint are applied with a brush and then heat-dried in a kiln, the aventurine dial reveals a bronzed decoration featuring unique nuances, volumes and details. The ship evoking the legendary Parisian boutique is carved in relief by the engraver’s burins and chisels, then hand painted and delicately placed on the night sky. A mischievous star at 4 o’clock comes to life in step with wrist movements.
Housed in a slim yellow gold case measuring 39.5 mm in diameter, this eloquent expression of horological expertise beats to the rhythm of the Manufacture Hermès H1950 self-winding movement and is fitted with an elegant abyss blue alligator strap matching the maritime inspired dial tones.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Numbered limited edition of 12
MOVEMENT
Manufacture Hermès H1950 ultra-thin movement Mechanical self-winding, crafted in Switzerland
Diameter : 30 mm
Thickness : 2.6 mm
Power reserve : 48 hours
Frequency : 21,600 vph
Functions : hours, minute
CASE
Round, 39.5 mm in diameter
Yellow gold
Anti-glare sapphire crystal and case-back
Water resistance : 3 bar
DIAL
Aventurine dial adorned with miniature painting, engraved gold applique, mobile star at 4 o’clock
STRAP
Abyss blue alligator
Time, A Hermès Object
Hermès creates objects. Objects shaped by the hands of artisans to make them true companions for those who wear them. Practical, functional and stemming from uncompromising expertise, they radiate the lightness of the unexpected. They make everyday life their playground, and each instant a uniquely special moment.
For Hermès, time is also an object. Its inherent tension is translated by the house into a singular characteristic. Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for spontaneity and recreation.