Consumers and observers of the watch landscape have attempted to label and group the top brands and manufacturers at different junctures of time. I believe we’re all familiar with the “Holy Trinity” of classical watchmaking, and the emergence of the “Big Four” of more recent times. There is a luxury powerhouse whose name does not come to mind when it comes to watchmaking, but that might be about to change.

Hermès was founded 187 years ago, and is today still family-owned. It is a leading luxury house, whose universe transcends timepieces. They have a market capitalisation of a quarter of a trillion and have the potential to make some serious waves in the relatively small watch industry. Luxury watches and jewellery are estimated to make up only 27% of the luxury goods market at large. Evidently, the definition and classification of “luxury” are subjective, but the point is the minute size of the luxury market in comparison. However, in recent years we have seen a stark rise in endeavours to grow this product segment by the biggest names in the luxury space.

Having a rich and vast world, Hermès finds inspiration within its endless archives of designs and ideas. With a uniquely different approach to watchmaking, the result is one that is more abstract, dreamy, and conceptual. Being a design house, their attention to detail supersedes the average watch Maison. From forms to typography, the brand often adds a touch to render its design unmistakably Hermès.

To learn more about the brand and its values, we travelled 26 hours to a marble quarry on a remote island in Greece, to speak with Philippe Delhotal – Creative Director of Hermès Watches.

Tom: What was the biggest challenge in designing the new Hermès Cut?

Designing a new creation is always a challenge. You must find the right purpose behind a new watch, to tell a story and propose something that makes sense for Hermès. I would say that the biggest challenge while designing the Hermès Cut was to keep the right balance between proportions, geometrical shapes, and sizes, and also to keep all the elements of the watch – the case, the dial, the typography, the bracelet – echoing each other and telling the same story.

Another thing that I kept in mind all along my creative process was to stick to simplicity. When you create a new design, you are tempted to add details to the watch to bring asperities and personality to the watch. Sometimes keeping things simple is the most complex exercise.

Tom: What does watchmaking mean for a brand like Hermès with a wide range of products from equestrian saddles to home furnishings?

Hermès is a maison with 187 years of history and gathers 16 métiers. There’s not much similarity between saddle making, furniture, and watchmaking, yet the principles that govern their creation remain the same. All Hermès métiers are imbued with the same creativity and values, driven by craftsmanship and excellence.

It’s a real chance to stand by so many different fields of expertise, each one with its own peculiarities. We can learn from each other, reuse techniques which were developed by one métier for a specific object, and take inspiration from it.

Hermès has always maintained a strong relationship with time through its objects, its heritage, and its craftsmen’s work. The first timepieces date back to the 1920s when the company proposed watches in the 24 Faubourg St-Honoré store in collaboration with renowned Swiss manufacturers.

In 1978, Jean-Louis Dumas took over the reins of Hermès and gently revolutionised the company. Visionary, curious about everything and all cultures, he orchestrated the development of new métiers and conquered new markets around the world with audacity and imagination.

Watchmaking was born and settled down in Switzerland. Faithful to its artisanal model and entrepreneurial spirit, the maison creates objects based on unique craftsmanship, watches are some of them.

Tom: Which three words do you think best describe Hermès’ watchmaking philosophy?

Singularity, creativity, shapes.

Tom: As an appreciator of both horology and design, what do you think makes a good watch?

Hermès creates objects that both women and men can adopt freely. To me, a watch is an object that pleases the eye. It’s a real pleasure to wear a watch every day, for the style and the emotions it conveys. Aesthetics is key for me, as much as comfort. It is key to have a watch that is comfortable to wear, therefore it is important to pay attention to shapes, finishings, quality of the materials, and techniques used. Also, because our objects must be reliable and reparable.

Watches are everyday objects, they accompany their wearer on many different occasions, that is why, to me, they must be beautiful, comfortable and must last in time to be then transmitted to the next generation.

Tom: What inspires you creatively?

As I always say, ideas don’t spring from an office or a desk. 

To me, inspiration can be found everywhere; hiking in the Swiss mountains, close to nature and beautiful landscapes, is personally very revitalising and a great source of inspiration. I also find inspiration while travelling, exploring new horizons or reading a book. Creation can be helped sometimes by a specific encounter with someone, an artist, a craftsman…

On another end, Hermès is fortunate to have a rich heritage, and lots of designs and patterns, new collections of silk scarves every year, and this is undeniably a great source of inspiration for developing our timepieces, especially our exceptional pieces.

The theme of the year defined by the artistic director of the maison, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, is also of great importance. There is an incredible richness of content around this theme and an amazing variety of creative expressions.

Tom: Please share with us a sentimental story about your watch.

I particularly like my Arceau L’heure de la lune for its dreamlike approach, its unconventional design, and the story around it. It is an offbeat expression of a classic horological complication, paying tribute to the Hermès watchmaking expertise in a singular way. With this watch, you lose the notion of space, as if you were standing on the moon. For the first time with this timepiece, the complication is the main character of the watch, placing hours and minutes in the background.

Tom: Is it true that all of Hermès watches with decorative motifs are inspired by scarves made in the past by the Maison?

Exactly, when it comes to métier d’art watches, we like to rely on artistic expressions from the maison. We often select several silk scarf motifs for our artistic crafts watch collection to miniaturise and reproduce them, with different techniques, onto our dials. I particularly like the richness of the motifs and colours we have on those drawings; they offer a variety of themes as well as many details. Our craftsmen like to challenge themselves with such detailed patterns. What is also interesting is that depending on the type of motif you can select and adapt a different technique which will faithfully pay tribute to the drawing.

Tom: What’s one piece of advice you’ll give to someone looking to purchase their first watch?

Buying your first watch is a significant moment and usually one of the first biggest investments of one’s life. I personally believe it is important to think carefully about the choice of the model, and to question yourself about the brand and its values, the types of wearing, and the reasons why you want to buy a timepiece because it’s an object which will accompany you for a lifetime. And at the same time, buying a watch is all about emotions, your heart will direct you to a specific watch that speaks to you.

-FIN-