INTERPRETATION OF TIME
It is contemporary, sporty and embodies the spirit of the modern man. As Hermès Horloger CEO Laurent Dordet puts it — the Hermès H08 is for the spirit of performance, be it deep diving or mountain climbing. But most of all, it is a functional timepiece th
The watch industry’s biggest annual event Watches & Wonders 2021 goes digital again this year. From April 7 to 13, journalists, clients and retailers watched as many as 38 brands on display on digital platforms.
Hermès Horology not only had a digital presence but a physical one in Singapore at the School Of The Arts (Sota) with a dance performance that featured three male dancers, dressed in Hermès latest collection for men, giving us their well-choreographed interpretation of the newly launched timepiece Hermès H08.
After the morning programme, the timepieces were brought out for the media to have a much closer look. The tie-in of the dance performance with the contemporary yet timeless new Hermès H08 watch becomes clear.
The sporty timepieces are part aesthetics and part movement as the Hermès H08 gets its heartbeat from the mechanical self-winding Manufacture Hermès H1837 movement, the new Hermès H08 line offers three large cushion-shaped models with a screw-down crown.
Hermès H08 is not new to a small group of media who in November 2019, had a very rare opportunity to be taken on a journey of how Hermès timepieces are made. We started at the very beginning; from the ideas right to the inspiration stage, at the Emile Hermès Museum located at the top of the Hermès flagship store on Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris.
It was here that we met creative director Hermès Horloger Philippe Delhotal who presented the Hermès H08 collection. We had earlier signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and was to keep what we saw strictly confidential until its release in 2020’s instalment of Watches & Wonders.
But that did not happen because of Covid-19. “We wanted to launch this new collection in a positive market situation and during Watches & Wonders Geneva in 2020. Thus, Hermès H08 has been postponed to April 2021,” Hermès Horloger CEO Laurent Dordet tells Options in an email interview just before the launch of the collection this year.
Just weeks ago, Dordet followed up with Options after the live presentations which he did recently over a virtual chat. Fresh from his daily presentations which were beamed live globally, he admits to days of an early start and late finish for the duration of the fair.
But here he was, giving us his precious time. If he was exhausted, he did not show it and was very enthusiastic about the collections that were launched. Dressed in a Hermès grey sweater from the men’s collection, Dordet says that while it is tiring to do these live chats everyday he is buoyed by the reception he has received. “We are super enthusiastic about the feedback we received. Of
course, it takes a lot of energy to speak every day. I think people are happy to have us talk directly to them”.
That he did at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices (BFM) in Geneva to provide a live experience for journalists to follow. BFM is a 19th-century industrial space that artists Clément Vieille and Pierre Pauze were appointed to create a scenography com
posed of videos and sculptures, works inspired by the Hermès approach to time and the new collection. Here are excerpts of our chat with Dordet.
What is the design philosophy behind the Hermès H08?
We wanted to create a contemporary watch, strongly anchored in the Hermès all-terrain, masculine universe. It was a desire
to express our values, to embody them. This timepiece embodies “the Hermès take on contemporary masculinity”. It had to be a beautiful object in which the materials, shapes and lines would give life to a unique expression of Hermès watchmaking.
We wanted a robust, geometric, assertive and sensual object. There was also a quest for lightness through the materials and a strong desire to integrate the strap into the creation. We needed a timeless timepiece with elegance, free and audacious, neither conservative nor status-affirming. It had to be an expression of contemporary classicism.
Which piece stands out for you and why?
It is available in three versions: The first all-titanium, the second with a colour DLC titanium case, bezel in natural titanium and band strap (black, anthracite and blue) as well as a rubber strap (black and orange). The third version is in ultra-light composite filled with graphene powder with a black ceramic bezel and black rubber strap.
The campaign and the activation tools highlighted the “sharp but sensual” side of the graphene model, with its characteristic play on shapes and combination of materials.
The “all-terrain” spirit of this model lent itself perfectly to these materials which add lightness, bring fascinating colour effects and complete the overall aesthetic appeal. The mineral side of the model gives it a rigorous yet pleasing appearance.
Why the name H08?
These are two numbers that encapsulate the entire personality of the watch. It’s a somewhat mysterious name that gives an impression of motion, as well as of being in step with the times.
These are also two numbers symbolising the font used in this model and which embody an invitation to adopt mathematical thinking as well as evoking contrasts, such as the contrast of materials. It is a nod to “Hermès geometry”. The rigorous 0 was a recent discovery. The 8 stretches to infinity. The idea relates to “nothing mingled with everything” which reflects the shape of the case.
You have witnessed the rise of Hermes’ entry into the timepieces market. How has the journey been? Can you share some memorable highlights?
In recent years, we have seen growing interest from Hermès customers and watch collectors, thanks to launches featuring singular designs and unconventional interpretations of traditional watchmaking.
In 2015 for example, the Slim d’Hermès was born from a stylistic exercise around the purity of design and expressing a move towards essentials with a minimalist style. In 2018, the Carré H was a square-shaped
watch designed by Marc Berthier featuring a contemporary aesthetic with Arceau, which suspended time in 2011 and began playing with moon phases in 2019. Quite simply, with the privilege of its sobriety and elegance, has since 1978 been expressing the audacity of its designer Henri d’Origny.
This singular interpretation, which runs counter to industry trends, is expressed today through the new Hermès H08, which, through its form, expresses our relationship with time.
With Watches & Wonders going fully digital this year, what are some of the challenges you will be facing with retailers and the media?
Like last year, we will get in touch with all the journalists and retailers with the WWG digital platform. It is very important for us to maintain relationships with the press, influencers, clients and retailers.
This year, we have decided to reinforce our presence physically as well: We will settle the artist scenography that was supposed to be installed at the Palexpo elsewhere in Geneva: we will be for a week at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices to provide a live experience for the journalists to follow us as we would be together.
We feel confident for 2022 that WWG will come back with
a physical edition. It is important to maintain this moment during which the whole industry speaks with one voice to meet press, influencers, clients and retailers. Virtual happenings are for the time being a solution but won’t replace meetings in person.
What are the next 12 months looking for Hermès Horloger?
On one side the business is in a strong growth trend and we will have to respond to this demand and at the same time, prepare our future launches. On the other side, we are cautious because the world and the sanitary situation are quite unstable in many countries.