First created in 1996, the Heure H was conceived by Hermès designer Philippe Mouquet as a watch that could “capture time inside a letter,” and indeed the watch’s case was a perfect capital letter “H.”
Since then, the Heure H has retained its allure in a variety of iterations that include diamond-studded rose gold and polished steel. And now it is making its debut using lacquer as the focal point of the case—in black or white—to add a bold, contemporary look to what has become one of the most enduring Hermès design.
Crafted at the Hermès watchmaking workshops in Switzerland, the new Heure H’s steel case is filled with black or white lacquer and retains the steel outline of the letter. The dial is varnished in black or white to match the case and then covered in translucent lacquer for a flawless finish. The black dial, at 26mm by 26mm, features white transferred Arabic numerals and rhodium-plated hour and minute hands, while the white dial, at 21mm by 21mm, displays charcoal gray transferred Arabic numerals and rhodium-plated hands. A Swiss-made quartz movement powers the central hours and minutes on both models.
The medium-size Hermès Heure H (26mm b 26mm) comes on a black Berénia calfskin Simple Tour interchangeable strap, while the small-size model (21mm by 21mm) comes on a Double Tour interchangeable strap in white or Maltese Blue grained calfskin, black Berénia calfskin, and smooth calfskin in orange, Capucine Orange, yellow, Denim Blue and Electric Blue.
You’ll find these new Heure H models in stores this summer, priced from $3,000 to $3,250.