Hermès, simply Good Taste Personified
Founded as a saddler in 1837 by Thierry Hermès, Hermès has seen five generations of enterprising artisans open up new domains and conquer new domains. Throughout, the House has grown in a spirit of inventive fidelity to the essential values handed down from its founders who guided its first steps into a century eager for change and progress.
As respectful of the past as they were enthusiastic about the future, they passed on to their successors a fervent appreciation of fine materials and simple presentation, a love of superb craftsmanship, and the energy to keep on innovating.
In the 1920s, Hermès made its entry into watchmaking through its finely worked watch straps made from the hides of goatskin, calfskin, buffalo skin, ostrich skin, alligator and leather. From 1928 to 1978 Hermès created pocket watches, wristwatches and table clocks in partnership with the most prestigious Swiss watch manufacturers.
In 1978 Hermès established itself as a true watchmaking company when it founded in Bienne, Switzerland, the ateliers of La Montre Hermès where the company assembles it watches, and bracelets in exotic skins, and produces special orders. Defenders of their ancestral know-how linked to leatherwork, the artisans at Hermès continue to create unique timepieces following the tradition of the Hermès table clock “Plein cuir” (full leather).
“Hermès originated making harnesses for horses,” says Philippe Delhotal, Director of Style and Creation. “This is why we decided to present a piece of our traditional métier to Only Watch. The piece we have made for Only Watch – a Full Leather table clock – is made by hand and represents the most beautiful Hermès métier – leatherwork. It is a table clock based on one in our archives from the 1930s which we have given a new life and dressed it in a special leather for the occasion.”
An expression of the know-how of the brand, this table clock pays homage to the universe of the saddler by its style and use of full leather – the result of carefully superimposing several layers of skillfully prepared skins.
The clock has the characteristic pure lines of the 1930s – today revisited but conserving the details which first gave it its personality – leather dial, anthracite metal indexes and hands, and manual winding key in the shape of a Hermès “H”.
Singular, not ostentatious, discreet and at the same time elegant – there is no one but Hermès who could make such a clock and probably no one but Hermès has the legitimacy to do so.
Leatherwork is the first métier of the House – so they decided that in their gift to Only Watch they particularly wanted to demonstrate the know-how of the brand which is initially based around the métiers of leather and leatherwork and by the use of which they can give a unique dimension to any object they create.
Its movement is planted at the heart of the clock surrounded totally by 12 layers of leather – a bright red alligator skin covers the dial and the back – the patient work of traditional “haute couture” completely done by hand. The stitching all around the dial is in natural white linen thread – a sign of true leather craftsmanship.
“This full leather table clock,” says Delhotal, “is an object that we have recreated in a different leather and different texture from the one in our archives.”
The product is made by the artisans in the Hermès ateliers in Bienne. “This is why,” says Delhotal, “it is important for us to share with you our pride in our know-how. In this object, which is a little bit different to traditional timepieces, we display all our craftsmanship. It is quite complicated to make because the layers are built up progressively around the mechanical eight-day movement at its center.”
The layers of leather are terminated by a layer in alligator skin, finished in the colors of Hermès, and with bevelled indexes in black nickel to give it even more character and reflect the light. On the one index is discreetly engraved “Only Watch”. It will be delivered in a Hermès red lacquered traveling case which carries a small plaque: “Only Watch 2009”.
This clock is an object which is simple, elegant and singular. It clearly displays the passion, expertise and experience of the brand. Hermès is in a métier that creates beautiful objects, and this is a truly beautiful object, made for the pleasure of giving and, for Hermès, for the pleasure of having the opportunity to make such a beautiful object.
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Technical specifications
The Unique Hermès Only Watch 09
Hermès Full Leather table clock
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Movement | Mechanical 8-day manual winding movement |
| Caliber 51 | |
| 42 mm diameter (19 lines) | |
| 96 mm thick | |
| 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz) | |
| 8-day power reserve | |
| 95 elements, 15 rubies | |
| Dial | Hermès leather in bright red alligator |
| Finished “piqué sellier” stitching | |
| Indexes and hands in anthracite metal (black nickel). | |
| Case | Rectangular, in steel and Hermès leather |
| 175 mm high | |
| 150 mm wide | |
| 37 mm thick | |
| 12 layers of leather |
For more information contact:
Ita McCobb
Patrizzi & Co Auctioneers SA
Tel +41 22 318 28 38
e-mail i.mccobb@patrizziauction.com
Audrey Baylac
Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies / Monaco Yacht Show
Tel +377 93 10 41 70
e-mail audrey@monacoyachtshow.mc