What role does digital play in the buying journey for Hermes watches?
The Hermes boutique remains at the heart of the buying experience. Digital is really the window into the maison’s universe, but it’s rarely where the journey ends. Collectors today do a great deal of research online before stepping into a boutique. They want to understand the watch, compare models and learn about the technical details. But ultimately, for an object of this calibre, they need to experience it in the flesh – to appreciate the finishing, examine the dial up close and, most importantly, see how it sits on the wrist. Digital is an important part of the omnichannel journey, but it complements rather than replaces the boutique experience.
The Hermes H08 continues to evolve. What role does it play in the maison’s watchmaking portfolio?
Launched five years ago, the Hermes H08 has become our flagship mechanical collection. We’ve invested heavily in it because we see it as a pillar of Hermes watchmaking for many years to come. When you launch a new timepiece, you never know whether it’ll resonate with collectors. Fortunately, the watch found its audience. Now the challenge is to broaden the collection through new materials, complications and different expressions of the design.
It’s also brought a different customer to Hermes. Compared with our more classical collections, it appeals to a less traditional audience, which has allowed us to expand our reach without losing our identity.
Is the Hermes H08 Squelette your favourite watch of the year? You’re wearing one today.
Yes, it is. It strikes the right balance between technical achievement, skeletonisation, functionality and robustness. It’s a sports watch, so it has to withstand everyday knocks and shocks. That’s why we subjected the movement to stress tests simulating intensive daily sporting use, equivalent to 10 years of continuous wear.
It’s not a race towards transparency or openness. It’s really about balancing transparency, durability and design. Philippe [Delhotal], Hermes Horloger’s creative director, wanted to evoke an urban landscape – a metallic scaffolding of sorts – and that’s reflected in the movement’s architecture. We’re especially proud because this is the first time we’re unveiling our latest-generation Hermes movement, made by Vaucher Manufacture, in a titanium case and skeletonised execution. It’s a milestone for us.
Younger collectors increasingly see watches as a form of self-expression rather than a status symbols. Does this play to the strengths of a design-led house like Hermes?
Collectors today fall into two camps. Some look for the reassurance of established watchmaking maisons, while others are drawn to niche brands or up-and-coming independent houses with a distinctive point of view and strong sense of originality. Hermes belongs to the latter. We offer something different and singular through our designs, colours, complications and philosophy. I believe that more collectors will come to see Hermes as a genuinely original voice in watchmaking.
For us, education is key. Many collectors are knowledgeable about fine watchmaking, but they don’t yet know what Hermes has been creating over the years. Our ambition isn’t necessarily to become the industry’s leader, but to establish Hermes as one of the brands serious collectors naturally consider. The more innovative and exciting the watch industry becomes, the better it is for everyone. Healthy competition keeps mechanical watchmaking relevant and encourages us all to keep pushing further.
The greatest validation comes from meeting collectors around the world. I experienced this when I met members of a local watch club on my last visit to Singapore. They all told me the same thing: “We had no idea Hermes had been doing this for the past 15 years. What you’re creating is technically impressive, aesthetically original and unlike anything else.”
Not everyone will become customers immediately, but they’ll leave looking at Hermes in a different light. Some will eventually buy a watch, or even several over time, but simply hearing, “Well done!” is an encouraging sign that we’re becoming part of the conversation.