Renowned globally for its unparalleled craftsmanship and iconic designs, Hermès has seamlessly transitioned from its legacy of luxury leather goods to becoming a formidable force in watchmaking. From the intricately designed Arceau to the avant-garde H08 and the sporty Cut, each Hermès watch reflects a blend of aesthetic perfection and technical prowess.
High watchmaking is not an easy industry to penetrate, but Hermès has certainly earned its seat at the table. Its presence at the prestigious Watches and Wonders fair acknowledges its legitimacy.
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In 2023, Hermès watches grew by 23 per cent, earning the family-owned company €611 million (approximately US$663 million). Expanding into haute horlogerie from haute fashion could not have been easy—although Hermès certainly made it look effortless— but we’d say its success all boils down to perspective.
“We are not just a luxury fashion house; Hermès is a house of objects,” states Laurent Dordet, CEO of Hermès Horloger. “We started with functional and beautiful objects inspired by horses and expanded into other categories in the 1920s to accompany clients on their travels. The proximity of the Hermès family with watches existed even then; the maison collaborated with many Swiss watch brands in the past. So, there was always a real attraction to this spectacular object.”
Laurent Dordet, CEO of Hermès Horloger
In 1978, Hermès’ then-chairman Jean-Louis Dumas presciently established a presence in Switzerland at a time when very few other French non-watchmakers were doing so. His ask was two-pronged: Firstly, as Hermès, it was incumbent on the team to maintain the maison’s exacting standards of quality and craftsmanship, which required working with the best possible partners.
Secondly—and Dordet can’t help but smile as he describes this—Dumas told his team, “Please don’t work with watch designers.”
“I believe he meant to say that if we are entering an industry where others have been successful for centuries, there is no point in doing things like them,” Dordet explains. “We need to offer a different kind of creativity—one that is very French, very Parisian, and from a maison with a strong DNA in luxury and craftsmanship. We make objects that are meant to last generations. This is why we’ve always sought to express a creativity that is different from the other players in watchmaking.”
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Hermès Arceau Duc Attelé with a triple axis and a minute repeater
Hermès began its integrated strategy in 2006 by acquiring a 25 per cent stake in movement maker Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. That same year, the company expanded its leather workshop at the La Montre Hermès SA site in Brügg. Over the next several years, it acquired Natéber, known for dials, and Joseph Erard, specialising in cases, which culminated in the establishment of Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger in 2017.
While the Arceau and Cape Cod collections were strong statements of Hermès’ design DNA, it was the H08 that thrust the brand into the mainstream spotlight. Released in 2021, the H08 boasts a cushion-shaped case and a design that balances robustness with elegance, appealing to a younger, more active audience.
While the Arceau family continues to feature elaborate complications and eye-widening métiers d’art—this year’s Duc Attelé and Chorus Stellarum, for example—the maison has parlayed its love for shapes and materials into a completely new collection.
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Hermès H08
Gender-neutral luxury sports watch Cut was unveiled to critical acclaim at this year’s Watches and Wonders. But what made the collection so successful was that it was so immediately recognisable as Hermès. That authenticity is critical for the company’s watch division to address one of its major challenges: visibility.
“The proportion of people identifying Hermès as a watchmaker is still very low, so we have a lot of work to do,” Dordet says. “Our aim is not to be No. 1; if we are in the top 10 of watches to be considered when buying a watch, we would have done a great job.”
Hermès Cut
Dordet is nothing but sanguine about the future, using Hermès silk scarves as an interesting example. “When we started in the silk business, it was 1947, and it was integrated in the ’80s—it took 40 years for us to be recognised as a key player in the silk industry, and today, it seems like we have always done it,” he notes.
“But it took time to develop the know-how, integrate the suppliers, and reinvent the processes. Savoir-faire takes time to develop, and it is the same for our watches. The idea is conviction and long-term investment—it took six years from the time we acquired Vaucher to getting the Temps Suspendu movement on the table. Even today, I consider nothing yet done, nothing yet proven, but this is okay. We are in this for the long run.”
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