Hermès is happy to credit the designers who create its watches. The Heure H was born in 1996 from the imagination of Philippe Mouquet, one of the Parisian brand’s top designers, who has also created leather goods, jewellery, tie prints and scent bottles. His main focus, however, is watches. The Heure H, his first watch design, was based on the bold idea of making a watch case in the shape of Hermès’ unmistakeable initial letter H. It was a master stroke, a hugely successful move, and helped to make the model a Hermès classic.
In the space of twenty years, the Heure H has appeared in five sizes for men and women: from the Très Petit Modèle measuring 17.2 by 17.2 mm, to the Très Grand Modèle at 32.2 x 32.2, with intermediate models at 21 mm, 26 mm and 30.5 mm. They are all two-handed quartz watches except for the men’s Très Grand Modèle, which has a self-winding mechanical movement with date function. The watches are fitted with single- or double-wrap leather straps or, more rarely, steel bracelets. The diamond-set models feature precious gems around the case and marking the hours on the dial; there is also a version paved entirely with baguette-cut diamonds.
The new Heure H Double Jeu features an innovative use of diamonds. The stones are set either vertically or horizontally on the white or black lacquered 316L models in steel, measuring 21 x 21 mm. The originality of the vertical setting lies in the fact that only the uprights of the H are decorated with diamonds (122 stones totalling around 0.26 ct), while the horizontal bands at the top and bottom of the case are in black or white lacquer. There are just four rounded Arabic numerals on the lacquered dial, in the collection’s signature typeface. They are placed around the edges of a slender rounded square, in the centre of which are the spear-shaped hands. A similar rounded square in steel marks the outer edge of the dial, and the crown is completed with a black or white lacquer insert.
The graphical effect of the horizontally set diamonds is visually arresting, as it divides the watch into two distinct parts. The upper half is completely lacquered, while the lower half is paved with 138 diamonds on the dial and a further 93 on the H-shaped bezel. The visual effect is as if the watch had been dipped into a diamond bath, or perhaps as if it had diamonds poured inside, like water in a glass. The white or black dial dispenses with all time indications.
The Heure H Double Jeu watches are driven by a Swiss Made quartz movement. They come with a leather strap, in either full-grained white calfskin or black Barénia – a high-quality leather made in Alsace from very young animals – with a H-shaped retainer and steel pin buckle. The interchangeable straps are made by Hermès in its workshops in France or Bienne, Switzerland, according to the artisanal leathermaking techniques on which the company has built its reputation.
