At Hermès, classical Métiers d’art techniques like enameling, marquetry, and miniature painting co-exist with novel use of wire ball bonding, once invented for the electronics industry – whatever it takes to get the job done.
How do you know what artisanal technique to use?
When it comes to Métiers d’art, the choice of technique(s) is a key element, and it has to be well thought through from the beginning if we want to faithfully transpose the same story onto a watch dial.
While creating our Métiers d'art collections, we have two ways of proceeding: either we start with a design that we particularly like and we choose the technique that will best pay tribute to it, or it is the other way around. Then it’s the technique that will be our starting point and that will decide which design will be produced. I naturally choose the techniques when seeing the design for the first time. The selection of crafts echoes the composition of the drawing, like in painting.
The choice of techniques to use depends on the story we want to transpose onto our dials, and the interplay of materials, colors, volumes and reliefs we want to create.
Once the design has been selected, I choose the most appropriate technique to bring it to life on the dial, to tell the exact same story and convey the right emotions to the person admiring it.
What are the limitations with artisanal watchmaking techniques when “translating” a motif from pen and paper to a watch dial?
Possibilities are infinite with Métiers d’art; we also look for new crafts which didn’t exist before in the watchmaking world. The most important thing to me is that we find the best technique to better express a drawing, to pay tribute to its story.
New technologies sometimes bring beautiful aesthetic solutions and new ways of designing. I think there must be a good balance between the human act and the help of the machine. I'm thinking here, for example, of the Slim d’Hermès Cheval Ikat that we introduced some years ago, which uses an abstract striated motif. No traditional craft technique could do justice to this design, so we did research and found a partner with a workshop that had developed a completely new technique: wire ball bonding. This technique involves soldering gold wires to the surface, like embroidery, to create a pattern in relief, with spaces of transparency and density. Originally created for electronic production, this technique has been twisted and given a strong artistic flair to become a genuine artistic technique. This particular technique would not have been possible without the help of what was originally an industrial machine.
How do you know which materials to use?
Very often the drawing will suggest the technique we will use. If we take the example of a very detailed motif, then we will naturally resort to miniature painting, or miniature enamel. When the motif presents flat tints, then I will opt for marquetry crafts. We exclusively use the best material and the best craftsmanship to create those masterpieces.
What was the biggest challenge with the Neo Brandebourgs jacket motif and how did you overcome it?
Using mixed techniques and having craftsmen collaborating on one single dial is a challenge to not damage the work that has been made by the others. Another challenge arises right from the start of the design process, when it comes to miniaturizing the motif – sometimes we can reproduce the whole motif, sometimes we have to select a scene and create a close-up while keeping the same energy, the same essence from the pattern to the dial. Finally, the selection of the right colors is key to have a harmonious, lively design.
What kind of clients are interested in the more playful motifs like the horse sticking out its tongue or – in my view – the somewhat cartoonistic interpretation of the jacket in Neo Brandebourgs?
We often say at Hermès that we do things seriously, but without taking ourselves too seriously. I believe people interested in our Métiers d’art also appreciate the precision and expertise behind our timepieces, as well as this light tone of voice and a bit of humor.
What drives you to pioneer this genre of watches?
Hermès is a house of craftsmanship and creation. We are fortunate to have rich heritage, a lot of designs and patterns, new collections of silk scarves every year, and this is undeniably a great source of inspiration for developing our timepieces, especially our exceptional pieces. My goal is to always keep that freshness and fancifulness in our creations, to cultivate singularity, to push boundaries and to make the designs come alive. At Hermès, time is seen as a friend, not a constraint. It’s a luxury. It is something fun, emotional. I believe this is a solid base of our creativity.
