Tag: Hermes

FASHION/STYLE
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10 Killer Ways to Wear a Steel Watch

by Stephen Watson

Being well-dressed starts with a great watch.

And when it comes to sartorial versatility, nothing beats a fine timepiece inside a steel case. It can take you anywhere and everywhere. This year, reassess your wardrobe by eliminating the unnecessary and paring down to the essential. Here are a few ideas…

The Look: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 39 ($5,700); rolex.com + A.P.C. Serge Shirt ($220) + A.P.C. New Standard Jeans ($220); apc-us.com

The Look: Hermès Slim d’Hermes ($7,650) + Hermès Jacquard Turtleneck, ($1,625); hermes.com

The Look: Breguet Type XXI Chronograph Ref. 3817 ($13,900); breguet.com + Todd Snyder Striped Brushed Wool Sweater ($298) + Todd Snyder Unconstructed Sport Coat ($598); toddsnyder.com

The Look: Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date ($14,900); glashuette-original.com + Berluti Unlined Supple Wool Double Breasted Jacket, ($3,700) + Berluti Classic Wool Trouser ($1,010); berluti.com

The Look: Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A ($24,836); patek.com + Officine Generale Paul Wool Pants ($370) + Officine Generale Benoit Italian Poplin Shirt ($225) + Officine Generale Cashmere V Neck Sweater ($475); officinegenerale.com

The Look: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 ($4,500); tagheuer.com + Ralph Lauren Cashmere Tickweave 3-Piece Suit ($9,995) + Ralph Lauren Purple Label Tailored End-on-End Shirt ($350); ralphlauren.com

The Look: Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph ($5,050); tudorwatch.com + Louis Vuitton Double Face Jacket ($2,530) + Louis Vuitton Pique Crew Neck, ($920); louisvuitton.com

The Look: NOMOS Tangente Neomatic 39 Silvercut ($3,880); nomos-glashuette.com + A.P.C. New Standard Jean ($220); apc-us.com + Helmut Lang Vintage Jean Jacket ($420); similar at farfetch.com

The Look: Girard Perregaux Laureato 42 MM ($11,000); girard-perregaux.com + Brunello Cucinelli Crew Neck Sweater ($2,100) + Brunello Cucinelli Casual Trouser ($875) + Brunello Cucinelli Travel Bag ($4,895); brunellocucinelli.com

The Look: Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic True Second ($10,500); jaeger-lecoultre.com + Todd Snyder Striped Brushed Wool Sweater ($298); toddsnyder.com + Levi’s 501 Original Fit Jean ($60); levi.com

Photographs by Max Gaskins. Styling by Justin Arroyo.

FASHION/STORIES/STYLE
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Match Game: Boutique Watches + High Fashion

by Stephen Watson

Independent watchmakers have a lot in common with today’s top designers.

They’re fearless risk takers, pushing boundaries with new shapes, innovative technologies, and high-tech materials. Preserving that independence allows for true individuality, giving watchmakers the ability to carve out unique identities and, in turn, enabling their products to stand out from the crowd. While many of these watchmaking marvels can stand alone by virtue of their complications and technical prowess, they are nonetheless meant to be worn. Sure, the watch you choose might be the rarest, the most complex, the most unusual. But if it doesn’t pair with your favorite outfit—game over.

Here, we’ve taken some recent standouts spotted at the Carré des Horlogers, the independent wing at the SIHH 2018 watch fair, and paired them up with groundbreaking trends from the spring/summer 2018 menswear collections. Result? The edgiest style inspiration you’ll need this year.

Valentino
+
H. Moser

Venturer Concept Blue Lagoon; h-moser.com

Hermès
+
HYT

h0 GOLD; hytwatches.com

Tom Ford
+
Ferdinand Berthoud

Chronométre FB 1R. 6-1; ferdinandberthoud.ch

Bottega Veneta
+
URWERK

UR210 Royal Hawk; urwerk.com

Brunello Cucinelli
+
Laurent Ferrier

Galet Annual Calendar School Piece; laurentferrier.ch

Comme des Garçons
+
Hautlence

Invictus Neon Yellow; hautlence.com
PROFILES/STYLE
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Three Questions: Marc Berthier

by Stephen Watson

The famed architect (and watch designer) sounds off about Hermès timepieces, the evolution of inclusive luxury, and why he’s “never belonged” in the world of design…

You designed the Hermès Carré H eight years ago, then redesigned the dial for a special re-release this year. When you conceptualize a new timepiece, do you have an idea of what you want, or do you start from scratch?

The initial brief [in 2010] was very open. It was by Jean-Louis Dumas, the former CEO of Hermès, who since passed away. He was just like, “What would an Hermès mens watch be for you?” The idea of the square wasn’t even there. It was supposed to be a chronograph.

I’d never done a watch before, only architecture. I told Jean-Louis Dumas, “I think that when it comes to a men’s watch, it’s always an incarnation of your hero, like an actor or sports star.”

To me, the hero for Hermès would be someone who inspired you to do new things, this kind of character, like an explorer. We started trying to define this person. It felt like a mission. We used to joke about Saving Private Ryan. Like we have to save Hermès by finding the identity of this watch.

So who’s idea was it to revisit the Carré H?

I started to have discussions with [Hermès artistic director] Pierre-Alexis Dumas, the son of Jean-Louis. We had a conversation about bringing back this watch, making it more consensual. The first one was maybe, at least in the shape, a little bit edgy. This one is more easy to approach, more seductive, and in 2015 we began work on it.

When you renew a model, the first solution is to follow the trends. I was really interested in looking at it [in terms of] evolution, an evolution of the world and society in the wider sense, which brings us back to the explorer. The world is getting more and more diverse; people are traveling, exchanging. I experienced this through my architectural office and my own creation, but also through my family. I come from a long line of “perfectly French” people … I now have a grandson who is mixed race.

The new Carré H watch; like the original, it was designed by Berthier. (Photo: Carl Kleiner)

The first [Carré] was for a small group of initiated people. The second incarnation … it’s a wider expression for people connecting to it. It’s [still] this man who travels, who is curious, who will cross cultures, but [now] he doesn’t have to be from such a small group.

As an architect, do you ever have the desire to go back and change a building?

This has happened to me, yes. I was in charge of the architecture for Galeries Lafayette [department stores], the French equivalent of Saks Fifth Avenue. To go back and move an escalator, just to move these mechanical stairs, was more complicated than being at war. I’m a very technical architect and very passionate about [protecting history], but at the same time [open to change], due to my career path, because I went from architecture into design. Especially in France, we’re like, “You’re a doctor, and you’re going to be a doctor. You did this kind of study, and you’re going to follow it.”

The fact that I switched, I never belonged completely. So when I’m with technical people, they consider me a poet, because I have this designer side. And when I’m on the side of the designer, I’m also not enough, because I’m an architect. It’s like I passed from one world to the other my entire life.

INTELLIGENCE/STYLE
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Watch Cases

by Watch Journal Staff

You’ve built up your watch collection, so now where to keep them? Deluxe cases designed to hold your prized possessions while home and away, each as beautiful as the watches themselves. Steamer trunks get resized, suitcases get modified. There are even luxe leather rolls that can get tossed right into your carry-on luggage. The bottom of the drawer will no longer suffice.  

PHOTO: Courtesy Asprey

Doing double duty as a watch winder, the English Saddle Leather watch box from Asprey not only stores six of your watches, but keeps them wound and well protected with a soft suede lining. Perfect for the top of the dresser, the glass lid lets you quickly scan your collection, making your daily grab-and-go easier than ever.

Asprey Six Watch Winder Box, English Saddle Leather, $9,650; asprey.com

PHOTO: Courtesy Globe-Trotter

A special-edition travel case from Globe-Trotter, the Deco draws  inspiration from the heady days of 1930s train travel—specifically, the glamour of the Orient Express. It’s available in navy, burgundy, and a “centenary” gray made for the brand’s 100th anniversary.

Globe-Trotter Deco Watch Case, $2,000; globe-trotter.com

PHOTO: Courtesy Louis Vuitton

The classic Louis Vuitton monogram steamer trunk gets adapted to the ideal size for holding as many as eight watches. Gleaming brass details contrast with the natural cowhide, for a miniature representation of iconic the golden age of Vuitton travel.

Louis Vuitton 8 Watch Case, $6,200; louisvuitton.com

PHOTO: Courtesy Smythson

Legend has it that Fred Smythson designed the first portable travel diary in 1908. The same style of crosshatched leather used on that book’s cover has now been adapted for a line of handsome travel accessories, featuring cases for everything from eyeglasses, currency, trinkets, and, of course, watches.

Smythson Panama Travel Watch Roll, $550; smythson.com

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

Swift calfskin top, bosse velvet goatskin inside, and beautiful silver hardware: The anthracite sycamore Hermès Lift holds up to six timepieces. And with a box so lavish, it’d better be a knockout assortment.

Hermès Lift 6 Watch Box, $6,750; hermes.com

PHOTO: Courtesy T.Anthony

An Upper East Side institution, New York’s T.Anthony hs created luggage for the likes of John Lennon and the Duke of Windsor. Now its made a useful watch roll for modern-day travel. Simply strap in two or three watches, roll it up, toss in your carry-on, and off you go.

T.Anthony Black Leather Watch Roll, $195; tanthony.com

EVENTS/STORIES
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Stage Craft – Hermès joins SIHH

by Max Prince

How the high-fashion brand Hermès stole this year’s first show in Geneva.

At Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, the watches are only part of the celebration. There’s the people, the vibe, the scenery—and, of course, the displays. Watch companies go bonkers at the annual trade show, wheeling in ornate props and jumbo signage, effectively staging grandiose pop-ups inside Palexpo Center in Geneva. Hermès, which made its SIHH debut this year, has clearly been taking notes. The brand didn’t just show up. It made a scene. Literally.

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

Credit goes to RDAI, the Paris-based architecture studio that created a custom atrium for Hermès at the show. Also to Levi van Veluw, the award-winning Dutch artist who designed the installations inside. Van Veluw, 33, is known for his layered wood carvings, intricate and geometric compositions that often incorporate beads and filigree and colorfully painted elements. He previously collaborated with Hermès on a series of acclaimed window displays, installed at boutiques in Shanghai and New York, in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

But working within the confines of a trade event, and RDAI’s atrium, meant rethinking the approach yet again—something that became apparent to van Veluw during the early sketching phase and that informed the final product.

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

“I discovered the idea of making a fragmented sculpture through the limitations of drawing a perfect cube, which eventually became part of the [SIHH] installation’s overall concept,” van Veluw says. “The shapes are still symmetrical, but the way they form the overall sculpture is totally random and asymmetrical. It has something playful to it that naturally occurs when making a drawing.”

The resulting chamber-like centerpiece, called “The Alchemist,” was a standout at Palexpo. It featured a blocky, canary-colored exterior, with an explosion of blue-lacquered wood flotsam inside.

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

“It highlights the paradox of something complex that looks easy,” van Veluw says. “The inside is not a watchmaker’s atelier. It is instead chaos. Watchmaking gives the image of an industry that seeks perfection, where everything is always clean-cut. But I believe that no great idea, no strong innovation, arises from perfection. I instead think that chaos is key. And chaos is what I wanted to express inside. Like the mind of the watchmaker, full of ideas.”

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

SIHH showgoers were invited to step into the chamber, the bottom of which was transparent; you were actually stepping onto glass placed above the floor, giving the impression of floating. The new Hermès Carré H wristwatches were displayed in various stages of assembly.

“I put them in the center, as if they were the beating heart of the mechanism,” says Van Veluw. “Your gaze is drawn toward the watches thanks to the use of fascinating shapes like spirals.”

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

Nine original van Veluw window displays surrounded “The Alchemist,” rounding out the French fashion house’s watershed exhibition area.

“I wanted [the display] to be in harmony with the pavilion’s architecture, so it would not be aggressive” he explains. “I prefer people to be drawn by my art, rather than driven away by something impressive and arrogant.”

PHOTO: Courtesy Hermès

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