Hermès Heure H lady steel, 2010s

Identity

Hermès Heure H, steel, women's size, 2010s. Quartz movement. Iconic H-shaped steel case, 21 × 30 mm, monogrammed H crown. Guilloché silver dial, black Arabic numerals, blued lance hands. Sapphire crystal. Hermès steel link bracelet, signed invisible deployant clasp.

Watchmaking Context

La Montre Hermès was born in 1978 in Bienne, Switzerland: the Parisian house, saddler since 1837, established its watchmaking division there and entrusted Henri d'Origny with its first models. The Heure H appeared in 1996, designed by Philippe Mouquet, and drew its idea from a single letter: the case takes the shape of the H — the initial of Hermès as well as of "heure" (hour) —, which outlines both the bezel and the lugs. Since then, the line has been widely diversified: from the small format to the men's model — the latter with a mechanical movement, second hand, and date —, in steel, gold-plated steel or rose gold, set or not with diamonds. The dials follow the same variety, from sunray guilloché to mother-of-pearl, lacquer, hard stones, or paving, and the watch can be worn on either a steel link bracelet or an interchangeable leather strap — including the double tour designed by Martin Margiela in 1998. The graphic line, however, remains constant.

Personality

Toothed crown housed in the side of the H. The dial is divided by fine axes that extend each numeral towards the center and cut out the hour segments; beneath them, the concentric wave guilloché accentuates the effect of depth. The bracelet, articulated with H-shaped links, remains flexible on the wrist despite its hold.

Watch serviced. Good condition, normal wear and tear. Delivered with the Contre-Temps box and the 24-month Contre-Temps warranty certificate.