Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Design Meets Horology, with the New Hermès H08 Skeleton (incl. Video)
Pulling back the covers on what was already a refreshingly original watch.
When Hermès introduced the H08 back in 2021, it was met with rave reviews for its playful flair. The shapes, the colours, the materials… it all worked together perfectly. The French luxury goods house is known for its sophisticated eye for design, and it showed with the H08. It was refreshing and intriguing, thanks to materials such as titanium, graphene and ceramic mixed with vibrant touches of colour and a uniquely designed font all around. Hermès now returns to its titanium origins, yet with an all-new captivating take on the concept: the Hermès H08 Skeleton.
Hermès didn’t just stop at the H08 and call it a day back in 2021, as it followed with equally captivating iterations that introduced new materials and complications. In 2023, it introduced the H08 Chronograph with a monopusher for its chronograph function, and that same year, it introduced a braided glass-fibre, aluminium and slate powder composite case for the regular H08. This new H08 Skeleton, however, remains a highly modern watch in both materials and design.
The rounded square case measures 39mm in width by 39mm in length, with a height of 11.69mm. The titanium case has a black DLC coating and a black ceramic bezel on top. The inside edge of the bezel, right where it meets the sapphire crystal, is bevelled and polished to create an intriguing play of contrast and reflection. Another sapphire crystal protects the movement around the back, and there’s a notched crown to set the time and wind the movement if needed.
Inside, the hour markers are semi-suspended in free air and made of solid, luminous blocks in blue or grey, retaining the original H08’s distinct font. One step in, there’s a rounded square minutes track with grey transfers. The blacked-out, semi-openworked hands have a luminous insert that matches the numerals. A neat little touch is the seconds hand, which has a triangular top on one end and an outline of the case shape as a counterweight on the other end. It’s elements like these that make the H08 Skeleton such a great watch, much in line with the original.
Hermès has gone the extra mile with the movement, designed as a skeleton calibre from the ground up. The mainplate and bridges of the automatic calibre H1978S, which is made in-house, follow the contours of the case to the letter. It’s not often we see movements that respect the shape of a case, but they always add so much to a watch’s allure and coherence. It’s wound automatically, wound by a central rotor that reflects the cushion-shaped exterior. Crossing the centre of the movement is an X-shaped structure that holds all the running gear.
Beating at a frequency of 28,800vph, the movement can store approximately 60 hours of power reserve in its single barrel. The finishing is decidedly modern, with darkened plates and bridges, grained and brushed textures and so on. Contrast is provided by the steel-coloured gears and levers, livening things up a touch. The single jewel that’s visible from the front sits over the balance staff, and the skeletonised barrel at noon gently cuts into the rim of the mainplate. It’s all very sophisticated, modern, and coherent, and serves as evidence of the Maison’s fine touch and attention to detail.
The Hermès H08 Skeleton comes on a textured rubber strap in a range of colours. The bright blue version comes on a Zanzibar or black rubber strap, while the grey one comes on a Dune, Vert Moyen or Blue Abysse coloured strap. All are fitted with a black DLC-coated titanium folding clasp. It’s added to the permanent collection and retails for EUR 20,000 incl. VAT. The H08 Skeleton continues the refreshing style set in motion by the original H08, yet offers a deeper vision of mechanical watchmaking, with that same unmistakable Hermès touch.
For more information, please visit Hermès.com.
