The New Hermès Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider

Hermès has a talent for infusing a light-hearted and contemporary touch into its beautifully crafted luxury products. As a brand that started life as a purveyor of the finest quality saddles and harnesses in Paris in the mid-19^th century, equestrian motifs abound at Hermès. The latest Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider watch features a champlevé enamel cover depicting the figure of the Mysterious Rider created by Dutch illustrator and comic book artist Viktor Hachmang for an Hermès scarf. While the equestrian motif might not be as evident as in other editions, motorbikes are sometimes called steel horses. The pocket watch shares the elegant lines of Philippe Delhotal’s Slim d’Hermès case and is powered by an ultra-slim micro-rotor movement.

Once again, Hermès borrows a design initially destined for one of its famous Carré Hermès silk scarves and translates it into the miniature realm of watchmaking employing different métiers d’art. We’ve seen several examples of this crossover from scarf to dial with the Arceau Mon Premier Galop, the delightfully festive dials of the Arceau Costume de Fête, and the contemporary comic book heroine on horseback dial taken from Ugo Bienvenu’s Wow scarf.

Last year, Hermès released a Slim d’Hermès pocket watch decorated with horsehair marquetry inspired by Thai designer Terawat Teankaprasith’s Masan & Masan silk scarf. The new Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider adopts Viktor Hachmang’s unique graphics that combine Japanese art with comic-book pop culture.

The cover is brought to life with champlevé enamel. This demanding métier d’art involves carving small cells into the metal, filling them with coloured glass powders mixed with natural oils and firing them several times in a kiln at over 800ºC to fix the pigments. Using a palette of red, white, and blue enamel, a helmet hides the biker’s face and head as he holds the handlebars of a futuristic motorbike. Naturally, he is wearing an Hermès scarf with touches of red to match his riding gear and helmet. Geometric patterns in a steel grey colour are used for the motorbike and the stone façade in the background, which is the storefront of Hermès’ flagship boutique in Paris on 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

Opening the protective cover reveals the refined white enamel dial with hand-painted red numerals and hour markers. French graphic designer Philippe Apeloig created the typeface used for the numerals and inscriptions on the dial, giving this pocket watch a unique, contemporary and highly refined look.

Hermès creative director Philippe Delhotal’s design for the Slim d’Hermès watch is now considered a contemporary classic. The sleek lines of the Slim d’Hermès are expanded to accommodate the 45mm pocket watch, which has a thickness of 11.6mm and the crown at noon. Crafted in 18k white gold, the case features stirrup-shaped lugs over the crown to attach the Hermès Rouge H (red) alligator cord.

Powered by the ultra-thin automatic calibre H1950, designed and manufactured by Vaucher, the movement has a thickness of just 2.6mm and relies on a micro-rotor. Beating at 21,600vph, the calibre can store 42 hours of power reserve. The bridges and rotor are decorated with an Hermès “H” pattern, and the movement can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback

The Slim d’Hermès Pocket Mysterious Rider is a limited edition of three pieces and comes in a matte Rouge H alligator pouch. Price is upon request. For more information, please consult hermes.com.