Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New Slim d’Hermès Neo Brandebourgs Tourbillon
Fitted with a tourbillon, the Slim d’Hermès flaunts an ornate handcrafted dial depicting a futuristic equestrian jacket inspired by 19th-century military regalia.
Creativity, impeccable artisanship, and a good dose of poetic licence are hallmark traits of Hermès watches. With such a rich repertoire of luxury goods, design features often migrate from one product line to another, as seen in the beautiful, handcrafted dials inspired by the brand’s colourful silk scarves. The latest transversal exchange concerns the decidedly elegant and minimalist Slim d’Hermès collection, fitted for the first time with a tourbillon regulator. A surprising choice, the dial features an unusual subject inspired by a 19th-century military jacket created by Caty Latham in 1972 for an Hermès scarf. Reinterpreted by Japanese designer Daiske Nomura, the new Slim d’Hermès Neo Brandebourgs gives the military jacket a futuristic edge. Engraved by hand and decorated with miniature painting, the 24-piece limited edition comes in luxurious platinum cases.
Caty Latham’s original Brandebourgs silk scarf, inspired by a book on 19th-century uniforms belonging to Émile Hermès, depicted an ornate military jacket with lavish braiding and trimmings (brandebourg refers to the ornamental braiding and frog fastenings used in historical military regalia). The new Neo Brandebourgs respond to the edgy interpretation dreamed up by Japanese designer and illustrator Daiske Nomura. Never straying far from the brand’s equestrian roots, Nomura conceived the jacket as the “armour of tomorrow’s horseman”.
The Slim d’Hermès collection, designed by Hermès creative director Philippe Delhotal with a custom, airy typeface for the numerals, debuted in 2015. Although the numerals have been eliminated in the name of art, the pure, minimalist platinum case is signature Slim d’Hermès with a 39.5mm diameter and a slender profile.
Placed on the dial at 7 o’clock, the cage protecting the tourbillon displays the two intertwined “Hs” that appear on the Hermès store’s lift at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. The richly detailed features of the jacket are hand-engraved and painted. Using a burin, the engraver hollows out areas of the base dial to create the contours and reliefs of the equestrian armour. Using the miniature painting technique, different colours bring the ornamentation to life. Both versions share a grained dark background and a beige-grained base for the jacket. However, one displays a more vibrant palette of neon green and blue, while the second has a slightly more muted combination of browns, light blues, and ochres.
The new Slim d’Hermès Neo Brandebourgs are powered by the thin H1950T automatic micro-rotor movement developed by Vaucher Manufacture in Fleurier (Hermès has a 25% stake in the manufacture since 2006) and equipped with a tourbillon regulator beating at 3Hz. Delivering a power reserve of 48 hours, the view from the sapphire crystal caseback reveals the micro-rotor and bridges decorated with signature Hermès “Hs”.
The two models, limited to 24 pieces each, are paired with luxurious Hermès alligator straps and retail for EUR 130,000. More information at Hermes.com.
