There was a palpable sense of ‘wow’ on the Hermès stand at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie last January as the original L’heure de la lune was revealed. The Parisian house’s play on the classical moon phase function was clearly very clever, but it also had a spell-binding aesthetic.
On paper, its headline function was its double moon phase display, which showed the phases of the moon in both the northern and southern hemispheres. But the magic was in how this was achieved.
On the dial, there were two mother-of-pearl moons (the one at 12 o’clock subtly decorated with a prancing Pegasus, sketched by regular Hermès collaborator Dimitri Rybaltchenko).
Hovering above these were two discs (one showing the time, the other the date) that rotated around the dial over a 59-day period (the length of two moon phases) and over the moons, so they appeared to wax and wane.
It looked simple enough, almost as if the mechanics weren’t there, but underneath it was a bespoke module designed by Chronode, the movement specialists whose previous clients include MB&F and Harry Winston. At the GPHG, it scooped the prize for the best calendar and astronomy watch, beating off competition from Audemars Piguet and Ulysse Nardin.
The galactic mood now deepens with the addition of three limited-edition, 43mm pieces, each with a meteorite dial, just announced at this year's Watches & Wonders. Lunar and Black Saharan meteorite versions (£33,400 and £42,000 respectively) in white gold cases will be limited to 36 pieces; and there’ll be just two of the platinum-cased model with a dial made of Martian meteorite (price on request).
Expect a scuffle to ensue: the 200 pieces released last year are long gone, and one or two have since been seen on pre-owned sites going for well above retail.
All of which will be reassuring news to Hermès, which only entered the men’s watch market in 2012. The company’s watchmaking story arcs back into the early part of the 20th century, but its contemporary watch division was established in 1978 with the launch of the first Arceau, designed by the house’s now veteran artistic director Henri d’Origny. Hermes.com
For more information on all the new 2020 releases, together with details of all 30 participating brands, visit watchesandwonders.com
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