First Look: The New, Unisex Hermès Cut Collection (incl. Video)

As many of our readers might know, Hermès is positioning itself as a watchmaking heavyweight, ranking close to the top ten Swiss watch brands. With sales booming for iconic designs like the Cape Cod, the Arceau, the Slim d’Hermès and the more recent H08 collection, Hermès watches flaunt unique designs coupled with a poetic temperament that sets them apart from the crowd. A new collection, the Hermès Cut, is being launched in 2024 with an enigmatic juxtaposition of shapes characteristic of the Maison. Four 36mm unisex stainless steel or steel-and-gold models comprise the debut of the Hermès Cut fitted with sporty interchangeable bracelets and straps.

When Hermès entered the watchmaking arena in 1978, Jean-Louis Dumas was determined to translate the excellent quality associated with the brand’s leather goods into the world of watchmaking. Being able to leverage top Swiss watchmakers was a must, and in 2006, Hermès acquired a 25% stake in Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Since then, Hermès has united a leather workshop and historical houses like Natéber for its dials and Joseph Erard for its cases under one roof in Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger in Le Noimont. Today, Hermès is a fully-fledged Swiss watch manufacturer blessed with the brand’s incredibly poetic designs.

The new Hermès Cut plays, like all Hermès watches, with shapes, proportions, and volume. While at first, it might seem like a rotund, round stainless steel case with a thick round bezel, looking at the watch again reveals the hand of the designer. While the bezel is most definitely round and circular brushed to emphasise its shape, the case middle is closer to a tonneau shape, albeit with very rounded corners that dissimulate any suggestion of a straight line. Another curiosity is the position of the crown, nestled into the case middle at 1:30, which is no doubt an aesthetic decision to maintain the fluid, rounded silhouette of the case.

Described by the brand as a “circle with a round shape,” the round case middle has two flat elongated elliptical areas on either side that temper the roundness and give it a more barrel-shaped profile. In contrast to the profusion of brushed surfaces, the sides of the bezel and the crown are polished.

Sharing a 36mm diameter and 100m water-resistant cases, the new Hermès Cut is available in four variants: a stainless steel model, a steel model with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel and a two-tone steel-and-rose gold model with a rose gold bezel, crown and central bracelet links, and finally another two-tone model this time with 56 brilliant-cut diamonds set in the bezel. Positioned at 1:30 and embedded quite deeply into the case middle, the crown is decorated with an orange lacquered ‘H’; in the case of the two-tone steel and rose gold model, the gold crown is engraved with an ‘H’.

The steel bracelet, or two-tone steel-and-gold bracelet, is seamlessly integrated and composed of supple links with a rounded profile. Like the case, it is decorated with satin-brushed and polished surfaces. Fully interchangeable, the bracelets can be swapped for one of the eight rubber strap colours: white, orange, gris perle (pearl grey), gris étain (tin grey), glycine (Wisteria), vert criquet (cricket green), bleu jean (denim blue), or capucine (Indian cress red).

All four models have an opaline silver-toned dial and applied luminous Arabic numerals. As a brand that prizes design, a lot of thought has gone into the original font used for the luminescent Arabic numerals. Similar to the numerals used on the H08, they are nevertheless different to distinguish this new collection. A snailed minutes track in the centre of the dial echoes the round-shaped case and is punctuated with orange circles and black markings. The rounded baton hour and partially skeletonised minute hands are also treated with luminous material, while the central seconds hand has a bright orange counterweight close to its tip. Orange is, after all, a signature Hermès colour.

The Hermès Cut is powered by the H1912 calibre made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier (also used in Arceau and Carré H). An automatic movement with a frequency of 28,800vph, the calibre delivers a 50h power reserve. The mainplate is decorated with circular graining and sailing, while the bridges and rotor feature a sprinkling of ‘H’ motifs.

Prices for the Hermès Cut collection start at EUR 5,400 (steel, no diamonds) and up to EUR 17,600 for the two-tone version with a diamond-set bezel. For more information, please consult hermes.com.