LUNAR ARCHITECTURE
With its shadowy, delicately openwork face on which the moon portrays its phases observed from both the northern and southern hemispheres, the Parisian Maison’s new watch reads like an ode to the night.
From the moment its collection was born in 2015, the Slim d’Hermès watch immediately displayed its “artistic-watchmaking” potential, with the many possibilities abounding in its modern lines. A veritable blank canvas on which Hermès’ imagination can express itself, whether in the form of a precious weave or an impatient hour, it now embraces a new complication previously presented in the Arceau line. Its name clearly conveys the very essence of this timepiece: Slim d’Hermès Skeleton Moon, the poetic blend of the architectural art of segmentation and the presentation of the night star’s phases as seen from both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The case, known as GM for “Grand Model”, measures 39.5mm in diameter and features silver materials: case middle and case back with a sandblasted titanium sapphire window for a matte finish, a polished platinum bezel that perfectly reflects the light, and a crown and a single push-button dedicated to setting the moon’s phases in white gold. True to its imaginative creativity, the Parisian label plays with the contrasts between the watch’s pale body and its delicately skeletonized face. The face is tinted black, revealing the metal workings of the movement and the double moon phase, masked by a sort of rounded wolf. On its dark flange, the hour circle discreetly repeats the typography of the Slim numerals. The only touch of color streaking this night sky like two lightning bolts is the pair of ultra-thin PVD-coated baton-type hands displaying the hours and minutes, driven by the extra-thin self-winding caliber H1953.
The Slim d’Hermès Skeleton Moon is worn with a matte anthracite alligator leather wristband with cobalt stitching and a titanium pin buckle.
Price: CHF 19,270 hermes.com
By Sharmila Bertin