Simply Abu Dhabi XXVII

9 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I F ounded in 1837 to produce high quality leather goods, Hermès has evolved into a leader in the global luxury market. The company has multiple successful métiers, or product divisions, not least of which is LaMontre Hermès – the watchmaking métier, which has become a much-respected luxury innovator in the watch industry. Hermès watch sector sales soared way over € 150 million in 2016, thanks in part to appealing classics like the Heure H. Now a mature 21 years old, this signature piece was created by designer PhilippeMouquet, and encapsulating time in the Hermès has retained a sense of contemporary style and saviour faire. This new iteration has eight different coloured interchangeable straps to capture any mood or emotion for the wearer: black Barénia, white grained, Maltese blue, smooth capucine, smooth orange, lime and denim blue, and electric blue calfskin. These are available in two versions: the Simple Tour (once round) and the Double Tour (twice-round) – a Hermès emblem invented by Martin Margiela. The white version is a stone-cold piece of measured sophistication with a lacquered dial and charcoal grey transferred Arabic numerals. The lacquered Heure H is available in two sizes: medium and small. The cases, dials and straps are finely crafted down to their finest details in the Hermès watchmaking workshops at the manufactory in Bienne, Switzerland. They are objects shaped by artisans to make them true companions for those who wear them. For Hermès, time is also an object, and in their own words they say, “Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for recreation. Daring to capture time, to play with it. This is what is made possible by the Heure H, whose earnest reliability and creative charm multiply endlessly to construct an intensely personal time.” H e r m è s H e u r e H