BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Hermès is a not brand that generally comes to mind when one thinks about watches. That said in the last few years the brand has made quite a mark for itself in the world of horology by producing some intriguing watches such as the Hermès Slim d’Hermès GMT and the magical Arceau L’Heure De La Lune During Watches and Wonder 2021 Hermès has rolled out the H08, a cool new square-shaped everyday sports watch.
One of the most striking aspects of the new H08 is the case. Measuring 39mm * 39mm, the rounded square-shaped case has a cushion-style design to offer presence along with wrist comfort. There are three different variations on offer: two in Titanium and one in Graphene. Both titanium variations feature a stain-brushed bezel with polished chamfers on top, but one is slightly stealthier courtesy of the DLC coated case. The Graphene filled composite case is the most interesting of the three as it makes use of a material that is quite rare. An allotrope of carbon Graphene is ultra-light but also quite strong. To put things into perspective Graphene is around 50 percent stronger than Titanium. Further to the unique choice of material, the bezel on the Graphene case variation is made from ceramic and once again exhibits beautiful brushing and polished bevels. All three cases are water-resistant to a healthy 100 meters.
The dial, like the case, showcases nice attention to detail. The dial is characterized by applied Arabic numerals that feature a unique typeface that has specially designed for the H-08. Presented in grey, the dials on all variations feature a nice textured surface which is complemented by a satin-brushed minutes disc. The graphene version gets a special black gold coating giving it a blackout look. The numerals along with the baton-style hands have been filled with luminous paint to offer low light legibility. Breaking the monochrome color scheme and adding a dash of color is the red arrow tipped second’s hand.
Beating inside the H08 is the Hermès manufacture movement H1837. It operates at a frequency of 4 Hz and offers a power reserve of around 50 hours. The entire movement has been decorated using the brand’s signature ‘H’ motif.
The new Hermès H08 would be available to purchase on a choice of straps or a bracelet. The regular titanium versions would cost between USD 5,500 to USD 6,050 whereas the DLC titanium model would cost USD 5,700. Finally, the Graphene version would retail for USD 8,900.
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