By Dhananjay Pathak
Looking at all the complications that exist in the world of horology, it would be fair to say that only a few of them make the cut as far as practicality and utility are concerned, and the GMT complication is certainly one of them. As you might be aware the GMT function in a watch enables the wearer to keep track of multiple time zones at the same time, making it a nifty feature to have in today’s globally connected world. Surprisingly though, in spite of its usefulness, there is certainly a dearth of GMT watches out there and as a result, it gets us all the more excited whenever we come to know of a forthcoming GMT release. So, on that note let me introduce to you the Slim d’Hermès GMT- an intriguing new ultra-thin GMT offering from the Parisian luxury fashion giant Hermès.
One of the first things that strikes you about the Slim d’Hermès GMT is its finely executed dial. The slate gray dial is an amalgam of multiple finishes and showcases some really thoughtful use of colors. The outer ring has a textured look to it and comprises of Arabic numeral hour markers which have been rendered in a distinctive font. Moving inwards you have a large central area which has a smoother finish, with a slightly different shade of gray and houses the date sub-dial at 6, the GMT sub-dial between 9 and 11 and a day and night indicator between 2 and 3. I really like the way the GMT dial has been done in silver providing a nice contrast against the rest of the dial, making it easily distinguishable and easy to read. It is also interesting to see how Hermes have given their own twist to the GMT complication by providing a unique cluster setting of Arabic numerals to track the second time zone. It might not be the most refined execution, but it surely is fun and innovative and adds to the visual appeal of the watch. The baton style handset looks slick and is an apt choice for this watch, keeping in line with the overall slim profile and the blued GMT hand along with the day/night indicator adds some pop of color to the dial.
The case of the watch is made from Palladium which is a rare and lustrous platinum group metal. Being 39.4mm wide and just 9.48mm thick, this watch should wear comfortably on both smaller as well as larger wrists.
Powering the Slim d’Hermès GMT is the manufacture Hermès H1950 movement which is barely 2.6mm thick and is combined here with a 1.4mm ultra-thin GMT module developed exclusively for Hermès by Agenhor. The Hermès H1950 is a micro-rotor based automatic movement that operates at a frequency of 21600 bph and provides a power reserve of around 42 hours. The crown at 3 can be used to hand wind the movement and the second time zone can be adjusted independently using a dedicated pusher at 10. The movement has been beautifully decorated using the brands H motif throughout on the bridges along with circular graining on the base plate and can be admired in all its glory through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back.
All in all the Slim d’Hermès GMT is a handsome looking watch and what sets it apart is it’s cool and distinctive implementation of the GMT function. The watch would come fitted to a matt graphite alligator strap with contrast blue stitching and would be limited to a production run of 90 pieces. The retail price on this one would be 12000 Euros. For more info, visit Hermès online.
