Slim d’Hermès L’heure impatiente
CASE : 750 5N pink gold, glareproofed sapphire crystal and back, water-resistant to 30m
DIAMETER : 40.5mm
MOVEMENT : mechanical self-winding (Hermès H1912, 50-hour power reserve), 193 components, with “Impatient Hour” module (131 components), platinum and bridges circular-grained, snailed and adorned with a Côtes de Genève motif, bridges and oscillating weight satin-brushed and decorated with a sprinkling of Hs
FUNCTIONS : hours, minutes, programmable 60-minute countdown
DIAL : opaline silvertoned, sunburst chapter ring, snailed center and subdial, gilt 4N sandblasted or blue lacquered baton-type hands
STRAP : Abyss blue matt alligator leather with pink gold pin buckle
After Arceau Le temps suspendu and Dressage L’heure masquée, the Hermès watchmaking philosophy can be meditated upon through its Slim collection and its new L’heure impatiente model. Dreamed up five years ago by Artistic Director Philippe Delhotal and powered by a movement from faithful partner company Agenhor, this original complication once again illustrates the fanciful and free spirit driving the inimitable Parisian Maison. As La Montre Hermès prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its establishment in Switzerland, the Slim d’Hermès L’heure impatiente enables its wearer to savor the hour preceding an eagerly awaited event. An “emotional crescendo”, as CEO Laurent Dordet describes it. All the wearer need do is set the rotating subdial at 4 o’clock to the keenly anticipated event (within the next 12 hours), and the countdown is automatically activated 60 minutes before, and can be viewed at 7 o’clock. At H-hour (of course), a highly distinctive and sustained note rings out to signal the happy moment. What the owner does not realize is that the tiny component activating the hammer is shaped like Pegasus, featuring a multi-level sculpted decoration including a microscopic musical note. Other parts measuring a handful of millimeters, such as a cam, take the form of a shark or Caspar the ghost, prompting Laurent Dordet to point out that Hermès artisans love to do things seriously while never taking themselves seriously.
