Hermès Slim d'Hermès l'Heure Impatiente
Hermès Slim d'Hermès l'Heure Impatiente
2017 GPHG Men's Category Finalist
If the way to the jury's hearts can be found through making them smile, then the charming and chiming party piece of the Hermès Slim d'Hermès l'Heure Impatiente will have no problem doing that.
However, there is no category which is more significant to the participants than the Men's award, so the competition is always acute, and in a group which contains more than one potential outright winner of the Aiguille d'Or, this year perhaps even more so.
In this year's l'Heure Impatiente the focus turns to a little horological joie de vivre thanks to its irresistible title feature, which allows the wearer to schedule a start time, via the subdial, to activate a sixty-minute countdown, indicated by the retrograde minutes pointer, at the end of which a discrete chime rings out to announce the moment's arrival. It's a play on the sensation of anticipation we experience when looking forward to something, and
While Hermès Slim d'Hermès l'Heure Impatiente injects an element of playfulness to the serious business of the 2017 GPHG Men's category award, behind its wonderfully engaging novelty lies an equally serious watchmaking undertaking, and a flair for creative invention which make it special.
Although somewhat tentatively, Hermès have been taking an increasing interest in high end watchmaking over the past number of years, and indeed have already been on the top step of the winner's podium here at the GPHG, picking up the honours in the Calendar category in 2015, thanks to their Slim d'Hermès Quantième Perpétuel. To create l'Heure Impetiente the services of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht's Agenhor specialist horology studios were called in, resulting in a complex yet incredibly wafer thin module to bring the concept to life.
Uniquely among the six preselected finalists, it's a watch which literally commands an interaction with its wearer, and it would require considerable restraint not to be tempted to find some reason to start its sixty-minute countdown in anticipation of the single delicate "ting" at its climax.
The Watch Press prediction
Based on the strength of the competition it will struggle, so no.
The pertinents
REFERENCE: CA4.870.220/MHA
CASE: Pink gold
BRACELET/STRAP: Leather
BUCKLE: Pin buckle
MOVEMENT: Self winding mechanical. Power reserve: 50 h, 28'800 vph
FUNCTIONS: Hours, Minutes
SIZE: ø 40.5 mm
THICKNESS: 10.6 mm
WATERPROOFNESS: 30 m
PRICE EXCL.VAT: CHF 32'400
Returning to the scene of previous glories, Kari Voutilainen and his remarkable 28ISO watch will be a cause for concern for the rival contestants in the 2017 GPHG Men's category. Requiring a degree of cerebral juggling to understand its subtle but unconventional nuances, it's as fascinating as it is beautiful.