Hermès’ Cape Cod watch turns 25 years old

Hermès diamond-studded with alligator strap
Hermès diamond-studded with alligator strap

Twenty-five is an age that embodies youth without freezing it in time, and heralds what is to come. It’s also the age of a watch celebrating not so much a birthday, but eternal youthfulness.

 

The Hermès Cape Cod watch handles  its age, its youth, its elegance and its inherently whimsical nature with ease and aplomb.

 

This creation was born from the singular vision of a man who designed a square inside a rectangle.

 

Henri d’Origny achieved it by drawing inspiration from the Chaîne d’ancre link. The watch he imagined—despite his being more used to designing Hermès silk scarves—featured such a self-evident aesthetic that it achieved global renown.

 

Its success was further amplified by Martin Margiela’s novel idea for his very first Hermès runway show in 1998: adding a double-wrap strap that would later be known simply as the “Double Tour.” Sales rocketed, and the Cape Cod watch became an icon, almost a style in its own right.

 

The Cape Cod watch lends itself to all manner of interpretations, notably including several new models in 2016. A new mother-of-pearl dial, a men’s model in a cuff-style wristband, and new interchangeable single and double wrap-around straps.

 

Hermès Cape Cod in lapis
lazuli sapphire-blue alligator

A new white lacquered dial comes with straps distinguished by contrasting burnishing: red for a white calfskin version and white for a red goatskin interpretation. Last but not least, fine stone dials: onyx, used in equal measure by the Art Deco and Bauhaus art movements,  and lapis lazuli,  a perfect match for the Cape Cod.

 

Hermès watches are available at Hermès Greenbelt 3, Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-La Silver Vault,  Resorts World Manila.

Hermès Cape Cod
with black Barenia leather strap

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