Swisswatches team headed to Switzerland to discover the stories, innovations and people behind the Hermès watchmaking division, from the brand’s impressive production site in Le Noirmont to its serene watch assembly and leather workshops at the La Montre Hermès atelier in Brügg. To read our interview with the division’s CEO, Laurent Dordet, please click here.
In 1837, Thierry Hermès opened his first saddlery workshop on the Rue Basses-Perches in Paris, crafting harnesses and bridles for the city’s aristocracy. At a time when luxury was more synonymous with utility than opulence, Hermès quickly recognised that true craftsmanship transcended everyday function. His finely made leather goods were not just practical; they were expressions of refined elegance. As Paris became the centre of European sophistication, Hermès grew into a symbol of impeccable quality and understated luxury, trusted by those who valued substance over show. For years, Hermès maintained its focus on leather, scarves, and later ready-to-wear fashion. Unlike many luxury houses that chased trends, Hermès remained timeless, shaping fashion rather than following it. This included in watchmaking.
The birth of watches
In 1912, Emile Hermès himself invented a porte-oignon leather strap to enable his daughter to wear her pocket watch on the wrist. It wasn’t until 1928, however, that the brand’s journey with watches truly began following the introduction of the Ermeto watch, created with the Swiss company Movado and sold into the Hermès 24 Faubourg flagship store. Yet, as the 20th century unfolded, the house found itself at a crossroads. Watches had always been part of its offering, but they were accessories: fashionable, but not essential to its identity. That all changed in 1978 when Hermès took a bold step, establishing La Montre Hermès in Biel, Switzerland. This move marked a pivotal shift in the brand’s relationship with watchmaking.
Acquisition of Vaucher
Initially, Hermès’ watchmaking efforts were modest. The brand relied on Swiss manufacturers for the technical side while maintaining a distinct Hermès aesthetic. But a significant turning point arrived in 2006 when the brand acquired a 25 percent stake the Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a respected movement maker known for its precision. This wasn’t just an investment; it was the beginning of Hermès’ move to control its own destiny in horology. The maison was no longer just assembling watches: it was designing and crafting the very movements inside them.
Vertical integration
Hermès’ ambitions didn’t stop there. In the years that followed, the company pursued greater vertical integration, acquiring dial manufacturer Nateber in 2012, and Swiss case maker Joseph Erard in 2013. These acquisitions were not about collecting luxury assets, but about creating a system capable of crafting timepieces from start to finish, with each component made to Hermès’ exacting standards. By 2017, this vision took shape in the form of new Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger in Le Noirmont, Switzerland: a state-of-the-art workshop where Swiss precision and Hermès creativity would merge.
It is at this location that the ethos of Hermès watchmaking has truly flourished, and where we headed to find out more. Here, popular timepieces like the Arceau Le temps voyageur and the Hermès H08 push boundaries, blending the house’s signature style with innovative complications. These watches are no longer just fashion statements, but serious horological achievements, signalling that Hermès had arrived as a genuine player in the world of fine watchmaking and collecting. The journey from saddlery to high-end watchmaking has been gradual, deliberate, and carefully measured. Hermès by no means rushed into the world of watchmaking: it eased into it, step by step, with a vision rooted in respect for the brand’s own DNA and a commitment to quality. This, perhaps, is the key to its enduring success: the belief that true luxury is never fleeting. With this in mind, join Swisswatches on an exclusive journey to explore the hidden world of horology behind one of the finest, most revered luxury brands in the world.
Le Noirmont
Hermès’ watchmaking division is anchored by two primary sites: the production site at Le Noirmont and La Montre Hermès in Brügg. Our journey begins at the former, which, in contrast to the more artisanal Brügg, leans towards a larger-scale production facility, playing host to around 150 production workers. However, as we will soon discover, the Hermès watches born here are far from mass produced, with engineers working on everything from refined, emblematic cases to sparkling diamond dials.
Creating a Hermès’ watch dial: A marriage of machines and dexterity
The workshop is alive with the hum of machinery, the heavy stamping of metal tools, and the oil splashing over components. This is no quiet atelier: it’s a thriving production site filled with energy. Amidst whirring of the machines and the clattering of the tools, the process of dial-making process unfolds step by step.
The creation of a Hermès’ watch dial almost always begins with brass. 95 percent of Hermès dials opt for brass as the base material, with gold reserved for a mere five percent of watches produced. Sustainability has already become an integral part of the process, too, with the workshop incorporating recycled brass and steel into its operations, working with partners to ensure that the production process stays as environmentally conscious as possible.
Stamping
The first step involves stamping the primary shape from a solid brass sheet, before opening a tiny central hole to accommodate the hands. Given the tiny size of some of these watches (bear in mind watches such as the Faubourg have diameters of only around 16 mm), precision is paramount; every fraction of a millimetre matters. A slight miscalculation could have calamitous effects further down the production line.
Soldering
Each dial undergoes a soldering process at the opposite station to attach the dial feet. These small supports, usually two or more, are placed into the dial and then soldered in place using an electric current. Measuring around 0.55 mm, these tiny feet are essential, providing both stability during assembly and reference points for proper alignment during the subsequent stages, such as various decorative and technical treatments.
The average Hermès dial undergoes several stages and passes through different departments: CNC machining, polishing, and electroplating treatments – sometimes undergoing six or seven rounds of processing before it is complete. The craftsmanship here, though industrial in scale, remains something of an art at its core.
Smoothing
Smoothing is the first step in perfecting the dial’s surface. When a dial emerges from the cutting process, its surface is uneven and requires a specialised technique to level it. A rotating stone is used to grind away the imperfections, ensuring an even surface that is prepared for further treatment. At this stage, the dial is not yet polished; it has simply been smoothed to remove any inconsistencies. One of the most challenging aspects of this stage for Hermès’ production employees, who operate the machine via hand, is ensuring the correct thickness. Too much material is shaved off, and the dial will not fit properly within the case, while too little will result in a rough finish that undermines the entire piece. Precision at this stage is key – each dial is assessed visually by the craftsmen, assisted by a measuring tool, but whose trained eyes remain the ultimate measure of accuracy. Smoothing, while quick (taking about 90 seconds per dial) demands careful attention. It is a process of refining the dial before it moves on to the next stage: polishing.
Lacquering
Lacquering itself is done one of two ways: either by the human hand or by machine processing, depending on the production requirements. Those done by hand are achieved using a spray guns. Ultimately, the decision to lacquer by hand versus with a machine depends on the required speed, batch size, and level of craftsmanship required. In any case, the dial lacquering is completed here at Le Noirmont, although unfortunately for us, the area is restricted due to strict contamination controls – the threat of dust in particular is truly the lacquering process’ worst enemy.
Polishing
The polishing process itself is a two-stage affair. The first type of polishing prepares the dial for subsequent treatments, while the second stage, mirror polishing, brings out the final shine. The precision required at this stage is incredible, especially when working with more delicate details like diamonds or intricate lacquered finishes. Gems, by the way, are sometimes set externally for the sake of efficiency, before being returned here to the manufacture. Upon their return, a single misstep could dislodge diamonds or mar the lacquer, so the polishing is done with the utmost care. Darker lacquer colours like blue or black are particularly difficult to polish due to their tendency to show every imperfection, making them even more challenging to perfect.
Transferring
The next step in dial production is the transfer process, a technique that involves transferring engraved designs onto the dial. While Hermès’ two main mechanical product lines, Hermès H08 and Hermès Cut, now use appliqué for many of their designs, the transfer method remains a key part of the workshop’s expertise.
Our manufacture guide retrieves a cliché, a metal plate engraved with the motif to be transferred onto the dial. This could be anything from the iconic Cape Cod numerals to the delicate ‘Hermès Paris’ inscription. The cliché is placed into the transferring machine, where varnish is applied to fill the engraved details. Any excess varnish is scraped away with a blade to ensure only the engraved parts are coated.
The dial is now ready to undergo the transfer process, where a silicone stamp is used to lift the design from the cliché and press it onto the dial. The shape, density, and softness of the silicone stamp vary depending on the model, ensuring that each design is applied with the required precision. Since every design element on the dial requires a separate transfer, this process is carried out step by step, and each piece must dry before being placed in a kiln for an hour at 80 degrees Celsius to set the design permanently.
Electroplating: Timing is key
Our attention then shifted to the electroplating area; a crucial stage in the treatment of various components’ surfaces, such as the dial itself, or the frame of a moonphase. Electroplating, which applies a metallic coating to surfaces using an electric current, plays a key role in the creation of Hermès’ high-end timepieces. The process begins with immersing a metal piece in a specialised ‘bath’, where electricity deposits a thin layer of metal, such as gold or silver, onto the surface.
Achieving specific colours adds another layer of complexity to the process. For example, to create the signature blue finish, the piece is first gold-plated. The gold serves as a base layer before undergoing a controlled oxidation process. During this transformation, the piece transitions from copper, to aubergine, before finally reaching the desired deep blue hue. The colour shift occurs in real time within the bath, requiring precise monitoring by the technician to ensure the perfect hue is achieved.
Beyond the blue finish, additional surface treatments enhance the metal’s appearance. The opaline dial, for instance, begins as raw brass and undergoes multiple sandblasting and silvering stages to create a matte yet subtly reflective finish. This meticulous process involves several rounds of blasting and silvering, followed by a final shiny coating, resulting in the smooth, luxurious aesthetic that defines the maison’s opaline dial watches.
Sustainability is also a key consideration in the electroplating process at the manufacture in Le Noirmont. This particular workshop for electroplating operates a closed-loop water recycling system, ensuring that water used in electroplating and surface treatments is filtered and reused.
Index setting
Eventually, the dials are ready to move onto the final stages of assembly. Indices, those critical hour markers that indicate the time, are carefully set onto the heated dial. The dial has pre-drilled holes indicating where each index should go, ensuring that everything is perfectly aligned. These indices are then secured using a machine rather resembling an arcade game.
One particularly complex new model currently being worked on is from the Arceau Le temps voyageur collection, featuring a mother-of-pearl base. The artisan must carefully place the mother-of-pearl layers on the dial, glue the ‘oceans’ into place, before being weighted down to ensure proper adhesion. The mother-of-pearl itself is incredibly thin, measuring just 0.10 mm. Once a layer of varnish is applied to prevent transparency, the thickness increases to 0.15mm. It’s an incredibly delicate process requiring steady hands and careful attention to detail.
The human touch
Despite the cacophony of machines humming throughout the building, there’s a deeply human element to the dials made here at Hermès Horloger in Le Noirmont site. Many of the artisans have spent years honing their skills, and several have been with the company for decades. Querying how long employees have been at the company, the response often comes back: ‘ten years’, ‘15 years’, even ‘30 years’. The expertise gained over this long period is something employees pass down to newer artisans, creating an environment that’s both collaborative and warm. There’s a distinct sense of contentment; something that plenty of manufactures lack.
One artisan who specialises in setting indices has a particularly infectious passion for her work. As she explains, she takes pride in the fact that she has never once experienced the dreaded feeling of Sunday night anxiety before going to work. In her view, the workplace at Hermès is like no other, filled with both technical challenge and camaraderie. Known amongst her colleagues for her speed, precision, and efficiency, she makes quick work of setting the tiny indices, each one placed with absolute care.
Crafting the Hermès moonphase dials: Precision, material, and design
One of the most revered watches since their introduction are the Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune watches, having first appeared at SIHH watch fair back in 2019. At Hermès, the art of creating these distinctive moonphase dials involves a highly specialised process that blends craftsmanship with cutting-edge techniques. The method used to transfer the design onto the dial is precise and complex, once again employing an engraved cliché. This metal plate, coated with varnish, serves as the medium through which the design is transferred to the watch dial via silicone stamping.
One of the standout features is the depiction of Pegasus, the mythical winged horse, positioned on the moon at the noon position. The horse’s wings and legs are subtly shown in mid-motion, a testament to the exceptional detail achieved through this meticulous technique. Again, a metal piece is engraved with the design, varnish is applied, and the design is then transferred using a silicone tool. This process guarantees a high level of accuracy and results in striking dial imagery.
Not your usual manufacture: Working with a meteorite hunter
Among the more extraordinary materials used for these dials is meteorite, sourced through an experienced meteorite hunter based in France. The independent meteorite hunter’s role is pivotal, involving tracking meteorite falls and embarking on expeditions to recover the rocks. Once collected, the meteorites are sent to laboratories for analysis to confirm their origins and composition before being purchased for use in the watches. This adds an element of rarity and uniqueness to each timepiece, as no two meteorite dials are exactly the same.
Interestingly, not all the materials used in the production of the dials come from the same sources. While meteorites are carefully sourced from this specific hunter, other materials such as aventurine and jade are acquired from different suppliers, ensuring a diverse range of materials to choose from. Some dials, like those in the highly technical Le temps voyageur collection, which we’ll take a closer look at later, even feature rotating satellites. These require a particularly intricate manufacturing process, consisting of six distinct steps to ensure the final product meets Hermès’ high standards.
Depicting the moon
A notable feature of the Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune dials is the intentional placement of the full moon at the six o’clock position, as seen from the northern hemisphere. Meanwhile, the Pegasus, depicted at the twelve o’clock position, reflects how the moon is viewed from the southern hemisphere. This thoughtful design choice ensures balance in the overall aesthetic, harmonising the dial’s elements. While the moon designs may appear reminiscent of iconic images from NASA, it’s important to clarify that these depictions are not directly approved by the space agency. Nevertheless, Hermès carefully crafts each dial with accuracy and precision, drawing inspiration from the moon’s ethereal beauty as well as NASA’s own images.
Judging a book by its cover – who can blame you?
More often than not, a watch’s dial is integral to a potential consumer’s decision-making process. While many watch enthusiasts focus primarily on the movement of the watch, the dial remains integral for aesthetes and connoisseurs alike. Much like how the rims of a car can define its overall appearance, a well-designed dial completes the watch, ensuring that it’s both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Philippe Delhotal, the watchmaking department’s Creative Director and thus a key figure in Hermès’ watchmaking process, often highlights the importance of typography on the dial, noting that even a seemingly small characteristic such as a wrongly chosen font can detract from the overall design.
The road to perfection
By now it should be clear: producing a dial at Hermès is no swift process. Even a relatively simple dial takes about a week to complete, though that timeline can stretch considerably for more complex designs. For example, a chronograph dial may spend up to seven days in the transfer process alone before moving on to further treatments. The dials are never rushed; each one is given the time it needs, even leaving the manufacture temporarily before returning for further treatment, in order to reach its ideal state of perfection. That said, it’s worth underlining that 95 to 98 percent of dial production is conducted internally.
By the end of the process, the dial has been smoothed, polished, transferred, lacquered and assembled with the utmost care. What started as a strip of material in a bustling production site is no longer just a piece of metal; it has become a refined and vital component destined shape the identity of a finely crafted luxury Swiss watch.
Case making
For the most part, the case production process at Hermès continues to rely on the work of engineers. This approach allows for greater flexibility and efficiency, as manual work provides the agility to switch seamlessly between different models. Unlike machines, which require setup time, manual production enables a swift adaptation to meet Hermès’ market demands as well as smaller production runs, making the process quicker and more responsive.
Case shaping: Precision under pressure
The case shaping process is both extensive and intricate, comprising a series of approximately 20 steps. Initially, the parts are cut and stamped under immense pressure, with presses capable of exerting up to 125 tons of force, though most production runs operate at around 100 tons. Despite the industrial scale, manual labour indeed remains in focus, as craftsmen carefully oversee each stage: loading the parts, securing them, performing the stamping, and removing the finished pieces.
This meticulous process ensures that each component meets both technical and aesthetic standards. Oil is applied to aid in positioning the pieces before stamping. Following this step, the parts are cleaned and sent to a kiln before undergoing additional rounds of stamping for further refinement. This cycle continues until the parts are ready for the next stages of production.
Unsurprisingly, the complexity of various watches’ designs dictates the overall production time. Simpler case shapes can be completed in approximately a week, while more intricate designs, such as the Arceau model, requires up to two weeks.
Stamping the caseback
Many of the watch manufacture’s models carry the brand’s regal-looking insignia on the back. This is achieved through a stamping process, carefully carried out by an engineer. Indeed, all of the brand’s watches with a quartz movement feature a closed caseback with Hermès’ stamped ex-libris motif. The stamping process is particularly advantageous as it is quicker in terms of timing. However, the metal has to be stamped several times to make sure the details are strictly and faithfully reproduced onto the metal.
High tech CNC machines
The CNC machine operations play a key role in shaping the watch case with exceptional precision. This process involves milling and turning, where cutting tools carefully remove material to create the desired shape. The milling stage carves out intricate details, while turning ensures smooth, flawless surfaces, refining the case to exact specifications. Each step is meticulously controlled to achieve the perfect balance of automation and craftsmanship, laying the foundation for the impeccable finishing that will later define these pieces as a luxury watch.
Polishing the case: Achieving a flawless finish
Once the case parts have been shaped, they can move across to the polishing stage. Here, the goal is to eliminate any visible defects – holes, gaps, or scratches – on the surface of the case components. The first stage of polishing focuses on removing the larger imperfections, preparing the surface for further refinement through preparation for polishing, polishing itself, and buffing. The second stage further refines the surface, while the final stage adds the lustrous finish that gives the case its signature glow. The entire polishing process is carried out by craftsmen skilled in all three stages, ensuring consistency and a high-quality result. The work of polishing, much like the rest of the production process, is about precision. Each step ensures that the case achieves a flawless finish, reflecting the care and expertise that goes into each timepiece.
Don’t forget the strap
An important aspect of the case design worth touching on is strap placement. The Hermès creative team has developed a solution to ensure that its famous leather straps, which we’ll of course take a closer look at, fit seamlessly with the case without overlapping at the top. A small technical feature is incorporated to securely fasten the strap while preserving a sleek, uninterrupted design, adding several extra production steps, but enhancing both the functionality and visual appeal of the final product.
Next stop: Brügg atelier
Assembly: Merging craft and innovation
While touring the assembly line at Le Noirmont, we learn that that the Hermès artisans over at the atelier in Brügg are technically responsible for the full assembly of a watch. Although certain complex movements, such as the perpetual calendar, require specialist expertise (fear not, we’ll take a closer look at this too), the majority of timepieces are assembled by a single artisan from start to finish. The demand for high-end complications remains strong at Hermès, further emphasising the level of craftsmanship involved. We bid farewell to the Le Noirmont manufacture, and make our way to Hermès’ assembly workshop in Brügg.
Inside La Montre Hermès atelier in Brügg
A bit of context
For those who are less well-versed on the topic and would appreciate a reminder, Hermès launched its integration strategy in 2006 by acquiring a 25 percent stake in Vaucher Manufacturer Fleurier, specialising in movements. That same year, a leather workshop was established at the La Montre Hermès S.A. site in Brügg.
Building on this foundation, Hermès Horloger expanded its expertise by acquiring two long-time partners: Natéber (dials) in 2012 and Joseph Erard (cases) in 2013. This led to the official creation of Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger in 2017. Thus, Hermès Horloger operates as a fully integrated watch manufacture, mastering every aspect of production in-house with 100 percent Swiss craftsmanship – except for the Faubourg collection which is produced in France as it requires more jewellery-oriented expertise – while still being able to stay true to the brand’s heritage and authenticity.
Assembly
The Brügg location is a vastly different experience to Le Noirmont: less intense production, more luxury craftsmanship. This is no surprise, as it is here that the ‘Swiss Made’ watches, from their playful and sporty design blueprints created by Philippe Delhotal to their gradual metamorphosis into a ticking watch, are born. The workshop is a hive of activity, with multiple models currently in the process of assembly. Various steps of the assembly are underway, including the delicate fitting of the hands onto the movements.
Assembling a Hermès H08
We take a moment to meet a watchmaker tasked with assembling a Hermès H08. Every task is handled with care, from fitting the hands and casing to testing the functionality of the crown and ensuring the movement runs smoothly. As the assembly process continues, the watchmaker uses cutting-edge tools to guarantee the highest levels of consistency and quality. A standout is the ‘PAViX Intelligent Setting Tool’, a remarkable (piece of technology that aids in the precise fitting of the watch’s hands.
Unsurprisingly, it’s currently only found at absolute top-notch watch manufactures. This tool, linked to a computer, uses specific programs tailored to each movement, taking into account the dial’s height, thickness, and material to ensure the hands are set at the perfect height and with the right amount of pressure. Since its introduction in 2016, PAViX has revolutionised life for watchmakers lucky enough to have access to the equipment. It’s the perfect example of balancing technology with human dexterity – and this impressive combination of watchmaking expertise and advanced engineering plays an important part in making the La Montre Hermès atelier in Brügg such a remarkable place.
As the watchmaker continues with the assembly, precision is key. She carefully adjusts the date setting, positioning the hands to ensure the date change occurs at midnight, while securing the dial with screws to lock the feet (we looked at much earlier) in place. The program linked to the PAViX tool provides invaluable guidance throughout, specifying which stem to use and ensuring every action is executed with flawless precision.
Lubricant is inserted before the watch is fully assembled
Placement of the oscillating weight
Testing the timepieces: Homologation
Once the assembly steps are completed, the watches are subjected to rigorous quality control on-site. This process is not just about making sure the hands are properly set; it includes a comprehensive check of all technical, functional, and aesthetic details. Every screw is checked for tightness, the crown’s function is tested, and potential imperfections such as dust or scratches are carefully inspected. Water resistance is tested, varying from around ten bar to three bar, depending on the watch. After the water tests, further checks are carried out to ensure the watches meet Hermès’ high standards for mechanical ventilation and positioning.
The term ‘homologation’, we learn from one watchmaker, stems from the Greek word for ‘approval’, and perfectly describes this testing phase. It’s not just about assembling parts; it’s about confirming that everything meets the necessary standards. We meet a senior watchmaker who oversees the testing and quality control process. His work focuses on verifying that every part of the watch is functioning to the required standards before production begins. While he also enjoys the hands-on aspects of watchmaking, his primary responsibility is testing: ensuring that each component and movement works properly, meets the brand’s specifications, and is ready for mass production. This is a critical part of the process, as it helps identify potential issues early, avoiding complications down the line.
His role is particularly important in the early stages of development, as he ensures that any weaknesses are addressed before they become major problems in production. Having been with the brand for many years, his experience allows him to anticipate challenges, smoothing out any potential roadblocks before they arise. The testing process is thorough, with multiple checks carried out to ensure the watch meets the highest standards. It’s a detailed phase that ultimately ensures the watch will perform flawlessly when it reaches consumers.
Meticulous coordination
Meanwhile, the head watchmaker supervises the assembly of all the watches here, and there are also other watchmakers responsible for specific tasks or brands, as well as the director of quality control. As mentioned, the facility itself is equipped with a variety of machines to conduct mechanical and waterproof tests, such as checking the pressure resistance, humidity, and the heat tolerance of each watch. Together, all of these vigorous tests help guarantee that the watch will withstand real-world conditions once it goes into the hands (or rather, wrist) of the consumer.
Creating the Hermès Le temps voyageur: Behind the scenes
We come across a senior watchmaker working on the assembly of a particularly complex model. The creation of the Le temps voyageur watch, he explains, starts with a key design component: the hour wheel, also known as the satellite.
This rotating part is integral to the unique time-display mechanism of the watch. In the initial stages of assembly, the satellite is paired with a pinion, which helps move the hour hand.
Once the hour wheel is set, a small clip is placed on the subdial, securing it in place, and the minute wheel is then added, bringing the timekeeping system together.
With these essential components in position, the final step involves enclosing the movement, dial, and complications, creating the structure of the watch.
True luxury: Personalisation
Beyond the technical side, Hermès also offers a unique level of personalisation for its clients. The Hermès Horloger ‘Time your way’ configurator for example, available in-store but not online, allows customers to schedule an appointment during which they may choose from various dial options, select their preferred case type, and even engrave a personal message on the back of the watch. The personalisation of the watch is then carried out here at the La Montres Hermès atelier.
Final stage of assembly: integrating the strap
It should be fairly clear by now that at Hermès, watchmaking is far from a rigid process confined to specialised roles. Each watchmaker is fully trained in every aspect of the assembly process, ensuring versatility and skill across the entire team. There is no task too small or too intricate for the watchmakers here: each craftsman is capable of handling the full assembly of a watch from start to finish. However, there is one notable exception: one colleague in particular specialises in attaching the bracelet to the case. Known for her exceptional speed and precision, her expertise in this area is unmatched, and she takes on responsibility in this area above all else, despite others also being trained to work in this field.
Leather and watchmaking at La Montre Hermès: The leather workshop
While Hermès offers a variety of straps, including both fabric, metal, and rubber options, it is the leather that naturally remains a hallmark of the brand above all else. The company works with a range of suppliers to ensure that only the finest materials are used, and they also have their own tanning factories, with facilities in both France and Italy. This allows for complete control over the quality of leather, ensuring each strap lives up to the brand’s high standards established by bags such as the Kelly and the Birkin.
The workshop also produces bespoke leather goods, such as custom watch straps, and works on small runs of special designs. As mentioned, the leather for these items is sourced directly from Hermès’ own stock, ensuring consistency in quality and colour. Interestingly, the tooling techniques used are identical to those employed for Hermès’ aforementioned renowned leather goods, with the same attention to detail applied to smaller-scale items like watch straps. While the workshop operates on a smaller scale and cannot produce large quantities, it is known for its flexibility and innovative spirit. The team here excels in research and development, continuously refining existing techniques and exploring new ones to elevate the craft further. This is what we’re now going to take a closer look at.
Creating a Hermès watch strap
Preparation: Splitting the leather
The process of creating a leather strap begins with the careful selection of the leather. After arriving as full pieces of skin at the workshop, the pieces are then cut to size and split to ensure the leather’s thickness is suitable for the final product. This splitting process is particularly important when working with tougher materials, such as calf leather, as it ensures that only the strongest and most durable sections are used for the strap. After this, the leather undergoes a mechanical polishing process.
Assembling the leather strap
Once the leather has been properly prepared, the artisans begin assembling the strap. After folding the leather, they use a special, strong paper known as Viledon to help maintain the shape and structure. The paper acts as a reinforcement, ensuring that the strap retains its form as it undergoes the finishing stages. The leather is then glued together, but the glue is carefully applied to the edges only, leaving the centre free to allow for the necessary fold. Once assembled, the strap is pressed into its final shape using a machine, applying just the right amount of pressure to ensure that the strap conforms perfectly to its dimensions.
Throughout this process, Hermès remains committed to precision. Every step is done by hand, ensuring that no gaps are left in the leather and that the alignment of each piece is flawless. The result is a high-quality, handcrafted strap that complements the watches it accompanies, adding to the overall elegance and durability of the timepiece.
In a workshop where creativity is key, adorned with silk scarves hanging from the ceilings, the jovial and colourfully dressed team at the Hermès leather workshop is not only focused on perfecting the art of strap-making, but also on embracing new techniques and ideas that push the boundaries of craftsmanship. Though small in size, the workshop’s ability to innovate, adapt, and produce bespoke, high-quality leather pieces makes it a vital part of the brand’s legacy – a place where skill, artistry, and craftsmanship combine to create exceptional, lasting products.
Strap stitching and the all-important saddle stitch
The art of crafting a leather strap involves a series of precise and methodical steps that blend both machine and handwork, ensuring the finished product meets the high standards of both aesthetics and functionality. For most straps, machine stitching is used to assemble the leather, but the final stitches are completed by hand using the brand’s distinctive saddle stitch technique. This traditional method requires one thread and two needles, each passing through the same hole to create a durable, neat seam. To increase the strength of the stitch, the last three stitches are doubled, ensuring the strap remains secure for years. This attention to detail is a hallmark of the craftsmanship associated with the brand.
Gluing
After the stitching is finished, the thread is cut as close to the leather as possible. A translucent glue is then applied to keep the stitches securely in place, preventing the thread from coming undone over time. This helps preserve the strap’s neat appearance and ensures that the stitch remains intact even with regular wear.
‘Table’ work: Rounding off the edges
Hammering and sanding
The next step involves hammering the strap. This process serves to close the fibres, locking the thread inside and giving the stitching a tighter, more uniform appearance. This adds to the overall polished look of the strap, enhancing both its functionality and its visual appeal. Following the hammering, the strap’s edges are hand-sanded to ensure they are smooth and consistent all around.
Polishing
Once the stitching is completed, the edges of the strap undergo a polishing process. This step not only softens the edges but also ensures uniformity, with the edges being levelled out to give the strap a refined, professional look. Following this, a two-stage process is applied to smooth the edges further, creating the appearance of a seamless piece of leather. The aim is to give the strap a clean, flawless look, as though it were made from a single piece of material.
Dyeing
After polishing, layers of dye, applied using a fine-tipped sponge and matching perfectly to the leather’s colour, round off the often colourful straps. This is done by hand to ensure a uniform look across the strap’s edges. Only once the dye has been applied all over can the hot iron be used to shape the strap’s edges.
The dyeing process
Heating
Finally, after a foam has been applied to dye the edges the correct colour, the edges and layers are sealed together once more, providing a smooth, consistent finish that enhances the strap’s overall aesthetic. Once this process is complete, the strap is left to dry before it moves on to the final stages of production, as well as gaining its intricately created but very distinctive ‘double loop’ that neatly tucks the strap into two smaller leather rings.
Sealing the edges
Strap pricing for the brand’s watches – and beyond
The entire process is not only labour-intensive but also requires a great deal of skill, ensuring that each strap is crafted with the utmost care. For a standard calfskin strap, the price typically hovers around €225 (e.g. for the Arceau 36mm Barenia calf strap). Interestingly, the brand also produces straps for clients with watches from other brands looking for a high-quality strap, although these prices vary.
High quality guaranteed
Ultimately, the process is a testament to the level of craftsmanship that goes into creating each strap. From the initial stitching to the final polishing and sealing, each step is designed to ensure a product that is as functional and visually stunning as one would expect from the luxury maison.
Finishing in style: Metiers D’Art
Marquetry and Mosaics: The art behind Hermès’ leather craftsmanship
From depicting playful ponies to abstract art, creative force Hermès already has a good standing in the realm of Métiers d’Art. Its mastery shines most notably, however, in leather marquetry and mosaic; both delicate crafts perfected by Hermès Horloger and untouched by any other watch manufacturer, making it entirely unique within the industry and fitting perfectly to their brand DNA in terms of leather expertise.
In fact, leatherwork transcends mere technique at the maison, with the two practices evolving into a fine art. These two intricate methods combine traditional skills with innovation, resulting in designs that reflect both precision and creativity. Each piece, from the smallest mosaic fragment to the most artistic marquetry design, reveals a mastery of craftsmanship that has been honed over years of practice.
Leather marquetry
Marquetry, introduced to the watchmaking division of the manufacture back in 2017 in the form of the Arceau Cavales, involves the painstaking assembly of leather pieces, each carefully shaped to form a larger design. The leather is glued to a base using cold adhesive, preventing any damage to the edges, ensuring both flexibility and durability. The process is more than just technical precision: it’s about bringing a vision to life, often with a level of detail that borders on the extraordinary. One such example can be found in the marquetry design created for the reopening of the Madison Avenue store in New York, where even the tiniest details, like the socks and shoes of a dancer, were rendered in leather. Some of the pieces used were no mere millimetres in size, demonstrating how the technique allows for an incredible level of intricacy. As the team refined their method, they started working with even smaller and more delicate pieces, pushing the boundaries of what marquetry can achieve. While I admire an early piece, one of the five artisans specialising in marquetry shakes her head in embarrassment; ‘We’ve come a long way since then,’ she explains.
The leather itself, usually around a mere 0.6mm in thickness, is glued to a brass base to maintain its structural integrity while allowing for flexibility. The result is a dial that is impressively thin – often measuring no more than 0.8mm to 1mm in overall height – but with all the durability required for long-lasting quality. The final product is both delicate and resilient, capturing the essence of the leather while also ensuring that the design stands the test of time.
Mosaic work
Mosaic work, meanwhile, arrived a year later in 2018 with the Arceau Robe du soir promptly winning the GPHG award in the craft category. It involves cutting leather into even smaller pieces – sometimes as small as individual pixels – before assembling them into complex patterns. These pieces can number in the thousands. The process demands a remarkable attention to detail, with each piece meticulously cut and placed to form an overall design. For instance, there’s an iconic tiger, or the Hermès symbol, both brought to life through this technique, with each colour carefully chosen and each background subtly adjusted to enhance the design. The result is a visual spectacle where every small piece contributes to a greater whole, an aesthetic achievement that speaks to the artisans’ skill and patience.
Pushing boundaries
In some of Hermès’ more ambitious projects, marquetry and mosaic are combined. One such piece is a T-Rex design, where the mouth, teeth, and tongue were crafted using marquetry, while the body and other features were assembled from mosaic fragments. For designs that require additional texture and dimension, the leather workshop’s artisans sometimes turn to other materials, such as alligator leather, to bring depth and scale to the final piece. This blend of techniques and materials adds a tactile quality to the work, enhancing both its aesthetic and physical presence.
Photo by David Marchon
Photo by Claude Joray
The bespoke nature of these creations means that special requests are not uncommon. Limited edition pieces, as well as custom colour palettes and designs, are often crafted for discerning customers. Creating a mosaic design with over 2,500 individual pieces, for example, can take several days to complete, with the time investment proportional to the complexity of the design. As a result, only a small number of these pieces are produced each year, and each is the product of painstaking effort, with every detail considered and perfected.
Photo by Claude Joray
The sheer time and effort invested in each piece speak to the artistry behind the work. Whether it’s a watch dial, a limited edition, or a one-of-a-kind bespoke request, the level of craftsmanship involved ensures that each piece is unique. The process, which combines meticulous precision with artistic vision, is what sets these creations apart, offering not only a beautiful object but a testament to the skill and dedication of the artisans who breathe life into them. Through marquetry and mosaic, Hermès continues to uphold its legacy of fine craftsmanship, where technique and creativity intertwine to produce works of enduring beauty and quality – and isn’t that what luxury is all about?
Looking to the future
Having had the rare privilege of visiting Le Noirmont – set to expand and nearly double its workforce by 2027 – and La Montre Hermès, I can say with certainty that this is no ordinary Swiss watch manufacture. With a heritage steeped in creation and craftsmanship, a long-standing dedication to craftsmanship, and an approach that seamlessly blends tradition with innovation, Hermès has carved out a space that far transcends watchmaking alone.
So, in these challenging times, what does the future hold for this remarkable manufacture? For a deeper understanding, I encourage you to explore our CEO Lunch interview with the watchmaking division’s insightful Managing Director, Laurent Dordet. Yet, as we leave La Montre Hermès, one of his predictions lingers in my mind: as the industry undergoes inevitable shifts, some manufactures will struggle to keep pace, while others – particularly the most established and forward-thinking – will emerge stronger than ever. Hermès’ watchmaking division is determined to count itself among the latter. With its unwavering commitment to craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, abundant resources, and an ability to balance its long-standing heritage with its still relatively young mechanical watchmaking history, it is not merely adapting to change: it is shaping the future of haute horlogerie.
