Hermès Slim d’Hermès Stately Wheels: London’s State Coach with a Tourbillon

The Slim d’Hermès is usually characterised by its understated design. However, to mark the opening of the new Hermès Maison at 166 New Bond Street in London, its dial this time features a richly detailed British scene. A carriage, wheels and reins take up almost the entire surface, whilst the tourbillon at 7 o’clock is seamlessly integrated into the scene, continuing its movement.

A State Coach for 166 New Bond Street

This timepiece takes its inspiration from a new London address: to mark the opening of the Maison at 166 New Bond Street, Hermès is presenting this British-inspired motif in a limited edition of six pieces. The name ‘Stately Wheels’ refers to the two design elements of the overall composition: on the one hand, the state coach as the subject of the image, and on the other, the circles that structure the dial.

The design is based on the Hermès ‘Stately Wheels’ silk scarf, created by the British artist Stuart Patience. His scene was inspired by a visit to the Royal Mews and depicts Queen Alexandra’s State Coach. Hermès has thus adapted a motif based on a real-life observation and originally conceived for a different medium.

From a silk scarf to a 39.5-millimetre case

On the dial, the carriage is not depicted realistically from a fixed perspective. It is positioned in the upper section, whilst several of its wheels appear scattered across the surface. Two coachmen occupy the lower half; red reins connect the figures, wheels and carriage, lending the composition a sense of direction even though the scene is static.

This is where the real challenge of the basic concept lies: a silk scarf offers creative freedom; a dial, on the other hand, must also display the hours and minutes, as well as incorporate the movement’s mechanics. The central hands trace their paths across the illustration, but without obscuring it.

Miniature painting rather than a printed surface

The scene is created using miniature painting. First, the outlines are precisely transferred onto the dial base. Several extremely fine layers of paint are then applied one after the other to the sketched base. It is only through this process that the dark body of the carriage, the gold-coloured accents on the spokes and uniforms, and the red reins come to the fore.

Hand-painted miniatures do not produce flawlessly reproducible graphics; instead, the subject emerges step by step beneath the brush. The fine lines in particular require the utmost precision: spokes, reins and contours must remain clearly distinguishable from one another even in the smallest of spaces. At the same time, the overall design is deliberately routed around openings and mechanical components. The painting and the movement thus not only share the same surface, but also intertwine creatively.

Find out here how Hermès celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Slim d’Hermès

Why the Lift-Tourbillon at 7 o’clock works

At 7 o’clock, the dial reveals the Lift-Tourbillon. Technically, it forms part of the Hermès H1950 T in-house automatic calibre; design-wise, however, it appears as yet another wheel in the depicted scene – one which, unlike the other wheels, is actually ‘turning’. Although this interpretation has not been explicitly confirmed, the composition strongly suggests it: whilst the painted wheels stand still, the rotating mechanism brings its form to life with real movement.

This lends the motif a genuine sense of movement. The tourbillon is deliberately positioned beneath the carriage. The red reins and the surrounding figures deliberately draw the eye to its aperture. At the same time, the exposed mechanism forms a striking contrast to the miniature painting, which is depicted on two levels.

Platinum as a subtle backdrop for a rich design

The round platinum case measures 39.5 millimetres in diameter. The understated colour scheme allows the intricately designed dial to take centre stage. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal protects both the front and the see-through caseback. The watch is water-resistant to 30 metres.

Behind it beats the 30-millimetre-wide and 3.4-millimetre-high in-house calibre H1950 T. It beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour – or 3 hertz – and offers a 48-hour power reserve. In addition to the lift tourbillon, it displays the hours and minutes. The strap, made of matt alligator leather in graphite, complements the dark tones of the car and uniforms well, whilst remaining visually in the background.

Limited to six numbered pieces, the Slim d’Hermès Stately Wheels impresses not only through its artistic character. Its appeal lies in the precise interplay of British imagery, French design, Swiss mechanics and hand-painted miniatures. Despite its wide range of functions, the watch, with a diameter of 39.5 mm, is comparatively slim in design.

hermès.com