THE CHARM OF BLACK

Overflowing with elegance and simplicity, the star of the Hermès watch collection has been dressed in black to celebrate its 26th anniversary, and also marks a first for the Parisian luxury firm: the use of DLC to decorate the watch case.

In 1991 – 26 years ago now – a future icon was born: the famous “square in a rectangle” designed by Henri d’Origny. Named Cape Cod in homage to his wife’s holiday destination, the peninsula on the east coast of the United States, this Hermès watch quickly won over an international clientele, attracted by its unusual shape and simple elegance. Until now the Cape Cod has always been dressed in steel, but has provisionally set aside its silvery garments in favour of black.

This is the first time the Parisian firm has used a coating like DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon, an amorphous carbon that is widely employed in watchmaking), a scratch-resistant material that can stand up to wear. Alongside its technical properties, DLC has the advantage of totally changing the aesthetic appearance of a watch. This is true of the Cape Cod Shadow model, which has a more modern look because of the use of this material but without drowning out its identity or affecting its natural grace.

The square case of the Cape Code Shadow is like an optical illusion, with rounded, tubular lugs forming a rectangle, and measuring 29x29mm. The steel body coated with a layer of matt black DLC houses a quartz moment driving the hours and the minutes.

Matching the watch case, the matt black face of this Hermès watch has been delicately sanded, producing a surface made up of thousands of tiny grains. The dial contains an hour rim featuring rhodium curved Arabic numerals. Two straight hands, coated with ruthenium and highlighted with a line of luminescent material, display the hours and the minutes in the centre.

The Cape Cod Shadow is worn on the wrist with a single or double strap made of black Barenia calf’s leather, polished with red on the edges and doubled with gold leather, and all rounded off by an ardillon steel buckle and black DLC.

Price: 3,750 CHF (single strap) 3,900 CHF (double strap) hermes.com

By Sharmila Bertin