New Hermes watch offerings add an alloy, hide the hour hand

Novelty in the watch world usually falls into two camps. The most ambitious -- and hardest to understand -- is tweaking what’s under the hood (so to speak), pushing the timekeeping technological envelope by adding more and more complications (each “complication” is an additional function).

Easier to understand are the cosmetic tweaks -- fabrication, silhouette and the design and color of the watch face, hands and strap. The watch-making arm of Maison Hermes has a couple of elegantly subtle entries in this latter category that we had the opportunity to see first hand at the recent JCK Swiss Watch show in Las Vegas.

First, for 2014, Hermes has debuted a new silver alloy for some of its women’s watches that it says is resistant to tarnish. Dubbed Silver Star, the 97% pure silver alloy is exclusive to Hermes for the next couple of years according to brand representatives. While the company won’t say what metals comprise the other 3%, we’re told it doesn’t include copper -- which is apparently the tarnish-causing culprit in traditional alloys.

The new alloy is currently being used in watch cases for the label’s Cape Cod Tonneau (barrel-shaped) and Nantucket (rectangular) timepieces at retail, and the back of the watch cases are stamped with a silver star to reflect the new blend of precious metals.

Another of Hermes’ new novelties toys with convention by stripping back instead of adding on and dispensing with the hour hand. Technically its artfully concealed behind the minute hand on the face of its Dressage L’heure masquee, “”time veiled”) timepiece, and can be displayed at the push of a button opposite the crown. (The same push also displays a second time zone in a small window above the 6’oclock position.)

In a world where the time is on ubiquitous display, a wristwatch that allows the wearer to escape the march of hours - if even for a brief moment -- might just be the greatest luxury of all.