Hermès

Who are Hermès?

Hermès is a French luxury house founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a saddlery workshop (Wikipedia; Swisswatches Magazine). Its watches are made by La Montre Hermès, a Swiss subsidiary set up in Biel/Bienne in 1978 (WorldTempus). This page covers Hermès’s watchmaking only: its history, movements, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Hermès watch second-hand in the UK.

Hermès does not make every part itself. It owns a quarter of the movement maker Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, and it owns its own dial and case makers (SJX Watches; Swisswatches Magazine). It does not publish watch production figures.

The history of Hermès watches

Hermès sold watches made by other companies for half a century before setting up its own Swiss watch company in 1978, then built up its supply of movements, dials and cases from 2006. The key dates are La Montre Hermès and the Arceau (1978), the Cape Cod (1991), the Vaucher stake (2006), its own movements (2012) and the H08 (2021).

Straps and retailed watches. Swisswatches Magazine dates Hermès’s first step into watches to 1912, when Émile Hermès devised a leather strap so that his daughter could wear a pocket watch on her wrist, and says the Ermeto, made with Movado, was sold at the Faubourg Saint-Honoré store in 1928. From 1926 to 1978 Hermès sold watches made by Jaeger-LeCoultre, Patek Philippe and Rolex, contributing design and leatherwork (Wikipedia).

La Montre Hermès. In 1978 Jean-Louis Dumas, who had become chairman after his father’s death, created La Montre Hermès SA in Biel/Bienne to make and sell Hermès watches (WorldTempus). Its first watch was the Arceau, designed by Henri d’Origny with lugs shaped like stirrups (WorldTempus). D’Origny also designed the Cape Cod, launched in 1991; in 1998 the designer Martin Margiela added the double-wrap strap the watch is known for (WorldTempus).

Vaucher. In 2006 Hermès bought 25% of Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a movement maker in Fleurier (Wikipedia; Europa Star). Sources give different figures for what it paid (Europa Star and Wikipedia; WatchProSite). SJX Watches describes Vaucher as majority owned by Parmigiani Fleurier.

Dials, cases and movements. In 2012 Hermès bought the dial maker Natéber and released its first watches with its own movements; in 2013 it bought the case maker Joseph Erard (Wikipedia; Swisswatches Magazine). In 2017 it created Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger, with the Le Noirmont site as its production base (Swisswatches Magazine). Hermès first showed at the Geneva fair now called Watches and Wonders in 2018 (Wikipedia).

Recent collections. The Slim d’Hermès followed in 2015 (aBlogtoWatch), the H08 for men in 2021 (SJX Watches) and the Hermès Cut for women in 2024 (Time+Tide). Since 2015 Hermès has also sold the Apple Watch Hermès with Apple (Apple Newsroom).

What is Hermès known for in watches?

In watches Hermès is known for designs that come from its saddlery and leather work, for its own leather straps, for a long line of quartz fashion watches, and since 2006 for mechanical movements made by Vaucher.

Equestrian design. The Arceau’s asymmetric lugs are inspired by the stirrups on a saddle, a nod to the saddlery Hermès began with (WorldTempus). The Cape Cod’s double-wrap strap began as a fashion idea from Martin Margiela (WorldTempus).

Movements. Hermès’s mechanical watches use calibres made by Vaucher, in which it owns 25%. SJX Watches says the H1837 in the H08 is based on the Vaucher VMF 3000, is 3.7 mm high and has a 50-hour power reserve. aBlogtoWatch describes the H1950 in the Slim d’Hermès as a modified Vaucher 5401, and Monochrome Watches says the H1912 in the Hermès Cut, also used in the Arceau, is made by Vaucher. Many earlier Hermès watches are quartz: Europa Star lists the Kelly (1978), Clipper (1981), Sellier (1987), Cape Cod (1991), Médor (1993) and Heure H (1997) among La Montre Hermès’s quartz models. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the distinction matters.

Typography. For the Slim d’Hermès, creative director Philippe Delhotal worked with the graphic designer Philippe Apeloig on a new set of numerals (aBlogtoWatch; Swisswatches Magazine).

Which Hermès watch collections are there?

The main families are the Arceau, Cape Cod, Slim d’Hermès, H08 and Hermès Cut, plus the Apple Watch Hermès. The collections table on this page gives the year each began and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Quartz or mechanical. The Cape Cod began as a quartz watch (Europa Star), while the Arceau has also been made with the mechanical H1912 (Monochrome Watches). Check the dial, the caseback and the listing for the movement; our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference to own.
• The Apple Watch Hermès is a smartwatch. It is an Apple product with Hermès bands and faces (Apple Newsroom), so its battery and software support depend on Apple, not on Hermès’s watch company. Check which generation it is.
• Straps. Many Hermès watches are sold on Hermès leather straps. Ask whether the strap is original and how worn it is.

Who owns Hermès?

Hermès watches belong to Hermès International, the Paris parent company. It is listed on Euronext Paris but structured as a partnership limited by shares (société en commandite par actions), and the Hermès family controls it: its holding company H51 held 66.72% in March 2025 (Wikipedia). Its active partner, Émile Hermès SARL, has unlimited liability and decides on the appointment of the executive chairmen (Hermès Finance). Axel Dumas, of the sixth generation, has led the company since 2013 (Wikipedia).

LVMH built a stake of about 17% in Hermès in 2010. The family formed H51 in 2011 to consolidate its holdings, and an agreement in 2014 ended the dispute, with LVMH distributing its Hermès shares to its own shareholders (Wikipedia).

The watch business is run by La Montre Hermès under Laurent Dordet (Swisswatches Magazine). In the UK, Companies House lists Hermes (G.B.) Limited (no. 00773076), incorporated on 4 September 1963, as controlled by Hermes Holding GB Limited (Companies House).

Buying a Hermès watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is quartz or mechanical and which calibre it has, ask whether the strap is original, match the serial number to the papers, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch, whether they are originals, and whether the serial number on the case matches the card or receipt. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Movement. Ask the seller for the calibre. A mechanical Hermès should name a Hermès calibre such as the H1837 or H1912 (SJX Watches; Monochrome Watches); many older models, such as the original Cape Cod, are quartz (Europa Star).

3. Strap and bracelet. Leather straps wear with use. Ask whether the strap is an original Hermès strap, what condition it is in, and whether the original buckle comes with it.

4. Warranty. Hermès’s warranty terms, and whether they pass to a second owner, are not confirmed here. A dealer’s own warranty is a promise from the dealer, not from Hermès. See watch warranties explained.

5. Servicing. For a mechanical watch, ask when it was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

6. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

7. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

When did Hermès start making watches?

Hermès set up its own watch company, La Montre Hermès, in Biel/Bienne in 1978 (WorldTempus). Before that, from 1926, it sold watches made for it by other Swiss companies (Wikipedia).

Where are Hermès watches made?

In Switzerland. La Montre Hermès is based in the Biel area, dials and cases are made at Le Noirmont, and movements come from Vaucher in Fleurier (Swisswatches Magazine; SJX Watches).

Does Hermès make its own movements?

Hermès’s calibres are made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, in which Hermès has owned 25% since 2006 (Wikipedia; SJX Watches).

Who owns Hermès?

Hermès International is listed on Euronext Paris and controlled by the Hermès family, whose holding company H51 held 66.72% in March 2025 (Wikipedia).

Is Hermès part of LVMH?

No. LVMH built a stake of about 17% in 2010, but an agreement in 2014 ended the dispute and LVMH distributed the shares to its own shareholders (Wikipedia).

Who designed the Hermès Arceau?

Henri d’Origny, in 1978. Its lugs are shaped like a saddle’s stirrups (WorldTempus).

What is the Hermès Cape Cod double tour?

A long strap that wraps twice around the wrist, added to the Cape Cod by Martin Margiela in 1998 (WorldTempus).

Is the Apple Watch Hermès made by Hermès?

It is an Apple Watch sold with Hermès bands and designs, unveiled by Apple and Hermès in September 2015 (Apple Newsroom).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Hermès.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.