Hermès Timepieces’ ‘Cape Cod’ Is An Icon Reimagined
For over 30 years, the ‘Cape Cod’ has captivated stylish women with its every iteration. For 2023, Hermès Timepieces is launching a capsule collection of sleek designs bearing polished bracelets, ushering in a new chapter of precious practicality
The greatest creatives often don’t play by the rules. So, in the early 1990s when Hermès asked Henri d’Origny – the maison’s acclaimed designer and silk doyen – to design a watch featuring a square dial, it was no surprise that he started to think outside the box. Less expected, perhaps, was that d’Origny decided to think inside the box, too. The designer took a square watch face and framed it in a rectangular case, creating an entirely new quadrangle silhouette that would become a keystone of the maison’s watchmaking legacy.
D’Origny based the design upon the half-link anchor-chain motif – the ‘Chaîne d’Ancre’ – which was, and remains, synonymous with the maison. This motif was first conceived by Hermès family member Robert Dumas in 1938, who penned its chic contours while observing boats tethered along the Normandy coastline. Dumas translated these utilitarian anchor links into an elegant bracelet design, and the ‘Chaîne d’Ancre’ was soon adopted as a signature symbol throughout the maison’s artisanal world. To complement this nautical origin, D’Origny’s new timepiece was named the ‘Cape Cod’; its rounded angles, minimalist dial and simple ribbon-leather strap perfectly embodied the laid-back-luxe aesthetic of the chic East Coast destination.
“D’Origny’s new timepiece was named the ‘Cape Cod’; its rounded angles, minimalist dial and simple ribbon-leather strap perfectly embodied the laid-back-luxe aesthetic of the chic East Coast destination
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Over the past 30 years, the ‘Cape Cod’ has proved itself as something of a chameleon, with some particularly notable iterations. In 1998, it was reimagined under the artistic direction of fashion designer Martin Margiela, appearing on the Hermès Paris runway with a directional ‘Double Tour’ strap. Since then, the watch has appeared in many guises, from jewelry-focused interpretations to those featuring automatic movements, and more recently in 2022, the ‘Crepuscule’ model, which married together the maison’s unbridled creativity with artisanal innovation. And for 2023? The timepiece is entering a new era of precious practicality, with an array of designs bearing sleek and supple bracelets that bridge the gap between everyday watch wardrobing and elevated, time-telling jewels.
Part of the appeal of the ‘Cape Cod’ has always been its smart casual charm, and these new iterations offer a range of adornment to suit all tastes. Whether you choose a subtle, silver opaline dial or the iridescent gleam of mother of pearl, the watch face bears the most distinctive ‘Cape Cod’ dial signature – retro Arabic numerals, elegantly traced in dark gray. For those seeking slightly more scintillation, diamond-set chatons gleam at the hour markers, while the fully diamond-set design features sparkling stones that trace the entire case.
The hero of the hour, however, has to be the watch’s gleaming bracelet. Undulating in one svelte, sinuous movement, the tactile design is formed of polished links that follow five tracks, each expertly curved to echo the rounded case shape. Powered by a Swiss-made quartz movement and practical enough for everyday wear, yet imbued with the maison’s exceptional savoir faire, this is a new era for the ‘Cape Cod’. Expect to see it styled within wrist stacks on the street-style set soon.