I arrived in Miami expecting to see the latest watches from Hermès. But as representatives of the historic Parisian luxury house led a group of us through the Rubell Museum, there was no sign of the timepieces. After passing through rooms showcasing Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Anselm Kiefer on the walls, we came into a room that looked more like an art classroom than a luxury-watch launch.
Instead of being shown new editions of the H08, which Hermès has been slowly sculpting into an icon, I was handed a paintbrush. Present in the room was Cuban American artist José Parlá, along with tables covered in paint, brushes, and scraps of paper torn from street advertisements. On the walls hung canvases Parlá had already begun and which would serve as the starting point for our own creations.
Delighted by the surprise arts-and-crafts, I happily donned my apron. Later that day, Hermès would unveil two new versions of its distinctive H08, the sporty model it debuted in 2021 and has been carefully building up. The latest pair introduced into the catalog both feature ceramic bezels, one in blue and another in white.
They share a shimmering fiberglass case coated in aluminum that gives the watch the look of a tumultuous, gray sea. When it was first released, the H08 garnered immediate praise from the collector community and broader market. Such rave reviews out of the gate are nearly unheard of for a completely new collection.
The H08 is defined by its vaguely rectangular case with soft, sloping edges; the straight lines of the watch are contrasted by a round concentric dial. Paired with colorful, complementary rubber straps or the occasional bracelet, the H08 is a collection clearly intended for an active lifestyle without veering into the realm of the tool watch. Hermès is a Goliath in the luxury world with a massive multibillion-dollar business across leather goods, handbags, and silk scarves.
But amid all of its exceptional offerings, watches were never a primary focus; they were something one might add in while buying a Birkin. The H08 is an opportunity for Hermès, a maker of icons, to establish one in a category where it’s still establishing its reputation. Inside the museum workroom, I set about the task of customizing my canvas.
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