WATCH YOUR TIME |
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F O C U S
F O C U S
© TAKASHI IKEMUR
At Hermès, time is interpreted in its own
way. With new expressions of its “Le
Temps Suspendu” complication, the house
invites us once again to consider how pre-
cious time really is.
The first watches to appear under the Hermès
appeared as early as 1928, though it’s only since 1978
that it has created and produced them through its own
Swiss subsidiary, La Montre Hermès. In 2003, the brand
introduced new collections powered by exclusive move-
ments developed by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a
much respected supplier in which Hermès acquired a
25 percent stake in 2006. From there, its horological jour-
ney has taken a thoroughly distinctive path, marked by
original modules that brought to life the idea of Hermès
Time. “Rather than measure, sequence, and control, the
maison ventures into another time. It invites us to pause
time, and to better enjoy our best moments,” as Hermès
communications put it.
Hermès Time made its debut in 2011, first embodied
in “Le Temps Suspendu”, a complication that genuinely
allows time, or at least the indication of time, to be sus-
pended. This was followed in 2014 by “L’Heure Masquée”,
with its hour hand hiding behind the minute hand; in
2017, by “L’Heure Impatiente”, which counts down the
sixty minutes before a much-anticipated moment; in
2019, by “L’Heure de la Lune”, showing moon phases in
both hemispheres via rotating date and time counters;
and in 2022, by “Le Temps Voyageur”, with a rotating
disc above an imaginary equestrian map that indicates
the time in the user’s chosen time zone. In 2025, Hermès
reinterprets “Le Temps Suspendu” in the Arceau and
Hermès Cut collections.
Le Temps Suspendu
“This year, we return to the fundamentals of the house
and its singular take on time. Once again, we are try-
ing to stop time. Time is precious at Hermès,” explains
Philippe Delhotal, Creative Director of Hermès Horloger.
Who hasn’t wished to pause time in its relentless flight?
With “Le Temps Suspendu”, Hermès allows you to do
just that. This charming complication is also remarka-
bly simple to use. Pressing a pusher halts the hour and
minute hands at a fictional time around 12 o’clock. Press
it again, and the hands resume their paths, accounting
for the time that has passed in the meantime. Behind
this poetic effect lies a sophisticated mechanism fea-
turing column wheels and retrograde hands operat-
ing over a full 360 degrees, developed in partnership
with renowned watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht,
founder of Agenhor.
In its original version, paired with the H1837 calibre,
the complication includes a disappearing date hand,
which tucks itself under the rehaut between 4 and 7
o’clock. This configuration appears in the Arceau case,
a Hermès classic designed by Henri d’Origny in 1978.
“Arceau Le Temps Suspendu”, which has seen several
iterations since its debut, returns in 2025 with a reduced
42 mm case, down from 43 mm. The dial is now skel-
etonised at the centre, revealing part of the exclusive
module beneath. Offered in white or rose gold, with blue,
desert brown or “rouge sellier” (a deep red that evokes
Hermès saddlery), the new version has a more techni-
cal character than previous editions.
At the same time, “Le Temps Suspendu” enters the
Hermès Cut collection, launched in 2024, in a 39 mm case
that plays on circular geometry. In this version, which
uses the smaller H1912 calibre, the date display is omit-
ted in favour of a playful running indicator.
It resembles a small-seconds counter but is in fact
quite different: the hand rotates anticlockwise and com-
pletes a full turn in 24 seconds. Unlike the date hand, it
never stops or disappears. It stays in motion as a reminder
that time continues to flow, suspended or not, yet offers
no specific indication, in keeping with the spirit of the
design. “Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu” comes in two
regular versions, rose gold with a silvery opaline dial, or
rose gold with diamond-set bezel and silvery opaline
dial, as well as a bold, limited-edition version featuring
a red dial in a rose gold case.
With these new creations, Hermès continues along a
path it defines as follows: “In 2025, ‘Le Temps Suspendu’
opens new parentheses. More than a purely mechan-
ical concept, this playful approach invites wearers to
break free from the usual conventions of time and savour
the moment. In a relentless race where every second is
counted, Hermès offers its wearer time that truly counts.”
■ Éric Dumatin
1. HERMÈS Arceau Le temps suspendu. The now-iconic ‘sus-
pended time’ function, first launched in 2011, returns in mul-
tiple new forms. In a 42 mm Arceau case in white or rose gold,
it reveals a portion of its mystery through translucent dials in
various colours, including the signature Hermès “rouge sellier”.
The in-house automatic H1837 calibre features an oscillating
weight and bridges decorated with the brand’s signature H motif.
2. HERMÈS Hermès Cut Le temps suspendu. The young
Hermès Cut line welcomes the ‘temps suspendu’ function in a
39 mm rose gold case. It runs on a specific version of the H1912
in-house automatic movement, also adorned with the H motif.
The metal bracelet, fitted with a quick-change system, can be
swapped for a rubber strap. The “rouge sellier” dial model is
a limited-run edition.
PHILIPPE DELHOTAL | CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HERMÈS HORLOGER
Time, sublimated