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The Cape Cod crépuscule watch: unprecedented expertise for a dial featuring a unique aesthetic
 
 
Hermes
In 1991, the Cape Cod watch was born beneath the bold pencil strokes of Henri d'Origny. With its "square in a rectangle” case formed by two "anchor chain" half-links, Cape Cod now welcomes a dial with a singular aesthetic uniting and revealing two ordinarily distinct worlds.

In 2018, Hermès initiated a meeting with the Neuchâtel-based Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) as part of its search for a technological innovation that would be dedicated to creativity. This gave rise to a project for a dial made from a silicon wafer, which was to feature the intimate and refined "Crépuscule" (dusk) motif by designer-graphic artist Thanh-Phong Lê.
 

 

 
Used in microelectronics for its semiconductor properties, the silicon wafer was chosen here for its purely aesthetic qualities, representing a first. Depending on the amount of material deposited during production, its colour varies across an infinite palette of subtle and unique shades. This highly technological process is carried out by specialised engineers in the CSEM labs.

The dials of the Cape Cod crépuscule are created from a single 0.5 mm thick plate, which is coated in an extremely precise manner with a tiny (72-nanometre) film of silicon nitride to obtain the desired intense blue colour.
 
Hermes
 
Hermes
Then comes the photolithography stage, during which the wafer is exposed to a blue light so as to print the pattern. The process involves several successive baths, before the gold-coating stage, followed by other baths to remove any superfluous material. Finally, the plate is precisely cut to the shape of the Cape Cod case.
The dial with its slender gilded hands reveals the bluish shades sprinkled with yellow gold achieved by this unique method combining creativity and nanotechnology. A navy blue calfskin single or double tour strap crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops sets the final touch to the Cape Cod crépuscule watch.
Hermes

CARACTÉRISTIQUES TECHNIQUES

BOÎTIER
Rectangulaire 29 x 29mm, « carré dans un rectangle »
Matière    Acier
Glace Saphir anti-reflets
Étanchéité   3 bar
Glace saphir anti-reflets

CADRAN
Cadran en silicium monocristallin bleuté avec transfert photolithographique, dépôt d’or représentant le dessin « crépuscule » imaginé par l'artiste Thanh-Phong Lê

MOUVEMENT
Quartz, fabriqué en Suisse

FONCTIONS
Heure, minute

BRACELET
Veau bleu Navy

 

Time, a Hermès object

Hermès creates objects. Objects shaped by the hands of artisans to make them true companions for those who wear them. Practical, functional and stemming from uncompromising expertise, they radiate the lightness of the unexpected. They make everyday life their playground, and each instant a uniquely special moment. For Hermès, time is also an object. Its inherent tension is translated by the house into a singular characteristic. Rather than measuring, ordering, and seeking to control it, Hermès dares to explore another time, designed to arouse emotions, open up interludes and create spaces for spontaneity and recreation.

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