Cover At Watches & Wonders 2025, Hermès asks if time can be stopped via mechanical means.
At Watches & Wonders 2025, Hermès asks if time can be stopped via mechanical means.
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Hermès poses a simple yet profound question: if time is something humans are perpetually chasing, can it be stopped—through mechanics?
Hermès chose not to stir the catwalk with intricate mechanical marvels or extravagant functions.
Instead, it appeared quietly, much like someone entering a room and posing a fundamental question with a single glance: if time is a constant pursuit, can we stop it—not by concept, but by mechanics?
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Hermès doesn’t aim to measure time to the millisecond, nor does it rush into the race for complications or highly complex mechanisms. Rather, it centres on feeling—on the relationship between humans and time, and how watches can redefine that connection. While much of the watch industry relentlessly moves forward, Hermès takes a different approach: stopping, and asking questions. Not to deny time, but to understand it more deeply.
When time stands still before the mechanical refinement of the watch
First introduced in 2011, the Arceau Le Temps Suspendu was a pivotal moment that cemented Hermès as a serious player in haute horlogerie. The watch utilises the Hermès H1837 automatic movement, paired with an exclusive mechanical module developed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. This allows the wearer to “pause” the time display at the push of a button, while the movement continues to run in the background.
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Above The watch is paired with an exclusive mechanical module developed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Above The wearer can “pause” the time display at the push of a button. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
The watch is paired with an exclusive mechanical module developed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
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The hour and minute hands return to a neutral position—as if time has ceased—and resume at the exact moment the wearer decides to end the mode. This is not only a brilliant mechanical feat, but also a lifestyle statement:
It suggests that it’s not always necessary to know the time.
Above Time resumes at the exact moment the wearer decides to end the mode. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Above The 42mm stainless steel case is paired with a Barénia calfskin or alligator leather strap. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Time resumes at the exact moment the wearer decides to end the mode. Arceau Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
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The 2025 version retains this innovative structure but introduces three new sunray dial colours: saddle red, desert brown, and deep blue. The 42mm stainless steel case features asymmetrical lugs—a signature of the Arceau line—and is paired with a Barénia calfskin or alligator leather strap, hand-finished by the Hermès Horloger workshop.
Change the direction of time with Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu
The Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu, introduced in 2024, offers a more modern, geometrically inspired take. Featuring the same stop-time mechanism, this model houses the Hermès H1912 automatic movement—named after the year the brand’s first watchmaking workshop was founded.
Above A more modern, geometrically inspired take. Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Above With an opaline silver or sunburst red dial, the bezel can be set with 62 diamonds or left plain. Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
A more modern, geometrically inspired take. Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
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With an opaline silver or sunburst red dial, the bezel can be set with 62 diamonds or left plain, depending on the version. The 24-second hand rotates in the opposite direction, creating a striking visual effect like a reverse vortex. This not only reinforces the watch’s aesthetic character but also subtly embodies the philosophy that “time can move in other directions.”
Above Embodying the philosophy that “time can move in other directions.” Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Above Elegance that suits both men and women. Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
Embodying the philosophy that “time can move in other directions.” Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu. Photo: Hermès
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The 36mm case diameter offers elegance that suits both men and women. The delicately integrated push-button design on the side of the case allows for seamless and smooth switching between time display modes.
Time is the shape of a piece of jewelry called Maillon Libre
There is no retrograde seconds hand, nor any special module, but the Maillon Libre is the kind of watch that causes people to pause. It is, in essence, a piece of jewellery with the soul of a watch, breaking free from traditional definitions of shape and function.
Above The kind of watch that causes people to pause. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
Above Breaking free from traditional definitions of shape and function. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
The kind of watch that causes people to pause. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
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The chain-link case, which evokes the anchor motif long associated with Hermès, is made from white or rose gold and can be entirely set with diamonds. The micro-dial is discreetly hidden within the structure, powered by a Swiss quartz movement. The strap can be made from Swift calfskin, crocodile leather, or even a brooch, giving the wearer creative freedom in how it is worn—on the wrist, on a shirt, or around the neck.
Above The chain-link case is made from white or rose gold and can be entirely set with diamonds. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
Above The micro-dial is discreetly hidden within the structure, powered by a Swiss quartz movement. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
The chain-link case is made from white or rose gold and can be entirely set with diamonds. Maillon Libre. Photo: Hermès
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With Maillon Libre, Hermès introduces a daring concept: if time cannot be owned, why not wear it as a free item, choosing to look at it when desired?
Hermès does not seek to create the most precise or complex timepieces. Instead, they are bold enough to design watches that encourage reflection: what is time?
Whether it’s a time-lapse, a retrograde movement, or a piece of jewellery that conceals the time, each creation at Watches & Wonders 2025 expresses the same idea: time can be slowed, bent, hidden, or paused. Above all, it can become an extension of one's personality—not merely a tool to control life.
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