2003 saw the birth of the Dressage collection.
Since 2012, all the timepieces in this collection beat to the rhythm of exclusive Manufacture movements and testify to Hermès’ enduring passion for fine mechanisms. These high standards reflect the quest for excellence pursued by the House since its founding in 1837 and embody the passion for technical refinement that has pervaded the rich history of Hermès for over 100 years.
The latest creation in this resolutely elegant line, the Dressage chronograph comes in two versions: one with an opaline silvered dial and a matt havana alligator strap; and the other with a black dial and a matt black alligator strap. Beneath its simple appearance, the dial reveals a number of subtly orchestrated details. It plays with volumes through vertical lines stamped across its centre, along with raised applied hour-markers that catch and hold the light. Finally, an inner bezel ring accentuates the overall depth effect.
At its heart beats the Manufacture H1925 movement named in reference to 1925, the date when the first chronographs bearing the Hermès signature appeared. Like the other Manufacture movements from the Maison, its circular-grained and snailed bridges are hand-finished and its oscillating weight features a sprinkling of “Hs”. Surrounding this finely crafted mechanism is a tonneau-shaped case with taut lines and a wealth of distinctive details. Firmly joined to the case, the inimitably designed attachments merge seamlessly into the curving shape of the case middle, while the round shape of the elements occupying the spaces between the lugs is inspired by the equestrian world of Hermès and shaped like stirrup bars. Selected with the meticulous care one would expect from a saddle- and harness-maker, the leather straps are indeed crafted like harnesses, painstakingly padded and saddle-stitched within the specialised La Montre Hermès workshops in Bienne.