Hermès Turns a New Calendar Page with Slim d'Hermès Quantième Perpétuel in Titanium

Five years after introducing the first perpetual calendar model to its elegant Slim d'Hermès collection in 2015, La Montre Hermès follows up that rose-gold-cased timepiece with two new models that marry precious-metal bezels — one in 5N rose gold, the other in 950 platinum — to bead-blasted grade 5 titanium cases. Here's a closer look at this week's Watch to Watch, the Slim d'Hermès Quantième Perpétuel.

Also new on these titanium-cased references are the anthracite-colored dials, which feature hour numerals in a distinctive, elegant font created by Parisian graphic designer Philippe Apeloig. The watch’s broad, harmoniously balanced dial has a four-year display that indicates months and leap years (at 9 o'clock), subdials for a dual-time/GMT function and date (at 6 o'clock and 12 o'clock, respectively), and a moon-phase indication with a white mother-of-pearl moon disk against an aventurine sky (at 3 o'clock). On the model with the platinum bezel, most of the baton hands are rhodiumed; on the model with rose-gold bezel, they are gold-plated. On both versions, the hour numerals are silver toned and the GMT hand is blue-lacquered.

The Slim d' Hermès Quantième Perpétuel is outfitted with the Hermès Caliber 1950, produced by the Swiss movement specialists at Vaucher, in which Hermès holds an ownership stake. This version of the movement is also enhanced with a perpetual calendar from Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his team at Aghenor, who have worked on other signature Hermès complications such as the Arceau le Temps Suspendu. With the module, the caliber measures just 4 mm in thickness despite its host of functions. It uses a microrotor for its automatic winding system, beats at 21,600 vph and stores a power reserve of 42 hours, and its haute horlogerie decorations include hand-chamfered bridges and a "sprinkling" of the brand’s hallmark “H” motif.

The smooth round case measures 39.5 mm in diameter and includes a pusher for easy adjustment of the calendar functions in addition to the crown (either in rose gold or white gold), as well as the thin, right-angled lugs common to the Slim d'Hermès family. These lugs attach the case to a matte graphite-colored alligator strap (Hermès leather, of course), which fastens to the wrist with a pin buckle made of the same precious metal as the bezel. Both versions are priced at $33,600 and arrive at authorized retailers in Spring 2021.