It was in 1837 that Thierry Hermès founded the famous French company of the same name, a true family epic that quickly led to international expansion. An original speciality of saddle harness maker allows the company to put its signature on a new style of work to enhance the value of quality leather. Over the generations, the Hermès lineage has succeeded brilliantly in preserving the house’s equestrian tradition while diversifying its products in a constant modernity. Indeed, the skill of design very quickly extended to leather goods, ready-to-wear, interior decoration, watches and jewellery.
Hermès jewellery is characterised by a pure and modern design. The anchor chain in particular marks the jewelry of the 1940s, and legend has it that Robert Dumas, son-in-law of the company’s founder, took a stroll along the seashore to get the brilliant idea for it. In close collaboration with the jeweller Percin, he combined this new motif with the keyboard clasp to launch an abundant range of silver jewellery, whose success has continued for almost 80 years. The themes of the anchor, buckle and padlock are constantly renewed through inventive forms that denounce this art, unique to the house, of perfectly combining classicism and modernity.
Thus, rings, bracelets and pendants are the witnesses of a new wave heralding the era of discreet elegance. Hermès jewellery is thus able to anticipate the expectations of customers with the aim of constantly refining the Parisian silhouette. They are happy to set aside their family jewellery to follow the sporty style of the chic and audacious woman who forsakes gold for solid silver, gemstones for enamel with harmonious and colourful equestrian motifs.
Watchmaking interested the company’s founders in the late 1920s with the Ermeto model, the result of a collaboration with Movado. This success was followed by a wide range of watches produced in collaboration with major watch manufacturers such as Universal Genève or Jaeger-Lecoutre, with the famous Etrier watch that caused a sensation in the 1960s. The company created its subsidiary La Montre Hermès SA in 1978, which opened its doors to popular and durable collections such as the famous Arceau, the sporty Clipper, the elegant Heure H and the prestigious automatic Dressage watch.
Aguttes regularly presents Hermès watches, bracelets, rings, pendants and bags at its prestige sales. A gracious expertise is offered to estimate and confirm the authenticity of these timeless pieces of elegance that always find a buyer at our auctions.
