Hermès H08: The Future of the Luxury Field Watch? 

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Incorporating all the basics ; symmetry, proportions, balance, a work of art.

The number 8 will never be changed. This is called Chaine D’Ancre and is one of the Hermes logos that has been around since the late 1930s. Hermes enthusiasts can easily spot this. It is in many Hermes Jewelry designs, belts, straps and footwear.

I think Hermes is following Cartier, and Bulgari into becoming not only a luxury item brand but also a respectable watchmaker with a great horology division.

I tried this one in April and saying I was really surprised is an understatement. I’ve tried new releases from Rolex, Tudor, Omega… and this H08 is the one that speaks to me the most this year and it’s on my shortlist for my next milestone :) And it’s not only the watch, it’s the creativity taken by the brand, the experience in their stores. Really nice people who don’t push to buy X products before getting the one you want! Great video 👏🏻

This watch is an Aquanaut killer. Love it. Another great video IDGuy.

The “8” is a representation of a link in an Hermes chain - the absolute core image of its design language

Thanks for your Great Review ! This watch is Awesome ! Best regards from Switzerland 👍

In a world where a two tone Rolex explorer exists, a luxury field watch might be just hitting the contemporary nail on the head.

A great evaluation by you as always. I agree, a left-field watch which caters for a need I didn't know I had. A great aesthetic and very cohesive piece. Every time I say that I've bough my last watch. Something intriguing suddenly comes along.

What an intelligent discussion. I'm a fan of this watch - a watch that has been designed by legit designers, not a marketing committee. It's a quality piece too - very good movement, no reason this won't last the test of time. And of course, Hermes do have respectable history in watches. To me, it makes the lack of innovative, original design coming from the mainstream manufacturers seem lazy. By all means have classics and renditions, but they should innovate too.

Already bought mine second hand in pristine condition. Couldn’t be happier with the outstanding look this thing has!!!

I like it! A simple reaction I know but isn’t that what we truly depend on when deciding on a watch. Great video as always! Thanks

Great, now I find myself needing an all-terrain field watch 😅 another top notch take! 👏 Bravo!

Nice. I love the numbers!

H08 is a future classic. Congrats.

I enjoyed the video and as one of the first owners of the Hermès H08 I’d agree with most of what you have said. I’d disagree on the comment about the micro adjust - to me it made the difference between being able to wear this watch or not. Super useful. Which brings me to the only criticism I have and that’s of the strap length. I asked the sales agent at the Hermès store if French men have giant wrists, as it does appear that Hermès has used wrist measurements that won’t work for most men. With a 17cm wrist, I have the micro adjust at the most closed fit and the last hole on the strap used for this to be wearable. The strap is just too long. Hermès can’t tell me when spare straps in smaller sizes will be available. I love this timepiece and everything about it is a hit save for the strap length.

I truly like that one. It is classic, elegant and daring at the same time. Loafers, linen shirt, mojitos and the orange leather strap... I can smell the ocean breeze..

I love the H08. I‘ll try to check it out in the metal one of these days, but by all accounts it‘s selling extremely well.

Another wonderful video IDGuy. I really like the ascetics of this watch. It will be interesting to see if the rest of the watch buying public will like it as much as I do.

Yeah it's interesting that it ties into recent fashion trends - "high fashion utility" is a thing now with luxury field jackets, bomber jackets, safari looks etc. I quite like the watch but the handset disappears into the dial too much for my liking, especially for a field watch.

Had that clasp on my Formex Essence, I do like the look and I’m a sucker for orange. The font and dial is also sharp.

Great review.

I see the Direnzo DRZ-03 In the Hermes D08. I have the green dial variant. I couldn't help but order an orange rubber waffle strap after seeing this video. They go so well together with the almost orange lume.

Thinness of the case aside, I find the orange version just as attractive as a Patek Aquanaut. In the perfect world however, I would prefer it without the date window, though it is very discrete.

It’s actually very comfortable on wrist. Nice one.

I own a recently purchased Octo Finissimo (as well as a DayDate 40 in white gold olive dial that cost five times as much and a black dialled 116500LN and some other 'lesser' Rolex pieces) - all long term company 'investments' and not mine to wear, so to speak, but I do have the feel of them on the wrist to compare. And day to day, on the wrist, the Octo kinda takes it over the way more expensive Rolexes. I can wear it out and about and nobody notices, it's super cool to look at and I love the technical achievement of that movement. Got the bracelet sized last week and the somewhat jaded watch dealer was so excited to see one in the metal. And looking at that Hermes with the orange strap I'd be very tempted to get one of those as well, if I had the money to spend. It's just a good looking thing, y'know? There's too much snobbery around watch brands for me (don't get me wrong, I know what to buy to hold value or perhaps make a buck, and I understand why Rolex is so deservedly the world's number one brand), so if you like it, put it on your wrist and wear it. Plus both Bulgari and Hermes are great brands, IF you like that sort of thing. I definitely would.

Hope to get one someday

The sound quality is just incredible.

That deployment buckle is a Formex design, they hold the patent. You can actually buy an unbranded versions from Long Island watches (which I have for a Colareb strap), very comfortable design I must say

Great review. 🥃

I viewed the review from Alexander at WatchAdvisor. Hermes was way off my radar until this point for watches. Hermes watch division have been acquiring the expertise to produce mechanical watches and certainly seem to be taking this very seriously, The H08 is a the result of this work so far and in my humble opinion has done a great job. The overall design is by today's standards is different from the mainstream. Hermes is now well and truly on my radar. I will wait a tad to see how the watch division moves away and upward from a brand that makes had bags and other fashion items to form it's own identity and that is possibly the biggest hurdle right now. It's not impossible though, go back many years and a certain brand that made all sorts of things from integrated circuits (silicon chips) to value compact cassette recorders (remember those?), this company now is one of the biggest players in the high end smart phone market battling Apple and still makes washing machines and refrigerators. To use the term appropriate for this case with Hermes " time will tell". I for one wish them the very best of luck.

If the Cartier Cle is the more "classy" update of the 70s design, The Hermes H08 looks more like the "modern" update of the 70s design. I really like it on the bracelet! *edit* If given the choice, I'd still pick the Octo (whichever iteration) over the H08 for now though. - Han

I really like some of the numerals, I know you're not keen but I love the 8 and the 6. The orange strap really suits the watch. Im just not 100% convinced by the shape of the case. It's just a little too Belll and Rossy.

It has credibility and a high co-efficient of bangability 😊

I think to call them a fashion watch, even a high fashion watch does them a disservice as they are not just slapping a basic ETA or Selllita movement into the cases, they are using very good third party movements that would put a lot of the established brands to shame.

Thank you. I thought this was an insightful, observant, and carefully considered presentation. Thank you particularly for seeing the watch rather than its nearly infinitesimal and often insignificant differences from the watch with whom it is having martinis. Clearly, there is none here. This one does stand apart. I wish to mention that I like the “8,” particularly seated at the bar next to the “9.” Also, you’ve made me see the Octo Finissimo afresh. (I’ve tried to buy one several times, but I can’t convince myself to close. I’m sure enough of the watch, that it is sufficiently admirable in design and sufficiently handsome - not beautiful but handsome, which can be hard to come by. I’m just not sure that it’s “me.” Same with the Hermès.)

Excellent video. Love hearing you in your ID element and really applying it to this watch.

That was a very good look at the new Hermès which I find interesting and which keeps drawing me in.

Like the 'inside' second track, centered, symmetric second hand.

I'm a big fan of the Cartier dos Santos and JLC Reverso, so maybe I'm predisposed. But I really like this.

Your voice sounds ever so slightly different. This is an interesting watch. Since thinking about it, it's also made me consider another brands watches, which is Bvlgari.

Think I'd enjoy a (largely) scaled up version of the watch head as a wall clock, like a reverse Mondaine.

Hi ID guy hope you read my message as you committed a small misstep on the description - the slightly different 8 number is not due to case size restriction rather an intentional decision - you can see it in all 8 and the way the 6 and 9 close too. Why? This is the Hermes emblematic buckle shape - its a Hermes fashion recognizable feature. Not a mistake at all. And i think this gives actually the watch a very elegant Hermes stamp even if very field inspired. Furthermore you talk about the price - quite affordable taking into account materials used as titanium grade 5 and black gold pvd on dial, plus the in house Hermes movement.

Hamilton W10 is an amazing watch that can be bought cheaply in the second hand market

Stylistically the H08 is right up my alley. Then I thought to myself, what if the Hermès logo was replaced with Fossil or Nixon? Would I still dig the design and consider owning one? Answer: yeah, sure. Even if this had been the product of a microbrand, I'd still think it looks cool 😎. Nevertheless, well done, Hermès 👍

I am getting a "bought as a gift for you by a trophy wife/girlfriend in Dubai airport with your own money whilst buying a new bag for her" vibe off it.

Beautiful watch. Even if someone tries to make an hommage, will miss many layers of its character

Nice the idea of the apple watch design but brought into the high end mechanical watches

Great addition

Nice video mate 🥃🌴🏄🏻‍♂️🇺🇸

‘Hopefully it will drive a lot more attention to the Hermes brand’ … I don’t want to be pedantic, but why would one want to hope that? I think the brand itself is doing very well isn’t it?

I wish JLC had gone more in this direction with their adaptation of the Polaris.

the octo is hideous. this one is a stunner.

Some measure of Art Deco in this one?

Yes, interesting Design. More consequent is tomstig away from horology and focus on the Apple Watch Hermès. Clear differentiation etc. By the way similar is the bell and Ross, but nices

I would suggest that this would not even appear on most watch enthusiast radar simply because of the brand name. I'm sure that it will sell to those who float through Hermes boutiques dropping thousands of dollars like I might wander up a grocery store aisle. I appreciate the design language, but I can't take this brand seriously as a watch maker. I don't agree with some of the comments here that suggest Hermes will follow Cartier on Bulgari however. Firstly we must separate Cartier as they are a well developed watch maker. Bulgari at least is a jeweler. Hermes is what it is. I don't need to describe them. Great presentation though.

These brands show that most historic watch manufacturers have been resting on there laurels for quite some time - and are still getting away with it. With the current Santos bracelet in existence, people should gather before PP headquarters with pitchforks and torches (figuratively speaking) for them going from screws to pin sleeves on the nautilus. But nope, it's 100+k instead... Thanks for highlighting the innovations of the "also watchmakers".

I like that watch at 5:15. What is it?

Interesting watch. But, would you buy it? Where does it sit on your list? Does not make my list. I have other retro watches on my list. I have other "tool" watches on my list. I am not hip. I am, after all the same age as your father.

Look like Seven Friday

The numeral font design is great to me. The 3, 4, 6, 8 and 9 are outstanding and so unique. The rest of the watch is pretty meh 😒 It’s a very, very, very expensive fashion watch and if it had Kenneth Cole’s name on the dial it wouldn’t seem out of place.

H08is an instant classic. Poor man’s Aquanaut. Huge bargain at $5500

I quite like the watch, however I’m not sure it looks it’s price. It doesn’t look like a 6k+ watch to me. If I had unlimited money, I’d pick one up, especially as a summer, active watch. It really does look like a luxury field watch, but I don’t really see that market space. I’d rather have many other watches as my “luxury” watch for 6k, and I’d rather have many other field watches just because they are less pricey so I could more easily justify using it for hiking, biking, etc. But I must say Hermès is becoming a real watch brand, and I respect and like them for that.

A field watch (or any watch for that matter) should be appealing to the eye and easily read with the flick of the wrist. I find this example puts fashion over versatility and therefore would be classified as more fashion jewelry than a tool watch. They need to take some design hints from the Omega sea master 300, Hamilton Khaki field watch or the Rolex Explorer. These examples in my opinion do an outstanding on of combining fashion and utility as they could be worn with a suit or tie to jeans and a T-shirt.

I like the design except for the numbers. Some of them feel odd and I could say not gracef especially the 4s and 2s.

Bell&ross

From an investment standpoint… these are going for 1/3-1/2 of retail…

I am surprised by the choice of material from Hermes in their watches. For $300 a strap one would have chosen Silicone instead of rubber that is not durable! beautiful watch though!

everyday person??? ...everyday people don't get luxury watches

A... CASE STUDY. *drumroll*

"Luxury" Field Watch says it all... An absolute triumph of form over function... Will be a big hit with the silly-beard, turned-up-jeans brigade who tell the time from their smart-phone. Stick to handbags, Hermes.

Fashion and Field Watch just dont belong in the same sentence . It just too hipster , for many that will be the selling point , and for many it wont , think Marmite.

The date window placement and execution is awful. Would be so much cleaner without it.

Hermes>Herpes

Good video, nasty watch.... The font is an eyesore and the idea of an "urban field watch" is an oxymoron. IMHO it's a fashion brand just trying to cash in - for a couple hundred quid I'd expect them to sell loads, and for them to be in the charity shops in a few years with their handbags and stuff. Any higher price & folks will buy watches from known watch brands... Maybe coz I'm not seeing it with an industrial designer's eye I'm missing something, but to a simple, unsophisticated country boy it's just a bit naff. - the Octofinissimo (sorry for the spelling) gets a pass because it's not " vanilla" but daring, which is what I'd expect. Cheers Mate 👍🏻