Introducing Hermès H08 Bleu de Malte & Blanc Chantilly

Hermès has released two new versions of its H08 sports watch. It feels like the H08 has lived a lot of lives in the five years since it was originally released at Watches & Wonders 2021, and these latest releases bring yet another new look to a line that has expanded pretty steadily since then. Here, we have two new versions of the H08, each in a braided glass fibre composite case, but where previous watches that have used this material have coated it in a dark blend of aluminium and slate, with these new watches, Hermès has dropped the slate dust.

The result is a lighter, brighter finish, complemented by ceramic accents in either bright blue or white. The blue watch also comes equipped with a rhodium-plated, "crystal sandblasted" textured dial, with blue details matching the ceramic bezel, while the white watch has a lacquered white dial. Each has details in Hermès' signature orange.

Beyond the new finish and colour, these are largely the H08 as we have come to know it, with a cushion-shaped 39mm x 39mm case, rubber strap, Hermès' hallmark rounded numerals, and powered by the automatic Hermès Manufacture movement H1837, a movement created exclusively for Hermès by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier.

Prices for each of these new versions of the H08 sit at A$13,400.

This is a pretty straightforward case of a new colourway, but a new colourway done extremely well. The H08 has existed in a funny position for Hermès since its release half a decade ago, because while it may just be the best watch in Hermès's lineup (it's certainly the one I find most compelling — although I have always had a thing for a double-tour Cape Cod), watches are still not what most people think of when it comes to Hermès.

That's not to say I feel the H08 should supplant the Birkin as the brand's flagship product any time soon, but I do think it has been slightly relegated to being a stepping stone towards that eventual purchase, and that absolutely sells this watch short. Among sports watches released this decade, the H08 is one of the few to have carved a genuinely novel identity — one that doesn't feel derivative or iterative of something that came before. That alone would be worth celebrating, but it certainly helps that new releases of the watch continue to be very good, and this latest pair is no exception.

Brand: Hermès
Model: H08 Bleu de Malte and Blanc Chantilly
Reference Number:

Diameter: 39mm x 39mm
Thickness:
Case Material: Braided glass fibre composite case coated with aluminium, with a ceramic bezel.
Dial Colour: Rhodium-plated crystal sandblasted dial with blue minute track or white lacquered dial with grey minute track
Indexes: Applied ruthenium-plated Arabic numerals
Lume: Yes, on hands and numerals
Water Resistance: 100 metres
Strap/Bracelet: Integrated rubber strap with titanium folding clasp

Calibre: Hermès Manufacture H1837, produced by Vaucher
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Diameter: 26mm
Thickness: 3.7mm
Power Reserve: 50 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: A$13,400, US$8,600
Availability: Exclusively through Hermès
Limited Edition: No

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