Hitting the refresh button on the iconic Nantucket watch.
Ingenious design doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, a creative twist on a classic can produce outstanding results that endure.
Rectangular watch faces were not considered revolutionary by the 1990s but Hermès designer Henri d’Origny had a fresh take that pushed the boundaries of imagination – a “rectangle within a rectangle”. The result was the charismatic Nantucket watch launched in 1991. Inspired by the anchor chain links of the Chaîne d’ancre bracelet, an Hermès classic imagined by Robert Dumas in 1938, the refreshing design sought its own expression of the “Anchor Chain” shape with its half-links enclosing the case.
30 years on, the Nantucket watch retains its assertive elegance and radiant femininity, but with two new interpretations that pursue the same spirit of innovation.
Nantucket Chaîne d’Ancre
A deep dive into its original inspiration, the new Nantucket Chaîne d’Ancre, available in steel or rose gold, merges the iconic link case seamlessly into a supple linked bracelet. At 17x23mm, the watch maintains its sleek silhouette while running on a Swiss-made quartz movement.
The rose gold rendition exudes elegance with its natural white mother-of-pearl face enclosed in antiglare sapphire glass. There is a choice of a more dazzling version with two diamond-set chatons complementing a jewellery setting of 186 diamonds on the case.
At the same dimensions and fitted with the same movement, the steel version features a blasted rhodium-plated dial set with 35 diamonds paired with “jeté de diamants” – a playful “sprinkle” of 55 diamonds. The alternative is a more classic numbered dial that is opaline silver-plated.
Nantucket Jeté de Chaîne d’Ancre
If you’re taken by the Maison’s anchor chain motif but prefer a leather band, the Nantucket Jeté de Chaîne d’Ancre has novel details that might get you hooked.
The detail on the 17×23 mm steel case is both delicate and precious. 48 diamonds set in the iconic “Anchor Chain” motif casually “fly” across the rhodium-plated, sand-blasted dial, extending from dial to case, where another 41 diamonds are set asymmetrically.
Running on a Swiss-made quartz movement, the airy lightness of its form matches the ease of use. Paired with your choice of a 10mm leather strap in alligator or calf leather, there is a colour and finish for every taste.
Images courtesy of Hermès, artwork by Curatedition.
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