The Hermès Cape Cod H1 Grandes Heures wristwatch is a timepiece so bold as to alter the nature of time itself. It does this not by manipulating the space-time continuum but rather through the clever placement of the hour markers on the face, which appear to stretch some parts of the day while abbreviating others. So if, like most, you enjoy a long lunch and an evening cocktail, there is a model that extends from 12:00 to 2:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 around most of the dial while compressing those unnecessary blocks of time in between to barely noticeable blips. (Six different versions lengthen your perception of the workday, naps, a sailing session on the Cape, depending on your needs. Price tag: $9,500.)
"Time is a luxury, the most precious material, and with this watch you are the one who decides what to do with your time," Emmanuel Raffner, chief executive officer and president of La Montre Hermès SA, explains. Various cams regulate the speed of the hour hand so it always travels from one hour to the next in 60 minutes, regardless of distance. The watch also features the brand's first exclusive movement, the H1 calibre, which is the product of five years' collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier — a Swiss watchmaker in which Hermès bought a stake in 2006.
The time-bending Grandes Heures may not be the most effortless read at a glance, but fortunately the H1 experience is predicated on leaving the rat race behind.
