The Hermés Dressage L’heure masquée is a very unusual watch. Just looking at the dial, you should notice something missing, one of the hands. How does one tell time on a mechanical watch that comes with only one hand?
The watch features a clever design that hides the hour hand beneath the minute hand. When the crown is pushed, the hour hand snaps from under the minute hand, pointing at the appropriate hour; see picture below. Since this is a GMT watch, it should come with a second time zone, which is also hidden at the 6 o’clock position. When the crown is pushed, the letters “GMT” are replaced by the time in the second zone. The second time zone is adjusted by a pusher at the 9 o’clock position on the case. Releasing the crown hides the hour hand and the second time zone.
The Hermés Dressage L’heure masquée watches come in 40.5 mm cases, in either steel or rose gold. The steel version is limited to 1,000 pieces and priced at $19,500 while the rose gold version is limited to 500 pieces and priced at $44,000.
These watches feature a pretty neat design and are a good party trick. I like the fact that watch manufacturers are coming up with unique ways to differentiate their watches. These functions don’t necessarily add to the functionality of the watches but it keeps us watch enthusiasts interested. Via: Hermes
