Hermès adds Blanc Chantilly and Bleu de Malte dials to the H08

Hermès has added two new dial variants to the H08, its men's sports watch. The Blanc Chantilly comes in a sunburst satin-brushed white, while the Bleu de Malte arrives in a rich Maltese blue. Both share the same 39mm cushion-shaped case.

The case is made of braided glass fibers with an aluminum-coated surface, a composite the maison first brought to the H08 in 2023. It makes the watch very light on the wrist, and its interwoven structure gives an almost textile-like texture.

That woven feel suits a house built on fabrics and leather. The brand began in 1837 as a harness-maker, never chased fashion, and today sets the ceiling for what leather goods can cost, from Birkins to Bolides.

What the new H08 is made of

To balance the raw fiberglass, Hermès tops the case with a ceramic bezel, finished in either the white or the Maltese blue. Mirror-polished chamfers on the bezel catch the light. Water resistance is rated at 100 meters, so a slip into the hotel pool is no concern.

The white dial is pared down and monochrome, with applied ruthenium-treated Arabic numerals filled with Super-LumiNova. The blue version is rhodium-plated and crystal-sandblasted, with blue accents that are punchier and play up the technical look of the composite materials.

On both models the hands are filled with Super-LumiNova, so readability is kept after dark. The date window is between four and five o'clock, integrated into the minute track. Enthusiasts may love or hate it, but it is neatly done.

The typeface was drawn from scratch to match the geometry of the case, with numeral loops that echo the cushion silhouette. Shape is something Hermès understands better than most watchmakers, and the lettering carries it onto the dial.

The movement and the strap

Flip the watch over and the automatic H1837 movement shows through a titanium and sapphire case back. It is not an off-the-shelf tractor movement, a point the source ties to Hermès's 25% stake in Vaucher.

The caliber measures just 3.7 mm thick and beats at 28,800 vph. Its power reserve is 50 hours, so an H08 rotated with another watch can survive a couple of evenings on the nightstand without needing a reset.

The strap is rubber, crisp white or deep Maltese blue depending on the version, and it integrates into the cushion case. Its surface echoes the woven look of the glass fiber. Hermès is famous for leather, yet does rubber exceptionally well.

Four years of the H08

The H08 first appeared in 2021, to eye-rolling from enthusiasts who told the maison to stick to making bags. Once it was on the wrist, its soft cushion shape and custom typeface won many over, and it became a staple of the Hermès men's collection.

Since then it has kept moving. The collection grew from an initial time-and-date piece into skeletons and sleek monopusher chronographs, and Hermès added titanium and ceramic configurations alongside the braided glass-fiber composite of 2023.

These two dials continue that run. Traditionalists who doubted the Parisian house five years ago now see new materials and bolder colors arrive, and the source notes a growing fan base around the line.

When we compared the icons in our guide to the best designer bags of all time, Hermès stood beside Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Saint Laurent. Our buying guide to Hermès handbags runs from the Birkin to the Kelly.

Hermès also ranks in the top five of our list of the most popular luxury brands online, with Dior, Gucci and Chanel ahead of it alongside Louis Vuitton. Our coverage of style follows launches like this watch.