Jony Ive talks about the origins of the Hermès Apple Watch collection
- sep
- 11
In a new interview, Jony Ive and Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas went in-depth on the partnership between the two companies to create the Hermès edition Apple Watch. Apple and Hermès evidently started talking about collaborating on a new edition of the device before the watch was even announced to the public.
From The Wall Street Journal:
To make Apple Watch Hermès, Apple had to break some traditions. Mr. Ive approached Hermès about collaborating on a watch last year, before Apple had announced its first wearable device.
Apple chose Hermès in part because it signals that the Apple Watch can be not only a tech product, but a luxury fashion item as well. On the other hand, Hermès chose to partner with Apple to show that the fashion house can embrace modern culture and technology.
Hermès, too, has something to gain from working with Apple: proving that its 178-year-old brand can be contemporary. Hermès bags and other leather goods are still made by hand in small factories in France. Watches have been part of its collection for 90 years.
"We are a new tradition and an age-old tradition, and we meet at the center of the arch," said Mr. Dumas, 49.
The Hermès Apple Watch collection was announced earlier this week at Apple's iPhone event. The watches come in three different styles: The Double Tour, Single Tour, in multiple band colors and watch sizes, and the Cuff, which features the 42mm Apple Watch. The collection also features custom faces with with Hermès branding, and using the same fonts that the fashion house uses for its own watches.
The collection will start at $1,100, and will be available beginning in October.
Source: The Wall Street Journal (Paywall)
