For 2017, French high fashion and luxury goods manufacturer Hermes introduces a platinum version of its perpetual calendar watch, the Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine. The brand released an earlier rose gold model, so while we are not talking about an outright novelty, it is a chance to discuss a watch we have not covered before. It also, once again, inevitably raises the always lively debate regarding fashion brands legitimacy as watchmakers. But well mostly stick to discussing the watch itself.To their credit, Hermes is too proud to be content relying on its name recognition to sell only quartz fashion watches, but insists instead on making some distinctive and interesting pieces with specs to satisfy horological snobs. More known for making watch straps than watches, the last product from Hermes we covered was actually the high-end leather bands they made for the Apple Watch. Hermes, in fact, produces high-end watches that are often distinctive for their signature whimsical touch in terms of style and design, and even in terms of mechanics, such as the Le Temps Suspendu watch, as you might recall. The Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine, on the other hand, has a lighthearted and minimalistic look with those playful numerals, but a traditional set of complications and serious horology going on behind the dial. The H1950 movement inside was developed by Vaucher for Hermes as an ultra-thin movement for use in the Slim dHermes line of watches. It features a micro-rotor for automatic winding, operates at 3Hz (21,600) with a 42-hour power reserve, and has a sprinkling of Hs on its hand-beveled plates and bridges. Other more basic watches in the Slim dHermes collection also feature the H1950 movement, so the perpetual calendar on the Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine watch comes courtesy of an Agenhor module.La Montre Hermes S.A. is the companys watchmaking subsidiary based in Bienne, Switzerland, with a financial stake in movement-maker Vaucher. La Montre Hermes also acquired its own case and dial makers to claim fully integrated watch manufacturing capability right down to the straps, of course. The way the different elements of the Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine watch come together make this is a good picture of how the Swiss watch industry so often works.Hermes H1950 movement by Voucher found in the Slim dHermes watches.With a movement only 4mm thick (thats actually 2.6mm plus the 1.4mm module), not to mention residing in the Slim dHermes collection, the Hermes Slim dHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine watch is obviously going to be thin. Unfortunately, Hermes doesnt provide the measurement on just how thin, but knowing that the 30m-water-resistant case is a discreet 39.5mm wide (same width as the three-hand Slim dHermes models), we can get some sense of its overall dimensions. The brands images do not include one of the caseback, but we are told that it provides a view of the attractively decorated H1950 movement. Aside from the time and perpetual calendar, the Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine watch includes a moon phase indicator (as so many perpetual calendars do) with mother-of-pearl moon against aventurine sky, as well as a second time zone subdial in 12-hour format at 6 oclock with accompanying day-night indicator window. Its that small, round aperture at the subdials 12:30. Though I usually prefer to see a running seconds hand, and would also find a day-of-the-week indicator useful on a watch like this, we wouldnt want to clutter things up too much, now would we? If you dont know, a perpetual calendar keeps track of all the quirks of the Gregorian calendar, including varying number of days in a month and even leap years. So as long as you keep the watch running and in good condition, at least theoretically, it will stay accurate for a long time.It is too easy for watch enthusiasts to dismiss watches from brands like Hermes as fashion brands and miss out on some otherwise interesting products. These brands should have expertise in design, at the very least, and that is something some established watch makers sometimes could use a little more of. The Hermes Slim DHermes Quantieme Perpetuel Platine comes on an Abyss blue alligator strap to match the blue dial for a price of 33,500 or US $39,900 (euros obviously being the way to go). hermes.com [...]