Hermès takes an elegant watch and gives it sporting credentials – and I've never wanted anything more
The new, larger Cape Cod could be a watch of the year contender
Quick Summary
Think dress watches can't do sporty? Think again!
The Hermès Cape Cod is given a sporting glow up in its latest revision.
When you think of luxurious, rectangular watches, chances are adjectives like "elegant" or "classy" come to mind. Many of us will instantly picture the iconic Cartier Tank in this arena.
Another player is the Hermès Cape Cod, and that's just been given a sporty makeover which belies the elegant traditions of the model. For starters, this new version is crafted with a titanium case.
That should make it impressively lightweight on the wrist, particularly when paired with the range of rubber straps which this model is offered on. But it also means we get a deeper grey tone on the case, which is really smart to look at.
That's paired with a black dial, which is set over two tiers with a central square cutout. The indices are applied Arabic numerals, and use a similar font to that employed on the Hermès H08 models. There's also an aperture for a date window at six o'clock.
The central pinion holds hour and minute hands in a baton shape, with Super-LumiNova inside. The seconds hand is slimmer, and finished in the brand's signature orange hue.
Inside, the model is powered by a Manufacture calibre H1912. That's impressively small, sitting just 23.8mm across and 3.9mm thick, while still offering an impressive 45 hours of power reserve from a 4Hz beat rate.
The 41mm case is known as "Extra Large" in the Cape Cod collection, and should give significant presence on the wrist. Still, it doesn't look huge in the photos, and I'd hope for it to wear a little more elegantly than some square watches mange to.
Personally, I'm a really big fan. The Cape Cod is a gorgeous watch collection, but that doesn't mean it can't also have a change of personality. Based on impressions alone, it seems to do an equally good job as both a sports watch and something altogether more dressy.
Priced at £6,340 (approx. €7,400 / US$8,500 / AU$12,200) this feels like a nice addition to a box of Rolex, Omega and Grand Seiko models for when you need something with a little more personality.
