Introducing: The Hermès Cut — Arriving Fashionably Late To The Integrated-Bracelet Party

It’s very difficult to come up with an original watch design these days. Almost everything has been done by now…or so we tend to think. But every once in a while, we come across a new watch that proves the opposite. The new Hermès Cut is exactly one of those watches. It has a very subtle case shape, which is characterized by four cuts on both flanks, top and bottom. It comes on an integrated bracelet and with no fewer than eight different rubber strap options. And, as befits Hermès, it features a couple of very thoughtful details.

You could say this new Hermès Cut is arriving fashionably late to the integrated-bracelet party. There are already numerous very nice high-end, low-end, and vintage options out there if you’re looking for such a watch. But Hermès does things differently. That became very clear to me when I visited the brand’s manufacture at the end of last year. So let’s take a look at the new Cut and see what’s so different about it.

The Hermès Cut

To start, the Cut comes in a perfectly unisex 36mm size. Admittedly, the brand lists this as a women’s watch, but you’ll see in this review that men can most certainly wear it too. It’s 10mm thick, and I measured a 42mm distance between the ends of the integrated end links. The watch comes in four configurations. There are two all-steel versions, one of which is set with 56 diamonds on the bezel. The other two versions come in steel with a rose gold bezel and crown. Again, one of those two features the 56 diamonds on the bezel. Today, I’ll mainly focus on the all-steel model since that’s the one I think you would be most interested in.

All versions share the same carefully shaped or cut cushion case. At first sight, the circularly satin-brushed case looks like it’s almost completely round. But when you compare it to the round bezel up top, you’ll notice the slightly flatter sides, top, and bottom. Those areas have been perfectly polished, and their oval shape is resembled by the links on the bracelet. The push/pull crown is placed in the top-right corner. I guess that’s so it doesn’t mess with the characteristic case shape too much. Depending on the version, it’s signed with an orange or simply engraved “H.”

Sporty numerals

The Cut comes with a bright opaline silver dial. The standout feature here is those in-house-manufactured applied numerals. They’re perfectly in proportion, lumed, and distinctly Hermès. I also feel they add to the Cut’s rather sporty character. What’s also very on point are the orange five-minute markers on the inner chapter ring and the orange dot on the seconds hand. That dot even lights up in the dark, just like the lume on the rounded hour and (partly skeletonized) minute hand.

Inside the Cut, you’ll find automatic caliber H1912, which was developed and manufactured by Vaucher. This movement runs at a 28,800vph frequency, features 28 jewels, and holds a power reserve of 50 hours. The mainplate has thorough perlage decoration, and the rotor and bridges show a satin finish and the signature Hs all over them. You can take a look at the fine finishing through the exhibition case back. And even though it doesn’t say so on the case back, the Hermès Cut is water resistant to 10 bar, making it perfectly safe to wear while swimming.

A (user-)friendly watch

Now that we’ve turned the watch around, it’s time to look at some of its nifty features. On the back of the attached end links, you’ll find a button with narrow ridges. Pushing that button with your fingernail allows you to easily take off the bracelet or rubber strap. I almost feel like any contemporary watch should have such a feature by now.

The H-link bracelet on the Cut matches the satin-brushed and polished finish on the case. The end link that’s attached to the case starts at a width of 21mm, and it tapers down to 18mm at the push-button-operated butterfly clasp. The rubber strap tapers to 17mm at the buckle. For that rubber strap, you can choose between eight different colors. My choice would be the signature orange one as it matches the accents on the dial. But you can also go for pearl gray, pewter gray, wisteria (violet), grasshopper green, denim blue, nasturtium gold, and glycine (pink). 

And it’s not just easy to change out the straps. Hermès also put a quick-release push pin inside the strap’s signed buckle. That way, you won’t have to fiddle with the pin when you’re putting it on a different-colored strap. That’s a clever and very user-friendly feature, I’d say.

Final thoughts

I’ll just go ahead and say it — I really like the new Hermès Cut. The way it sits on my wrist reminds me a lot of my Cartier Santos. It might not be very big, but in combination with its rounded shape, it’s very comfortable. The overall finishing of the watch is great too. The bracelet is very well made, and it matches the original case shape perfectly. And the same goes for the colorful matte rubber straps. After I visited the Hermès manufacture, I concluded that it showed me that the brand is taking watchmaking very seriously. This new release fully confirms that conclusion, especially with all its nifty and user-friendly features.

The Hermès Cut in stainless steel on a rubber strap goes for €5,400, and on the bracelet, it’ll cost you €5,900. Honestly, for a watch from such a respected brand, at this level of quality, and with this feature set, I think that’s a fair price. That’s especially evident when you compare it to something like the new Tambour from Louis Vuitton, which sells for a minimum of €19,500.

The two-tone version of the Cut starts at €8,000 on a rubber strap, and prices go up to €17,600 for the two-tone gem-set version on a matching bracelet. If you’d like any further information, I recommend visiting the closest Hermès boutique.

Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Cut by Hermès.