The history of Hermès Cape Cod watches began in 1991 when designer Henri d’Origny came up with the square within a rectangle formula for the case, lugs and dial.
More than 30 years later, Hermès is bringing a thoroughly modern concept to the Cape Cod “Crépuscule”, which has a dial made from the type of silicon wafer used in microelectronic semiconductors.
The dials are created from a single 0.5mm thick plate, which is coated with a tiny 72-nanometre film of silicon nitride which becomes an intense blue colour.
Next is photo-lithography stage, during which the wafer is exposed to a blue light so as to print the pattern.
The process involves several successive baths, before a gold-coating stage, followed by other baths to remove any superfluous material.
Finally, the plate is precisely cut to the shape of the 29mm x 29mm steel case of the Cape Cod watch housing a Swiss-made quartz movement.
