Hermès reopens its Melbourne boutique, and it’s as elegant as you would expect
Borna BošnjakA boutique opening (or in this instance, reopening) can be just that, but that’s not how Hermès does things. Rather than simply announcing it through their social channels, the Melbourne team presented the renovated boutique with the drop of a perfectly starched curtain on Wednesday morning to reveal the new windows of Harley House, which Jamie and I were in attendance for.
The Maison is certainly best known for its leather goods, most notably its handbags, with the most popular designs neatly scattered about to imbue just a bit of that Birkin envy. But you’re here for the watches – and you’ll be happy to know that the 71 Collins Street location (which is just up the road from the Time+Tide Discovery Studio) not only houses Hermès’ range of Apple products but also actual wristwatches.
There’s of course the new Cut collection that debuted during this year’s Watches and Wonders, but I was immediately drawn to the H08, a watch I’ve long wanted to experience in the flesh but never really had the chance to. Though it’s meant to be Hermès’ sportiest model, this rich rose gold and titanium was my pick of the bunch.
Enjoy your weekend!
Borna and the Time+Tide team
Watch meme of the week: Return of the Prodigal Son
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Horological Dicktionary has returned with a wonderfully topical take, after a near two-month absence that helped end the dearth of low-quality horolomemes.
Wristshot of the week: from Mini0n to Underd0g
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I’ll preface this with saying that I despise the Minions. The cartoons are somewhat palatable despite the overt reliance on jokes about flatulence, but their ascent into the realm of the ultimate Facebook boomer meme has made them unbearable. But when Richard Benc of Studio Underd0g shared this snapshot on Instagram, I gained a newfound appreciation for the ol’ “everybody has to start somewhere”. Though it’s equipped with the lanceur de disque haute horlogerie complication, I’m glad Richard decided to go in the direction he did.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Fears Brunswick 40 Aurora
Fears is a traditional brand in many ways – one that’s proud of its long-standing heritage, and building on it as if it never went away. But every once in a while, the Bristol company releases something unexpected, and a fully mother-of-pearl-dialled sports watch firmly sits in that category. The Brunswick 40 Aurora is the sportier cousin to the elegant Brunswick 38, with brawnier case proportions and vastly improved water resistance.
Discover the Fears Brunswick 40 Aurora in the Time+Tide Shop, either online or in our Melbourne Discovery Studio. Price: A$7,200
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
The 16 best Japanese watch brands
There’s much more to Japanese watchmaking than Casio, Seiko, and Grand Seiko – even though those three already provide an enviable range of styles and complication. From industrial microbrands to the pinnacles of artisan excellence, Japanese watchmaking has it all, and I try to condense it in our Buying Guide.
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time in green & gold epitomises the glamour of international travel
Even without playing into the green and gold Aussie trope, the first generation of green-dialled Vacheron Constantin Overseas models is absolutely stunning. Who better than to explore what could be the ultimate luxury travel watch than Jamie, given that the Overseas Dual Time is his grail watch?
The secret to Usain Bolt’s success could have been scoliosis
I’m sure new podcasts are launched at a rate measurable in multiples per second, but how many of them kick off the pilot episode with none other than Usain Bolt? Not many, I’d hazard a guess, but that’s exactly what we did for Watches And, where Andrew and the world’s fastest man chilled on a lovely teak boat deck just off the coast of Ibiza, talking watches, music, and life. You can check out the overview article here, or go straight to listening on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.