At Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, Hermès made its most technically ambitious move in the five-year history of the H08. The H08 Squelette—three years in development—is the collection's first skeletonized timepiece, and the one that most clearly argues for the H08 as a genuine object of manufacture watchmaking rather than a design-forward fashion accessory. Strip the dial from a watch whose case geometry has always done the design heavy lifting, and what's left either validates the investment in horology or exposes the gap. Here, it validates it entirely. The H08 Squelette is available in four colorways.
Things to Know About the Watch
The case retains the H08's signature cushion geometry, measuring 39 x 42 mm, black DLC-treated titanium, a satin-brushed ceramic bezel with mirror-polished chamfers, sapphire front and back, and 100-meter water resistance. What changes completely is the dial architecture. Where the standard H08 fills its face with a solid display, the Squelette removes virtually everything, leaving bridges, gears, and the balance wheel as the visual content.
Critically, Hermès designed the movement's architecture to echo the case shape—the mainplate and bridges trace the cushion outline rather than occupying a traditional round calibre footprint. The hour markers are precision-cut solid blocks of SuperLumiNova in either blue or grey, floating above the mechanical void and delivering genuine legibility. A grey transfer-printed minute track follows the case contour; the semi-openworked seconds hand carries a case-shaped counterweight. For the first time on an H08, there is no date display—a correct call.
The Movement
Powering the H08 Squelette is the automatic movement calibre H1978S. This new movement, designed from the ground up for this watch, was developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and is fabricated entirely from black PVD-treated titanium. The automatic movement comprises 168 components inlcuding 26 jewels, and beats at 28,800 vph, delivering 60 hours of power reserve—an upgrade from the 50-hour base H08 calibre. The oscillating weight is semi-square in profile, directly referencing the H08 case shape. It has been validated to the equivalent of ten years of continuous wear.
On the Wrist & Price
The Hermès H08 Squelette is the most coherent case for Hermès as a serious watchmaker the collection has yet produced. This is a sports watch where the movement is designed to earn its visibility rather than merely accept it. A perfect evolution for a very good-looking watch.
Sticker Price USD 21,600. More info on Hermès here.
