The legendary Parisian firm Hermès is famous for timepieces of absolute precision, spectacular beauty, and uniqueness. The name of their latest creation, Dressage L’Heure Masquée, could be translated as “the masked hour”. It boasts an original and unprecedented feature in its operation: the hour hand remains hidden behind the minute hand until it is summoned by pressing a push-button integrated into the crown. When the button is released, the hour hand disappears again on the minute hand. The watch has a dual time zone function at 6 o´clock, which remains hidden under the generic GMT text. The second time-zone is controlled by an external button placed at 9 o´clock. This elegant timepiece boasts an automatic movement, a frequency of 28,800 vph and a 45-hour power reserve. Both the front and the back of the case have sapphire crystals that expose the jewels in its mechanism. Two versions of Dressage L’Heure Masquée were made: 1,000 units in steel, with a price of around $20,800; and a pink gold version, limited to 500 units, priced around $43,800.
 
Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition by Montblanc

Montblanc´s “Homage to Nicolas Rieussec Special Edition” pays tribute to the great Nicolas Rieussec, the French watchmaker who created the first chronograph patented in 1821. It made its debut at a horse race in the Champs de Mars in Paris that same year. The front is divided into five sectors. At the 12 o’clock position is the main dial with the hands that indicate the time. At 3 o´clock there is a date window and at 9 o´clock a day/night indicator. Two chronograph registers are located just below the off-centered hour-minute dial and connected by a horizontal stationary needle. In this particular piece, the two discs rotate once the chronograph starts. Thus, there are no rotating hands, but rotating discs, a unique feature inspired by Rieussec´s designs. In the darkness, a lighting material called Mysterious Super-LumiNova, embedded in the ceramic, reveals the silhouette of a horse and Arabic numerals. This model comes with a 72-hour power reserve and sapphire crystals both in the front and the back. Montblanc produced 565 pieces in stainless steel with a price of $11,500, and a pink gold version limited to 193 units, priced at $34,400.  ■