Hermes has long enjoyed considerable cachet across Asia. Its watches, however, occupy a more complicated place – admired for their design, but not always regarded in the same league as those from established fine watchmaking houses. That perception is quietly changing.At Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026, the French maison unveiled a collection built around the theme of Mysterious Mechanisms, with three headline novelties exploring different ways of revealing the movement without compromising aesthetics. The Hermes H08 Squelette strips back the dial to showcase the new H1978 S automatic calibre beneath an architectural lattice inspired by urban metalwork. The Slim d’Hermes Squelette Lune pairs an openworked dial with the ultra-thin H1953 calibre and a double moon-phase display tracking the lunar cycle in both hemispheres. Most technically ambitious is the Arceau Samarcande, which conceals the H1927 self-winding minute repeater beneath a handcrafted Saint-Louis crystal dial, openworked in the shape of a horse’s head as a nod to the house’s equestrian heritage.Behind the timepieces is one of Swiss watchmaking’s quiet powerhouses: Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. The movement specialist developed all three calibres for Hermes’ latest novelties this year, reflecting a collaboration that has become central to the French house's growing watchmaking ambitions.