Noticias sobre tecnología en The Luxonomist

Hèrmes Faubourg, white gold. Click on the image for more information The good results achieved by Hermès are very welcome and confirm that it is doing things right. The luxury group improved its bottom-line results in 2013, with a record profit and operating margin, which attests to the fact that the legendary French firm is in excellent form. Net profit is up by 6.8%, reaching €790 million (some 1.88 billion dollars), an unprecedented level, although not quite as high as that forecast by analysts consulted by Bloomberg, who expectd to see €808 million. The company’s operating margin went up 8.9% to €1.22 billion, in line with analysts’ forecasts. Hermès closed 2013 with an operating margin of 32.4%, thus improving on its 2012 record by 0.3 points, and reaching a threshold that had not been seen since it was first floated on the stock exchange in 1993. Sixty-eight percent of shares are currently controlled by the heirs of founder Thierry Hermès, while the LVMH group secured a stake of 22.6%, which it secured in 2012. However, in addition to these results, we should also underscore the Paris-based company’s commitment to quality, excellence and creativity. Luxury requires sensitivity. There are many reasons for Hermès being able to capture clients’ interest and affection, year after year. Today I want to focus on two of these reasons. The first is this amazing video whereby Hermès manages to provide its vision of the mechanism of time, and the second is Faubourg, its new, highly feminine, miniature watch. Today the watch sector makes up of 4% of the group’s business, with sales totaling €167 million in 2013. Could anyone imagine what the mechanics of the first watches launched in 1912 were like? The French company has reinvented time and combined it with the exquisite savoir faire of its master leather craftsmen. Hermès can do magic, and in this video it has endeavored to evoke the idea of travel to transport us back through the history of the company with the help of illustrator Philippe Dumas, who is a direct descendent of Émile Hermès and collaborates with other campaigns carried out by his family’s business. It is a journey through innovative format which offers something different through images created with painstaking detail, full of sensations and feelings that go beyond the product. Thus the company has reconfirmed its status as master watchmaker. The video shows a selection of models that showcase the creativity involved and how the watches are produced using manual processes. It also shows how the leather is treated, something at which Hermès excels, given that it has been producing its own leather since 1912. The video combines ingenuity and creativity to reveal the mechanics of its creations, starting from early pieces to it latest products. The images send multiple messages that conjure up words like craftsmanship, tradition, culture, imagination and beauty. All the company’s products exude beauty and functionality. Faubourg is a word that is closely linked to Hermès. The company’s original store is located at number 24 of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, while 24 Faubourg is the name of one of its perfumes. Now Faubourg is also the name of an exquisite watch inspired by the architecture of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré store, hence the name of this beautifully delicate watch made for an elegant and sophisticated woman. The mechanism has a diameter of just 15.5 mm, making it the firm’s smallest watch. It is available in pink, grey or yellow gold, with or without a diamond setting, and is a design that combines the best legacies of the company, with a modern slant. The new wristwatch will be in Hermès stores from the month of May. The sophistication and timeless quality of a piece like this, made by craftsmen and women, guarantees success, even though it is aimed at those who are not that easily impressed. The video coupled with the new watch have ensured that we remember the links established by Hermès between the past and the present. It also serves to remind us that luxury is very closely linked to creativity and excellence, together with other special factors that go beyond conventional approaches. Behind a luxury product there is always a great story which involves innovation, international dimension, and exclusiveness. Not long ago I read that in the field of positive psychology creativity is thought to show strength of character, and it can therefore help us to lead a more satisfactory and happy life. Another good reason for all of us to make sure we keep our creative juices flowing.

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