DEBUNKING Hermes Myths and Rumors

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gina_b

gina_b

Member
Jul 27, 2006
3,029
685
#1
On a board this big and with so many posters, there is bound to be a little miscommunication from time to time, so I thought it might be useful to have a thread on which Hermes fact can be separated from fiction. Feel free to post and, this is the important part, debunk, rumors and myths here.

I'll start with this one.

Rumor: The Kelly Elan/Kelly Longue is no longer in production.(That's this bag below.)

1678296.jpg


Truth: It *is* very much in production and, according to the Madison store, depending on the leather might be US$2000-3000+.
 
#2
Oh yes, and here's another one:

Rumor: Barenia leather has been discontinued.

Truth: According to a chief production source at Hermes, barenia production was never stopped, but rather, it continues at the rate of available supply. The choice in premier skins is weak at the moment, which explains the lack of larger bags produced in this leather.
 
#3
Gd thread, Gina_b. I myself puzzled on rumors of kelly elan no longer in production. i noe from the start it's not true at all. my SA & I had a gd laugh about the rumor.
 
#4
I've one.

Rumour: That Hermes has decided to discontinue twillys (this was posted by another tPFer some time 3Q2006) and sent all of us into a frenzy. :sad:

Truth: new twillys are being issued E.g. Les Cles twilly & Paris Tokyo twilly in various colourway.
 
#5
Great thread, gina_b. I've always been told that the KE was never discontinued; it was just not in regular production. I had to SO mine. And here's a gratuitous pic of two, one of which is now in someone's loving home in Berkeley. ;) This is such a wonderful bag!

2KellyElans.jpg
 
#6
Fiction: Hermès watches are high quality affiliated by Jaeger LeCoultre as posted by a lady (still participating here) indicated on the 12th October 2006:

my SA once said that H watches are affiliated with Jaeger LeCoultre, and they're fine watches! can't go wrong being affiliated with them! once you get your CC, pls. post pics!
Click to expand...

Her SA is talking jumble.

Fact: Hermès mechanical movements cost $10 each produced by ETA which is owned by Swatch Group (N.B. LeCoultre is owned by Richemont Group aka Cartier owner). I have taken apart an Hermès watch and I can guarantee you that. The same movement goes into a fake Shenzhen-originated watches. ETA also manufactures the movement for Nomade autoquartz movements, Clipper Automatic, in fact everything except for the Dressage and Cape Cod 8 Days which cost more than a Prorsus Birkin!
 
#7
Bee...Bee said:
Fiction: Hermès watches are high quality affiliated by Jaeger LeCoultre as posted by a lady (still participating here) indicated on the 12th October 2006:

Her SA is talking jumble.

Fact: Hermès mechanical movements cost $10 each produced by ETA which is owned by Swatch Group (N.B. LeCoultre is owned by Richemont Group aka Cartier owner). I have taken apart an Hermès watch and I can guarantee you that. The same movement goes into a fake Shenzhen-originated watches. ETA also manufactures the movement for Nomade autoquartz movements, Clipper Automatic, in fact everything except for the Dressage and Cape Cod 8 Days which cost more than a Prorsus Birkin!
Click to expand...

Do you think the SAs sit around and laugh amongst themselves like Dior24 says when they're passing this info around? It's hard to know what to believe. I think customers should just be able to get correct info. I mean, I understand they like to play games pretending there are no Birkins available because it makes them feel exclusive, so I'm wondering is anybody being told they don't make the Birkin anymore? How confusing!:shrugs: Maybe I'm just not up to speed on this.
 
#8
Bee...Bee said:
Fact: Hermès mechanical movements cost $10 each produced by ETA which is owned by Swatch Group (N.B. LeCoultre is owned by Richemont Group aka Cartier owner). I have taken apart an Hermès watch and I can guarantee you that. The same movement goes into a fake Shenzhen-originated watches. ETA also manufactures the movement for Nomade autoquartz movements, Clipper Automatic, in fact everything except for the Dressage and Cape Cod 8 Days which cost more than a Prorsus Birkin!
Click to expand...

With all due respect, you don't think this would be a well known fact if it were true?
Hermes is present at major watch trading fares. If they were cheap peddlers of sub-par watches, don't you think they'd have been barred from/shunned by the watchmaking industry by now? Surely you're not the only person ever to have taken an H watch apart.
 
#9
Ok, how about the thing on Shoulder Birkin being discontinued? I've heard so many different people talking about it.

Also, the elusive and very confusing shades of pink croc. Is Baby Rose same as Rose Indienne? If not, what is the difference?
 
#11
Bee...Bee said:
Fact: Hermès mechanical movements cost $10 each produced by ETA which is owned by Swatch Group (N.B. LeCoultre is owned by Richemont Group aka Cartier owner). I have taken apart an Hermès watch and I can guarantee you that. The same movement goes into a fake Shenzhen-originated watches. ETA also manufactures the movement for Nomade autoquartz movements, Clipper Automatic, in fact everything except for the Dressage and Cape Cod 8 Days which cost more than a Prorsus Birkin!
Click to expand...

In 1978, Hermes create and put his headquarter of watch in Bienne (Suisse). In this place, hermes create / developpe a part of the most beautiful watch in the world.
So the headquarter of hermes watch in Bienne order mechanical movements from China? a very good one. I will tell this joke to one of the manager of hermes watch in Paris.
no doubt, you seems very expert on hermes watch.

:flowers:
 
#12
Specialistparis said:
In 1978, Hermes create and put his headquarter of watch in Bienne (Suisse). In this place, hermes create / developpe a part of the most beautiful watch in the world.
So the headquarter of hermes watch in Bienne order mechanical movements from China? a very good one. I will tell this joke to one of the manager of hermes watch in Paris.
no doubt, you seems very expert on hermes watch.

:flowers:
Click to expand...

SP, that is not what she said. She said that ETA movements go both into Hermes watches but also into Chinese watches.
Here's a link to ETA Switzerland
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
 
#13
Perja said:
With all due respect, you don't think this would be a well known fact if it were true?
Hermes is present at major watch trading fares. If they were cheap peddlers of sub-par watches, don't you think they'd have been barred from/shunned by the watchmaking industry by now? Surely you're not the only person ever to have taken an H watch apart.
Click to expand...

Lots of people know it. If you go to this watchwinder (the only manufacturer to construct a winder for a $1m Patek Sky Moon Tourbillon so they must have some respectability) website, and scroll down it clearly states that the movement is ETA. Also go to the watchnut forum: Timezone.com and ask them about it. On the matter of autoquartz on Nomade watches, LeCoultre do not maufacture autoquartz movement. It comes down to me lying about no affilation with LeCoultre or her SA lying.

N.B. I do not like the word 'With all due respect,' it has an unnecessary feeling of irony and I am trying very hard to maintain my neutral tone.
 
#14
shoppingsmycard said:
can this really be true?? i've been really wanting an H watch, but i have to say, if they're made by swatch, that def. makes me take pause....that's one expensive swatch!
Click to expand...

i have no clue whether eta does in fact make the workings of hermes watches, but i don't know that it would necessarily mean they're junk -- eta's been around since the 1700's which would seem to indicate some sort of quality. ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse and the swatch group includes a bunch of brands and companies -- not just cheap plastic watches.

that said, if i were a WATCH collector, hermes might not be my brand of choice. but it doesn't seem odd for an HERMES collector to want an hermes watch for the design factor.

however, an SA misrepresenting affiliation is absolutely unacceptable.

JMHO
http://www.eta.ch/
 
#15
I am putting my 2 cents in...

The movement is an ETA movement that has probably been modified. The company ETA is owned by Swatch corporation. ETA movements is the base movement for many high priced watches. For example, Breitling, Panerai, Omega, IWC, Cartier, Chopard and such. Yes, there are exceptions of all these brands that may have in house movements. But the bulk of these companies use an ETA movement. There are very few companies that produce their movements themselves. Examples being JLC, Glashutte, A. Lange. Even companies like Patek and Audemars purchase movements from other companies...most notebly JLC.

Any steel watch is not worth the sum of its parts. You are paying for a luxury name and a luxury item. As an example, most Panerai watches in 2000 could be purchased for under $2K, and now impossible to purchase one for less than 4K...for the same watch. You are paying for a name...
 
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