Hermes brings high fashion to Apple Watch

Cupertino, Calif.--Apple Inc. has roped in its first, and perhaps not last, high-fashion partner for Apple Watch.

During a press event held Wednesday in Cupertino, the tech giant unveiled the Apple Watch Hermès, a timepiece created in conjunction with the iconic French fashion house that features a stainless steel case, leather straps in various colors and interchangeable digital dials inspired by some of the brand’s most well-known styles, including the Cape Cod.

There are three versions of Apple Watch Hermès: Single Tour (a simple single strap), which retails for $1,100 in the 38 mm size and $1,150 in the 42 mm size; Double Tour (a strap that wraps twice around the wrist), which retails for $1,250 and comes with the 38 mm case only; and the Cuff (a thicker strap), which pairs only with the 42 mm case and retails for $1,500.

All the watches have the Hermès signature etched onto the case and the face is customizable. The wearer can switch among three exclusive dial designs inspired by the brand’s Clipper, Cape Cod and Escape watches.

“At Hermes, we strive to provide our clients with elegant, creative and functional objects for their everyday lives,” said executive Pierre-Alexis Dumas. “What more contemporary and relevant expression of this principle could there be than this collaboration with Apple.”

The Apple Watch Hermès will be available in October.

Apple also announced Wednesday that it has added new aluminum cases in gold and rose gold finishes to the Apple Watch Sport, its lowest-priced smartwatch, as well as Sport bands in lavender, “antique white,” “stone,” and midnight blue. The gold- and rose gold-finished smartwatches are priced at $349 (38 mm) and $399 (42 mm). (Apple did not respond when asked for more detail on the composition of its gold aluminum and rose gold aluminum finishes.)

In addition, there is a new 18-karat rose gold version of its top-tier smartwatch, the Apple Watch Edition, with a midnight blue strap ($15,000).

Apple Watch is sold at Apple stores, online, at Best Buy and at a handful of select retailers. There are only two specialty jewelers in the world that currently carry the timepiece, Malmaison by The Hour Glass in Singapore and London Jewelers in New York.