Playful design meets chic heritage in the Hermès Kelly watch
The new Kelly watch from Hermès rethinks the original 1975 timepiece

Sartorial and horological codes are intertwined in the new Hermès Kelly watch, as the house draws on its rich history to create a playful yet chic new timepiece.
Originally created in 1975, the Kelly watch stays faithful to a design first established by Robert Dumas in the 1930s, with the distinctive trapezoid shape of the ‘Kelly’ bag he created here rethought in the clean lines of the padlock. Available in either steel or rose gold and with or without diamonds, the new watch can be worn in multiple ways, inviting customisation by the wearer.
When attached to a metal bracelet, the padlock watch can be left to dangle freely; lock it into place with a flick of the mechanism and it becomes a fixed form, making for comfortable and distraction-free wear. When detached and worn on the black boxcalf or alligator clochette leather cord, the watch becomes a sautoir necklace.
Dumas, the son-in-law of Émile Hermès who later became the head of Hermès, created what was a wholly new, modern design in the bold silhouette of the ‘Kelly’ handbag. Its clean outline encapsulated a geometrical mash-up of the trapezoid shape, triangular flaps, handle and side straps. Later, Dumas played with the classic form in mischievous rethinks, paving the way for the ‘Kelly’ to be reborn in everything from belts, to wallets, clutch bags and watches.
It was an iconic shape that became instantly popular with a glamorous clientele, including Grace Kelly. Her use of the bag to allegedly cover the signs of an early pregnancy in the 1950s is rumoured to have prompted its name, cementing its place in fashion history.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Beach chic: the all-new Citroën Ami gets an acid-tinged, open-air Buggy variant
Citroën have brought a dose of polychromatic playfulness to their new generation Ami microcar, the cult all-ages electric quadricycle that channels the spirit of the 2CV for the modern age
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Rosewood Miyakojima: ‘Japan, but not as most people know it’
Rosewood Miyakojima offers a smooth balance of intuitive Japanese ‘omotenashi’ fused with Rosewood’s luxury edge
-
Thrilling, demanding, grotesque and theatrical: what to see at Berlin Gallery Weekend
Berlin Gallery Weekend is back for 2025, and with over 50 galleries taking part, there's lots to see
-
Water mark: watches are inspired by aquatic themes this summer
Blue-tinted watches from Hermès, Bell & Ross, Montblanc and Vacheron Constantin are taking maritime cues
-
Samuel Ross unveils his Hublot Big Bang watch design
Samuel Ross brings a polished titanium case and orange rubber strap to the Hublot Big Bang watch
-
Discover the tonal new hues of the classic Nomos Club Campus watch
The Nomos classic wristwatch Club Campus now comes in two new collegiate colours. The perfect graduation gift from the Glashütte manufacture
-
Hermès embraces the art of travel at Watches & Wonders
Hermès has collaborated with artist Sabrina Ratté for the Watches & Wonders installation, Time Travels the World, which is inspired by the new Arceau Le Temps Voyageur watch
-
Bulgari unveils the thinnest mechanical watch in the world
The new Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra watch is a record-breaking feat of engineering
-
Breitling and Triumph unite on a racy new watch and motorcycle
1960s design codes are infused with a contemporary edge in the collaboration between Breitling and Triumph
-
Gerald Genta’s mischievous Mickey Mouse watch design is rethought for a new era
The Gerald Genta Retrograde with Smiling Disney Mickey Mouse watch pays tribute to Genta’s humorous design codes
-
Shinola honours Georgia O’Keeffe with a new watch
Shinola Birdy watch stays faithful to the minimalist codes of Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, My Last Door