The Hermes name is one that is known in most corners of the world. With a history of almost 170 years of producing fine goods they are also one of the oldest known companies.Beginning in 1837 as a manufacturer of fine saddles and harnesses Hermes has grown to meet new challenges and expanded as the times have changed. They now carry jewelry, watches, perfume, men’s and ladies apparel, household items and baby gifts. With its company head based in Paris it has two hundred and sixteen stores worldwide.The watch division of Hermes is known as La Montre Hermes SA and is headquartered in Bienne, Switzerland where about 80 employees produce all Hermes watch models.Known mostly for its fashion watches the watch division has formally been established since 1978 although some watches were produced prior to that date. The first well known watch was the Kelly watch a line that remains popular to this day. The watch face is actually in the shape of a padlock and dangles from the strap which has a latch to which the watch attaches. The Kelly line swept the Globe and was a huge fashion success.Despite its reputation for fashion watches some pieces have won technical acclaim. The best known of these is the Nomade with its power reserve function. That is not to say however that technical quality is not a concern. According to one Hermes official no matter how beautiful a Hermes watch may be the mechanics of the piece must in line with its quality. Hermes therefore strives to find a balance between design and technical quality. Montre Hermes SA practices a good deal of exclusivity regarding their watch lines. There is no official watch site and the Hermes web site does not contain a link to their watches. No official photographs are available and those wishing to purchase must travel to an authorized outlet in order to view the product. Advertising campaigns for Hermes are seldom seen even though their clientele includes many well known celebrities.It was in 1837 that the company was first established as a maker of fine saddles and harnesses. They quickly gained a reputation for producing the best in luxury leathers and excellent workmanship. As the advent of the auto industry depleted the need for those types of goods the company moved on to making luggage and eventually handbags and gloves and eventually into the empire as it is known today.Beginning in 1920, when wristwatches became fashionable Hermes began manufacturing watch straps for many elite watch makers. While Hermes has been producing watches for over seventy-five years it was not until 1975 that the first Kelly watch was released. Three years later La Montre Hermes SA was born under the leadership of Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes.Located in Bienne, Switzerland the factory now produces a number of collections all of which are produced in Switzerland but retain a definite Parisian flair. Among their more well known collections are the Cape Cod Deux Zone which displays two time zones in separate sub dials and the Oval Clipper which features 12 bolts designed to resemble the port holes of old sailing ships.One should not think however that Hermes watches are just fashion watches. While they do retain definite design flair many of their pieces are considered to be of good technical quality.Among those is the Nomade (2001) series which is a quartz watch that does not require a battery and has a 45 to 100 day power reserve built into it. The Nomade Compass watch has a hinged back cover. When opened the cover reveals the compass lying beneath an optical mineral glass.The name Hermes comes from the Olympic gods. Hermes was the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia and was according to the myth the god of merchants, land travel, shepherds, weights and measures and more. It is fitting then that the name Hermes is associated with the measurement of time.