[NewsPoster]

The Apple Watch Hermès collection has been on sale now for just over a month. Introduced at Apple's blockbuster September event along with several new regular models, including gold- and rose gold-colored aluminum models, the Watch Hermès represents an interesting departure for Apple. It marks the first time the company has co-branded one of its products (according to Sir Ive), while also signaling the company's new commitment to cracking the fashion market with its wearables. MacNN has had the opportunity to spend hands-on time with the new Apple Watch Hermès -- read on for our thoughts.

Since the arrival of Apple's new Senior VP of Retail Dame Angela Ahrendts, fresh from her role as the highly successful and inspirational CEO of fashion label Burberry, it has been clear that Apple has been looking to forge new markets in the fashion world. Senior execs like design guru Sir Jonathan Ive have also been seen at trendy fashion events, offering the likes of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld solid gold Apple Watches with bespoke solid gold link bracelets, highlighting the company's desire to break out of its traditional paradigm and continue to evolve and explore new opportunities.

The Apple Watch Hermès is its latest salvo in this strategic push to cross over into high-end fashion. Hermès is a well-established French fashion label, which also makes its own designer watches. This is also the first time that it has co-branded a product, making the Apple Watch Hermès a first for both companies in this regard.

The Hermès is distinguished from other Apple Watch models in several ways. Most notably, it is the only range of watches with the Hermès branding engraved into the back of the Watch, alongside the Apple name. It also comes with digitized versions of three classic Hermès watch faces, that look very appealing and which are unavailable to other Apple Watch owners, further emphasizing its exclusivity. The Hermès influence is most heavily felt, perhaps, through the fine craftsmanship of the signature leather band options that it has produced for the Apple Watch Hermès range.

Fans of Hermès, which also has strong equine heritage, will immediately recognize its distinctive cuff made from the company's trademark leather. It is only available in the 42mm watch size, and has been designed to ensure that the heart rate monitor on the rear of the Apple Watch always remains in contact with your skin. It is also only available in fauve (or a light brown tan color). This is probably our favorite model in the range, but we would love to see it in a black cuff option as well.

The Double Tour is another iconic Hermès design. The long leather band wraps beautifully around the wrist twice. This model is only available in the 38mm size, but comes in several color options, including Fauve, Étain, Capucine and Bleu Jean (or brown, burnt orange, black, and blue). The collection is rounded out by a Single Tour range, which is designed with a leather band that completes a traditional single loop. Again, in a nod to its equine roots, the buckle is designed to look like the straps of a horse's girth. It is available in brown and black, in both 38mm and 42mm Watch models, as well as an additional 38mm model that also comes in Capucine.

The Apple Watch Hermès models range in price from $1,100 to $1,500. There are certainly not cheap, nor are they meant to be. From a technology standpoint, they are identical to every other Apple Watch model, which we have previously reviewed. But then, so are the $10,000 18K gold models. This means that these Apple Watches are not for everyone, which why, like the gold models, they are only available at select retailers or through the Apple Store online. If you like the Apple Watch, and you are a fan of Hermès (or simply like the exclusivity factor), then you need look no further.

-- Sanjiv Sathiah

[iSkippy]

I don't think this is the first time an Apple product has been co-branded. Remember the Apple iPod + HP?

[Bittyson]

Looks like the rear sensors would not make contact with your skin. It would be nice for the "review" to comment on whether the watch works as intended with this strap, rather than just relying on the fact that it is "designed to ensure that ... always remains in contact with your skin".

[Makosuke]

@iSkippy: Glad I wasn't the only one who caught that. It's the first time *recently* that Apple has co-branded anything, but the iPod+HP was unquestionably co-branded and was even being discussed in the news recently.

There's also of course the NIKE+iPod, which is unquestionably co-branded and also pretty recent.

If you go farther back, there was also the Pippin (which you could argue wasn't co-branded, but being that it was officially called the "Apple Bandai Pippin" that's a weak argument).

It's rare, sure, and apart from the NIKE+iPod, past examples have not fared well, but co-branding is hardly uncharted territory for Apple

[Sanjiv Sathiah]

@iSkippy, @Masosuke - yes, you are both correct - I'd long forgotten about that short lived exercise with the iPod, while NIKE+iPod is also an example of co-branding for sure. What I was thinking about was a more recent quote from Jony Ive who said about this collaboration in an interview with WSJ: Allowing Hermès’ symbols to upstage Apple’s is a first, Mr. Ive said. “I’ve been at Apple 23 years and this is conspicuous and singular. I’ve never known anything like this."

@Bittyson - Although it doesn't look like it does in the photo showing the cuff from the rear, the heart rate sensors on the rear of the Apple Watch certainly made excellent contact with my skin. Unfortunately, Apple PR didn't have any review units for us on hand, but did set up a special session for me to try them on with the whole in-store customer experience.