From the outside, it looks like another typical store. However, one must not forget that this is an Hermès store. Located on the Left Bank, this is the brand’s third in Paris.
Opened in 2010, the store is located at 17 rue de Sèvres in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area in Paris.
Venture in and you’d be awed by the luxurious space, the natural lighting thanks to three large glass ceilings and the four Mongolian-styled huts made of ash tree wood that are as tall as nine metres.
Overall, the vast boutique shocks the senses for first-timers as one would have expected another typical shopping environment.
This building once housed what was known as the Lutetia swimming pool. The swimming pool began operations in 1935. It was closed at some point in time but re-opened in 1945.
In 1970, the swimming pool was closed permanently. From what we understand, it was thereafter transformed into a showroom for Dorothée Bis from 1970 to around 2000.
What is interesting is that the original swimming pool that is 33 metres long and three metres deep is still there and it is covered by a concrete composite floor slab supported by a light structure.
Look at the huts and you can imagine them to be in the shape of water drops and such an imagination rightly fits in with the swimming pool legacy.
In addition to the sections that display the leather goods, accessories, perfumes and ready-to-wear, there is even a tea room offering 20 different teas and what is known as the “petit h” area.
This Sèvres store is the only one in the world with a dedicated petit h space.
For those who haven’t been to this store, We would highly recommend a visit just to appreciate its elegant beauty and of course, to browse around and perhaps make a few Hermès product acquisitions.
For watch collectors, the timepiece section is obviously a must-visit and perhaps one might find something totally irresistable. Bear in mind that the Hermès timepiece line-up has been surely and steadily improving over the years. One fine example being the slim d’Hermès collection.
The slim d’Hermès we particularly like is the Slim d’Hermès Perpetual Calendar.
Articles on Hermès timepieces found on timewerke.com that you might be interested to discover include the:
i. slim d’Hermès Pocket Panthère; and the
ii. Hermès Arceau Pocket Chevaux Sauvages.