The Chaîne d’Ancre Hermès is an iconic element of the House’s repertoire – a signature that can be found in silver, as a bracelet, ring or even a watch…

Chaîne d’Ancre Hermès 2023 : Jewels Of Refinement

If the Chaîne d’Ancre Hermès motif is now a classic that can be found on many jewelry models, clothing and tableware signed by the saddler… We must go back to the 1940s to spin the anecdote and understand its introduction into the heart of this repertoire.

At the dawn of the 1940s, the Hermès saddlery company had long been known and recognized for embodying the quintessence of chic and refinement, particularly in sports equipment and travel.

Largely drawn from the world of horseback riding, Hermès pieces were not yet what we know today. But in 1937, Robert Dumas, son-in-law of the founder’s son Thierry Hermès, brought the saddlery into the modern world.

The Creation of the Chaîne d’Ancre Signature

It was during a trip to the Normandy coast that everything began. As we know, Hermès likes to reproduce the purity and elegance of often underestimated elements in its lines.

When Monsieur Dumas spotted the unique and intricate links of the chain connecting a boat to its anchor, he suspected the impact of such inspiration on Hermès designs.

The idea for the mythical Silver Anchor Chain Bracelet did indeed come from this entanglement, as chic as it is complex.

But if he wanted to transform this idea into a silver jewelry piece, no jeweler of the time wanted to work on it. None of them was willing to follow him.

Mr. Dumas insisted that his bracelet be made of silver… At a time when only gold and platinum were used, casting a Hermès piece of jewelry in silver was out of the ordinary!

Finally, a certain Mr. De Perçin agreed to work with this metal, which was a bit folkloric for its time…

The Iconic Silver Anchor Chain, A Hermès Signature

So in 1938, the Chaîne d’Ancre bracelet was born. In silver !

A jewel with a natural balance, with a look so chic and easy… The Chaîne d’Ancre soon became the jewel to own.

And like many of its icons, Hermès likes to make them reappear where they are not expected. The Chaîne d’Ancre has thus become a key graphic element – it appears on a number of models, having itself become the model that evokes the Ancre creations! In fact, the anchor chain design was registered in 1970 and is a signature belonging to Hermès alone.

Since then, Hermès has distilled the Chaîne d’Ancre code everywhere. From the lines of porcelain plates to the Nantucket timepiece, this play of shapes and volumes embellishes and magnifies many Hermès objects. In 2011, Henri d’Origny created the Hermès tonneau Cape Cod watch based on the now legendary Chaîne d’Ancre links.

Yes, the code is both versatile and ultimately refined – Monsieur Dumas was right! So much so that in 2017, the Chaîne d’Ancre is more current than ever. Spotted on a men’s jacket from the Hermès Spring-Summer 2018 collection; or featured in an exhibition dedicated to the new Chaîne d’Ancre Punk collection – it embodies the timeless style of the House of Hermès, as much as it determines it !

The same year, Pierre Hardy was inspired by the clasp of the Chaîne d’Ancre bracelet to design the model of suspended earrings… Made of gold, silver and paved with diamonds… Pierre Hardy is even working on a whole collection of high jewelry around the Chaîne d’Ancre and its links – for him, it is “a permanent creative anchor point.” Among these pieces, this bag made of a total of 1,160 diamonds, or 33.94 carats.

Yes, the design is both versatile and ultimately refined. So much so that the Chaîne d’Ancre is more current than ever. Spotted on a men’s jacket from the Hermès Spring/Summer 2022 collection… Or featured for Spring/Summer 2020, around a punk-inspired Chaîne d’Ancre necklace… The signature embodies the poetic and facetious spirit of Hermès!

A signature of the house available here in silver jewelry, from $1,300.