It was during the Martin Margiela years at Hermès that the now-famous, and much desired, “double tour” strap came to be. Recognisable for being extra long so it can wrap around the wrist, it was an unexpected hit, which has since been used by Apple in its team-up with the historic maison.
Margiela, who was at Hermès from 1997 to 2003, introduced the design in 1998: the idea was simple, to make the strap longer than usual. Which actually made it very fashionable, contesting traditional styles in the watch market which seemed out-dated by comparison.
The strap originally featured on the Cape Cod design, a unisex and sporty style that has a square face. It looked as though it was a cool styling trick. So no wonder, when Hermès and Apple collaborated on their fashion-tech venture, an Hermès Apple watch, the double tour made an appearance again.
