Of all the vintage S.T. Dupont pieces we've handled, the Dupont x Hermès collaborations are consistently among the rarest and most asked-about. Here's what's actually known about how, and why, two of France's most storied luxury houses ended up making lighters together.
Two Maisons, One Era
By the 1960s, S.T. Dupont had already spent nearly a century building a reputation for uncompromising craftsmanship, first in leather goods and then in lighters. Hermès, with its own deep roots in fine leatherwork, was a natural counterpart. The collaboration paired Dupont's precision lighter engineering with Hermès' leatherworking and design sensibility, producing a small, exclusive run of lighters retailed specifically through Hermès rather than Dupont's own channels.
What Made Them Different
The Dupont x Hermès pieces we've come across share a few consistent traits: they carry both houses' names — typically stamped “S.T. Dupont – Hermès – Paris” along with a serial number — and they use finishes exclusive to the collaboration. We've handled examples in silver-plated Ligne 1 with an engraved wave pattern, a small gold Ligne 1 in a peacock feather motif, and a gold-plated Ligne 2 wrapped in genuine crocodile leather. Each pattern appears to have been produced in genuinely limited numbers, and specifically for this partnership rather than reused across Dupont's standard catalogue.
Built to the Same Standard
Cosmetically distinct as they are, the Dupont x Hermès pieces were still built on Dupont's standard mechanisms and construction — the same six-hundred-odd operations and rigorous testing that went into any Dupont lighter of the era. The Hermès branding sits on top of, not instead of, that engineering.
Why They're Hard to Find
Because the run was small and the collaboration itself was relatively short-lived, surviving examples are genuinely scarce — especially in original condition with a matching Hermès box. If you're chasing one, the details to check are the double signature, the serial number, and a pattern that doesn't appear anywhere in Dupont's standard, non-Hermès catalogue.
The (complete) Catalogue
The first Dupont x Hermès lighters are the Ligne 1 BS models, offered in a small and a large variant. The lighters featured unique designs in gold and silver, paired with a grey box with the Hermès name prominently displayed. Every regular S.T. Dupont lighter has a cartouche, the blank slab of metal on the lid used for personalised engravings. The S.T. Dupont x Hermès models have no cartouche; instead, the design continues around the lid.
There were four designs. The official names and reference numbers are unknown.
The first design has a wavy pattern.
The second design is the so-called peacock feather design.
The third design has a chequered pattern.
I have not personally owned or sold the fourth design, so the photograph below comes from an auction listing.
Most of these models were Ligne 1 BS models, produced between 1959 and 1973. The quantity of Ligne 1 BR models is much lower, so Hermès likely only switched to the BR after 1973, when the BS was finally phased out. In the meantime, Hermès also sold the Ligne 1 BR table lighter, which was available in the same colours and design variations as the regular Ligne 1 models.
With the introduction of the Ligne 2 in 1977 a new design opportunity arose. The result was the magnificent crocodile leather Windsor design. This lighter was available in silver and gold. The leather was either brown or black; less well known is the Hermès orange leather, which was also produced around this time. The design had a continuous stripe. The model featured in the pictures is a rare design variation, produced late into the production run. The centre of the lighter features a bare slab of gold. In the late 1970s or early 1980s the collaboration between the two brands ended, making this the very last design ever produced.
