Hermès Is Selling a £15,610 Chess Set as Luxury Labels Turn Board Games Into Status Symbols

Hermès is selling a £15,610 chess set in the UK, turning a familiar board game into a five-figure luxury purchase. The French fashion house's Rouge Sellier Samarcande set combines mahogany, calfskin and hand-sculpted wooden pieces, according to its UK product listing.

Hermès is not alone in charging designer prices for game night. Louis Vuitton sells a £13,600 chess box, while Prada offers a £6,000 chess set and Dior lists backgammon games starting at £2,850, placing traditional tabletop entertainment alongside luxury fashion and home accessories.

Inside Hermès' £15,610 Samarcande Chess Set

Designed by Hermès Studio and made in France, the Samarcande set measures 45cm by 45cm. Its base features Evercolor and Epsom calfskin leather marquetry, while its handles are made from saddle-stitched Chamkila goatskin. The hand-sculpted mahogany and cassia wood pieces contain stainless steel weights engraved with the house's Clou de Selle motif.

The set takes its name from Samarkand, a historic Silk Road trading city in modern-day Uzbekistan. Hermès connects the name to the exchange of valuable materials once used to make chess sets, describing an elaborate method for fitting the board's wood and leather squares together. According to the company, the components align to within one-tenth of a millimetre, making the construction itself a selling point.

The £15,610 price applies to this specific version, rather than every Samarcande chess set. Hermès also lists a smaller, magnetic Samarcande mini chess set for £3,070 and a 36cm Samarcande variant for £15,000. The different versions offer a choice of sizes, finishes and materials, rather than one fixed price for the Samarcande name.

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Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior Are Playing Too

Louis Vuitton's £13,600 Chess Box comes in the house's Monogram canvas with cowhide leather trim and gold-coloured hardware. Its 32 wooden pieces include 16 walnut and 16 maple pieces, incorporating references to Louis Vuitton's Monogram Flowers.The portable case features a folding board, storage compartments and a leather handle.

Prada takes a different approach with its £6,000 Saffiano leather chess set, which includes metal pieces and a matching leather box. At Dior Maison, a small leather backgammon set costs £2,850, featuring the Dior Oblique motif, star-engraved counters and dice. Dior also offers a £3,600 poker set, combining playing cards and chips with the brand's signature decoration.

The association between fashion and games is not entirely new. Christian Dior himself wrote of his fondness for cards, admitting in his memoirs, 'I will admit to a great weakness for cards.' His namesake house now references that pastime in its presentation of luxury gaming accessories, while its £3,800 large-format backgammon sets feature embroidered house motifs.

Why Do Board Games Carry Couture Prices?

These products carry recognisable details from each house's fashion collections, from Prada's Saffiano leather to Louis Vuitton's Monogram canvas. Their prices and specialist finishes also position them as statement home objects, rather than solely as equipment for playing. The brands' listings, however, do not establish how frequently customers use the games.

Hermès makes the decorative intention explicit with its £21,940 Atout backgammon game. The house describes the piece as 'more than a simple source of entertainment', saying it is also designed to form part of a home's décor. Its natural oak Atout d'Hermès games table goes further, costing £106,000 and featuring reversible playing surfaces for chess, draughts and backgammon.

The rules of chess and backgammon have not changed, but the products surrounding them have. These designs use luxury materials, recognisable brand codes and specialist craftsmanship to bring fashion-house identity into the living room. A game that might ordinarily be stored in a cupboard can now cost as much as a major designer purchase.

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