Hands on The Hand-Wound Double Barrelled From HP Hercules

Originally crafted in post-war Germany, HP Hercules Watches returned to the watchmaking landscape in 2022 under the leadership of Swiss watchmaker Adriaan Trampe, of Dutch origin and formerly of EZA Watches. The original Hercules timepieces were produced by Henzi & Pfaff in Pforzheim, earning a reputation for watches that combined robustness with understated elegance. 

Their defining moment came in 1953, when Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl successfully summited Nanga Parbat, one of the world’s few peaks exceeding 8,000 metres, with a Hercules watch on his wrist. Like many historic names, the brand eventually faded during the quartz crisis, yet Buhl’s legendary ascent remains central to Hercules’ modern identity. Now fully Swiss-made, the revived brand blends vintage-inspired watchmaking with a strong narrative rooted in alpine exploration.

Hercules marks its new era with two inaugural models. While visually similar, the distinction lies beneath the surface, in the movements. One version—presented here—is powered by a hand-wound proprietary calibre, while the second features an equally proprietary micro-rotor automatic movement. Both are available in stainless steel or tantalum, with several dial options, including hand-painted executions, allowing for a high degree of personalization.

The case showcases a robust three-part construction, comprising the bezel, middle case, and caseback, all secured with screws to ensure excellent structural integrity. Crafted entirely from rare tantalum and finished with full polishing, the case reveals the metal’s distinctive greyish-blue hue, lending the watch a refined yet technical presence. Measuring 40 mm in diameter with a slim profile of 9.4 mm including the sapphire crystal, it offers an elegant and well-balanced fit on the wrist. 

The 46 mm lug-to-lug length and 20 mm lug width further enhance comfort and versatility. A sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating protects the dial, while the screwed sapphire caseback—also treated with anti-reflection—offers a view of the movement within. Water-resistant to 100 metres, the watch remains perfectly suited for daily wear, completed by a tantalum crown signed with the HP logo. The generously proportioned convex bezel flows seamlessly into the rounded case middle, creating the impression of a smooth, continuous silhouette, while the short, inward-curving lugs ensure a secure and ergonomic fit. The unique tone of tantalum gives the watch a strong, masculine character—one that feels both purposeful and elegant.

The dial draws direct inspiration from vintage Henzi & Pfaff models, with a distinctive embossed texture and a design language rooted in high-altitude environments. Large Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock anchor the layout, paired with classic sword-style hour and minute hands and a long central seconds hand. 

The latter is finished in a deep blood-red tone, serving as a subtle tribute to those who never returned from Nanga Parbat. The example presented here features the Snow White dial, whose clarity and contrast enhance legibility while reinforcing the watch’s purposeful, no-nonsense aesthetic—an approach that places robustness firmly ahead of ornamentation.

Powering the watch is a movement developed exclusively for Hercules in collaboration with Manufacture Horlogère Vallée de Joux, located in the heart of the Swiss Jura mountains. This hand-wound calibre is equipped with twin barrels, delivering an impressive 120-hour (five-day) power reserve. 

The alpine inspiration continues on the movement itself, where the topographic height lines of Nanga Parbat, reminiscent of vintage maps, are engraved into the bridges and filled with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, glowing blue in the dark as a poetic reference to the mountain’s permafrost. While the overall finishing remains functional rather than extravagant, the movement beats at 28,800 vph (4 Hz) and is chronometer-certified by Timelab in Geneva.

With accuracy rated between –4 and +6 seconds per day. Hercules also offers bespoke engravings, allowing clients to personalize the movement with the contour lines of a mountain or region of their choice, making each piece truly unique.

The watch is delivered on a grey calf-leather strap fitted with a polished tantalum buckle and equipped with quick-release spring bars. Custom strap options are available at no additional cost. Each Hercules watch arrives in a large wooden presentation box, accompanied by a copy of Hermann Buhl’s Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage, a fitting tribute that ties the modern timepiece back to the expedition that shaped its legacy. Priced at EURO 12,600 which is equivalent to 54,600 AED.

Fore more information visit Hercules’s official website.