To The Top Of Everest With The HP Hercules Hand-Wound Double Barreled

Have you ever, like me, wondered what it would feel like to stand on the top of Mount Everest? Reaching Earth’s highest summit must be an exhilarating experience, to say the least. Although the climb to the top is heavily commercialised these days, it’s still a crazy and highly daunting adventure, and one that claims multiple lives every year. Regardless, the hunger for what is essentially the ultimate adventure is felt by many, including watchmakers. Take HP Hercules, for instance, who in 1953 made it to the top of Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest peak on the planet. After its revival in 2022, the brand launched a historically inspired watch that once again captures the essence of high-altitude mountaineering. We take a closer look at the HP Hercules Hand-Wound Double Barrelled, a watch that not too long ago made another historical climb!

The history of HP Hercules Watches dates back a long way, with the company originating under the name Henzi & Pfaff in the 1920s. Shortly after World War II, it resumed manufacturing watch movements, and by the 1950s, it was selling watches under the name HP Hercules. In 1953, the company hit proverbial marketing gold, as one of their watches accompanied Austrian mountaineer Hermann Buhl on the first successful climb to the top of Nanga Parbat, one of the highest mountains on Earth. Prior to that, 31 climbers lost their lives trying to reach the 8,126m summit, which became known as ‘The Killer Mountain’ because of it. What’s perhaps even more impressive is the fact that Buhl managed to do it solo!

Now, seventy years later, HP Hercules has been brought back to life thanks to Adriaan Trampe, a Dutch watchmaker who previously worked with Diederik van Golen under the name EZA Watches. With history in mind, HP Hercules returned to that pivotal 1953 watch for its first collection, which comes in a hand-wound or micro-rotor automatic configuration. And to come full circle, Ryan Waters, an experienced explorer and “Grand Slam” adventurer (reaching the North Pole, South Pole and the highest peak on each continent), took one to the top of Mount Everest without any issue. That very watch, battle-scared and all, is the one you see in these images.

As it takes after the original watch worn by Buhl in 1953, the HP Hercules Hand-Wound Double Barrelled looks fairly straightforward. However, as you’ll discover by reading on, it packs a surprising bit of character! The case is a three-part construction, measuring 40mm in diameter and 9.4mm in height. With a lug-to-lug of a relatively short 46mm, the fully polished watch wears very nicely on pretty much any wrist. The lugs have a subtly shaped profile to separate them from the case a bit, and the large yet flat crown is easy to grip and manipulate. There’s a sapphire crystal on both the front and back of the watch, and it is water-resistant to 100m.

Drawing inspiration from nature, the dial features a snowflake-like texture. Our review watch was the Ice Blue version, as worn by Ryan Waters to the top of Mount Everest, but it also comes in Snow White, Ice Green or Ice Pink. These colours aren’t just random, but tied to natural phenomena in glacial structures. The white and blue dials speak for themselves, of course, but the green and pink come from algae found in snowy or icy regions. The overall design of the dial is fairly simple, as it’s inspired by the 1953 original. The shape of the hands is identical as well, although it now relies on modern Super-LumiNova for the luminous inserts. The central second hand is lacquered in red to stand out.

The applied markers and numerals are polished, providing an equally strong contrast against the backdrop of the base dial as the hands. On the outer perimeter, there’s a minute track with small luminous squares. Further details include the applied logo with the brand name just below it, in black, and the printed caption in the bottom, indicating that it comes with a chronometer-certified movement. Again, some might argue the dial is a bit empty, but I would disagree, as the texture adds a lot of life, plus the fact that it takes after a historic Hercules watch after all.

Inside the Hand-Wound Double Barelled is a movement made in close collaboration with Manufacture Horlogère Vallée de Joux, in Le Sentier, Switzerland. And for those that might detect a sense of familiarity, it’s indeed similar to some of the Technotime movements we’ve seen in the past. The design and rights of that movement are now owned by MHVJ (or Manufacture Horlogère Vallée de Joux SA, part of the Festina Group), which has then changed the anchor, escape wheel, balance and balance spring to improve its accuracy and receive Chronometer certification.

Covered by a sapphire crystal caseback, you get a full glimpse of the double-barrelled setup, the centre wheel, and the balance wheel and escapement. What also stands out are the contour lines on the bridges, similar to those found on a map. These are also filled with Super-LumiNova to make them stand out a touch more. The movement is also a certified chronometer, as Timelab Geneva puts each movement through its rigorous testing procedure to make sure it performs as best as it can. Alternatively, there’s also a micro-rotor automatic version, in a similar design but with a lower power reserve of 70 hours (due to the fact that it has only one barrel).

The HP Hercules Hand-Wound Double Barrelled comes on a calfskin or suede leather strap in grey or cognac as standard. Regardless, they are fitted with quick-release push pins to easily swap one out for another, plus a signed stainless steel pin buckle. The watches are made to order with a lead time of 4 to 6 weeks, which is partially due to the 21-day testing period by Timelab Genève. The price is set at EUR 5,995, which may sound like a hefty price for what looks like a fairly simple watch at first, but the design is coherent, and the overall quality is very good. The movement is solid, the watch wears nicely on the wrist, plus it comes packed with heritage.

For more information, please visit HerculesWatches.com.