Bremont H-4 Hercules Limited Edition

Bremont are known to honour iconic aircraft. And while many of us are familiar with celebrated military planes such as the Spitfire or U-2 Bomber, the Hercules is one of the most extraordinary aircraft ever built, but one that flew only the once.

Better known as the “Spruce Goose”, the Hercules was designed by Howard Hughes during the Second World War as a flying boat to transport 400 troops (or two Sherman tanks) safely across the ocean. However, Hughes was a perfectionist, and the Hercules wasn’t completed until 1947, when the war had been won. Despite complaints from the Senate, and alongside support from the press and public, on the 2nd November 1947, Hughes flew his gigantic aircraft just off the coast of Los Angeles. The flight was less than one minute, and just under a mile, and sadly would be the only flight the Hercules would take, despite remaining airworthy until Hughes’ death in 1976.  But the Hercules remains an icon of aviation engineering and is now preserved at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in Oregon.

In 2020, with a strong association with aviation, Bremont released a set of limited edition watches to celebrate the Hercules. We are pleased to present for sale this beautiful steel version, one of just 300 pieces produced.

The 43mm steel case has the distinctive Bremont Trip-Tick® construction, with a smooth bezel giving the watch a slightly vintage feel. This extends to the matt black dial which is inspired by instruments found in the historic aircraft. It features a small seconds display at 9 o’clock and a date at 6 o’clock, and a 24-hour scale around the outside of the dial offers a GMT function, particularly useful when travelling across time zones.

Turning the watch over reveals an exhibition case back, displaying a very special rotor. Shaped like a four-bladed propeller, it contains actual birchwood taken from the fuselage of the original H-4 Hercules. Underneath, the BWC/02 automatic movement powers the watch. Developed in partnership with La Joux-Perret, it’s beautifully finished and offers an impressive 50 hours of power reserve.

This vintage-inspired watch is supplied with two matching straps – a brown leather strap and grey leather NATO strap. It would also look great on any variety of straps, from a sporty rubber to a dressier crocodile strap.

We are pleased to present this 2020 watch in excellent condition, showing very little signs of wear. It comes supplied as a full set, which includes a specially made presentation box and leather pouch, featuring original H-4 aileron fabric. Also supplied is a “Spruce Goose” keyring, watch tool, limited-edition and technical booklets and warranty documentation. The movement has been tested and found to be running well, and as such we are happy to provide a 6-month warranty with the watch.

This Bremont Hercules offers a rare and exciting opportunity to own a timepiece that combines historical aircraft engineering with British watchmaking, and will certainly be a talking point among both aviation and watch enthusiasts.

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