The Sky Racer from Hemel

 

Courtesy of Hemel

Per Hemel:

The Sky Racer was created in partnership with The League of Microbrands—the fastest-growing online microbrand community exclusive to Facebook and now boasting over 60,000 members. The goal was to re-case the renowned ST19 column wheel chronograph movement, previously celebrated in our Air Support pilot series. The result: a bold cushion case, a rational panda dial with an unexpected sandpaper texture and beautifully appointed details all around. With a nod towards historical precedent, we skillfully blend heritage with aesthetic innovation.

PRICE: $ 549.99 

• Movement:  Seagull ST19. Hand winding caliber.

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel, polished & brushed

• Case Width: 43 mm

• Case Thickness: 14 mm

• Lug Width: 20 mm

• Lug to Lug: 49 mm

• Caseback: Screwdown, engraved, sapphire window

• Dial: Textured w/Superluminova BGW9

• Front Crystal: Box sapphire w/AR coating

• Water Resistance: 50 meters

• Crown: Signed, push / pull

• Bezel: 120 click rotating, BGW9 lume, ceramic insert.

The Hemel Justice

Hemel has recently brought out several new field watch models, and I'll be sharing them with you one at a time.  

This one is the Hemel Justice, Part of the Reference HM8 Series -

Courtesy of Hemel

Measuring 40 mm in diameter, with ETA's 803.112 quartz movement under the hood.  Here are the rest of the pertinents -

Case:
40 mm in diameter
Bead blasted stainless steel (316L)
Screw down case back and crown
Domed sapphire crystal
Water resistant to 100 meters

Dial:
Black
Superluminova C3

Movement:
ETA 803.112 Quartz
Hours, minutes, seconds (hacking), date (at 3 o'clock).

Strap:
Nylon, with grommets (not simply punched holes), signed stainless steel buckle.
 

Seven Days with the Hemel HFT20 / VK64

Courtesy of Hemel

As I sprint to get caught up before winging off for a foreign factory visit (more to come), I am rushing to get caught up on everything that has been going on here at Tempus Fugit.

And one of those things is this review of one of Hemel's latest offerings, the HFT20/VK64 Configuration.

The HFT20 / VK64 is a unique proposition - a classically designed chronograph that is affordable without sacrificing on performance by using a dodgy movement.  Brands, both micro and mini, will often give you the "vanilla or chocolate" choice - i.e. affordable = quartz, and expensive = automatic.  But Hemel, in their wisdom, figured that there might be some people out there who like strawberry - i.e. a meca quartz movement.

Just what is a meca quartz movement?  I'm glad you asked!  Essentially, a meca quartz movement is quartz, ensuring pretty much the most accurate time keeping possible.  But it goes a step further, incorporating a mechanical module for the chronograph function which gives it a lovely "sweep" effect.

So back to the review  -

The watch case is substantial and sturdy.  It measures 42 mm in diameter, of stainless steel, and is equipped with a unidirectional stainless steel bezel that is engraved with a 12 hour scale that can also function as a second time zone or GMT feature.  The fit of the watch will be good for most wrists, and while the watch has presence, it is not overwhelming.

The dial is clear and legible.  It is bicompax,  with a 24 hour indicator on the right (at 3 o'clock), a sixty minute counter on the left (at 9 o'clock), with the orange 60 second chronograph hand mounted at the center.  And yes, the sweep function of the chronograph function is very, very smooth and impressive.  The pusher buttons function cleanly and engage without any hesitation or "jumpiness".

The case back is solid steel and engraved on the back.  I have seen mecha quartz equipped watches with display backs, and I have to say that while these movements provide a wonderful look and feel due to the smooth effect with the sweep function, the movement itself is not going to win any contests for artistic execution.

My one piece of feedback is to make sure that all of the case backs are centered when the watches are assembled.  In fairness, I have seen plenty of watch case backs where the logos, engraving, etc., are not centered either.  But having said that, when you go to that much trouble with the design and engraving / decoration of the case back, it detracts a wee bit from the overall feeling when it is not centered.  And in fairness, this might be a one-off.

The HFT20 comes with a solid, thick and tactile leather strap.  The strap is quite comfortable, and adds a nice touch to the watch.  It is paired with a very well executed stainless steel buckle -

The buckle has a nice engraving, an added little touch that truly adds to the overall feel of the watch, and the crown is another nice flourish -

Overall, this has been a very enjoyable watch to wear.  Hemel has cracked the code of making a more affordable chronograph that does not look cheap and tinny.  This one is solid, tactile, and performs exceedingly well.  And it looks very, very good.






Priced at  $449.99, this is a great watch at a great price.

Here are the pertinents, straight from Hemel -

Reference HF Series                                                                                                                  

                                                                                          

• Movement: VK64 mecaquartz. Quartz caliber incorporates gear architecture for smooth second hand sweep.

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel, brushed

• Case Width: 42 mm

• Lug Width: 20 mm

• Lug to Lug: 49 mm

• Caseback: Screwdown, engraved

• Dial: Matte black w/Superluminova C3

• Front Crystal: Flat sapphire

• Water Resistance: 100 meters

• Crown: Signed, push / pull                                                                                                        

• Bezels: 60 Minute bezel, ceramic / GMT bezel, stainless steel

• Straps: Vintage cognac leather, two piece with signed buckle and steel rivets. Now shipping with an additional strap, the NDC (while supplies last).

 
And one last little nice bit, Hemel is directing a portion of the proceeds to charitable organizations:

Indicate at checkout which non-profit organization you'd like a 5% portion of your purchase proceeds to go to: Toys For Tots, Wounded Warriors or the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Something Pretty Exciting

From Hemel -

Courtesy of Hemel

This is the latest offering from a micro brand that is starting to gain a real following.

 

This is the Hemel HFT20.  A really cool bi-compax chronograph that offers the customer some options for customization.  

 

Option 1:  a GMT bezel -

 

Courtesy of Hemel

 

The GMT bezel is unidirectional, 120 clicks allowing for fairly precise setting of the second timezone.

 

Option 2:  a 60 Minute bezel -

Courtesy of Hemel

There is a third option for with what is described as a Standard bezel.

But the options go even further, with the option of having either a self-winding or auto-quartz movement.  And I think that this is a fantastic move on the part of Hemel.  There are a LOT of customers out there who love the look of a watch, but at a given price point it might be just out of reach for them.  Moreover, there are some folks who actually prefer quartz for its accuracy and it's lower maintenance.

Courtesy of Hemel

And the choice of movements was also intriguing -

 

For the mechanical version it is the Seiko NE88.  Self-winding that can also be hand-wound, with a hacking function for the second counter.

For the quartz, it is actually a mecaquartz, the VK64 mecaquartz also from Seiko.  Offering the best of both worlds - the accuracy of quartz with the smooth second sweep of a mechanical watch.

The price for the self-winding version is a very reasonable
$999.99.  The mecaquartz weighs in at a very attainable $ 449.99.

Courtesy of Hemel

Here are the pertinents for each model:

                                                     

• Movement: Seiko NE88 (automatic & manual wind, hacking second hand, 28,800 bph, 34 jewels, 45 hour power reserve).                                                                                           

• Movement: VK64 mecaquartz. Quartz caliber incorporates gear architecture for smooth second hand sweep.

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel, brushed

• Case Width: 42 mm (46 mm w/crown)

• Case Thickness: 16 mm (w/flat crystal)

• Lug Width: 20 mm

• Lug to Lug: 49 mm

• Caseback: Screwdown, engraved

• Dial: Matte black w/Superluminova C3

• Front Crystal: Flat sapphire

• Water Resistance: 100 meters

• Crown: Signed, push / pull                                                                                                        

• Bezels: 60 Minute bezel, ceramic / GMT and Standard bezels, stainless steel

• Straps: Vintage cognac leather, two piece with signed buckle and steel rivets.                                        

 

This new offering from Hemel is currently available as a pre-order item, and my understanding is that the pricing is subject to increase once the pre-order period is over.  For exact pricing, etc. please reach out directly to the folks at Hemel -

HEMEL

Revisiting the Past

I will be 100% honest, I do not go to a lot of watch events and get togethers outside of BaselWorld and the (very) occasional JCK show.  But these past 3 weeks have seen me hop on planes to attend 2 different get togethers and shows that were meant to promote small and independent brands.  Now at both of these shows there were mostly small and independent brands, but I noticed a few interesting counter realities.  A few "bigger kids" had elbowed their way into the playground and pitched their tents taking up valuable space and potential attention from the smaller guys who these shows are really meant to promote.  And for the bigger brands claiming that they are "smaller brands" I would put it this way -

When you have sufficient sales and money to have an HQ, local (or even regional) representation, 2 or more full time employees and you can afford to freight representatives from across the country or even further?  News flash, you are not a micro brand.  

But for the smaller guys that were there - brands like Schmutz, Eza, Gavox, Hemel, Hager and others, it was a great opportunity to meet current and (hopefully) future customers.  And it was an unexpected opportunity to take a stroll down memory lane for me.  

I came face to face with the "secondary fruits" of my DOXA Labors -

The gentleman on the right is wearing the DOXA SUB Project AWARE (version 2).  It was an interesting moment for me as the original Project AWARE was my first pr / marketing project back in my DOXA days, and now nearly 8 years later, here was the next generation.

And it had been a very interesting time period between the two shows.  A handful of big brands who had been VERY good about sharing media updates had decided that they apparently should be more selective about how they disseminated their news, deciding they would focus on a very big outlet that they already paid advertising fees to promising media blackouts for the rest of us of 1, 2 and in some instances 3 days.  Needless to say, some of us in the Fifth Estate were less-than impressed by the response we received from one PR maven in particular which essentially said - we sent the release first to one outlet first because it is bigger and if you don't like it, you can pound sand.  Well, rather than pound sand, I'll simply move on.  

And what should I encounter at the Maison Celadon table but a copy of my own review!  It was sort of a funny moment because the gentleman behind the table asked me if I had ever heard of Tempus Fugit?  I told him that the name rang a bell ; )  He let me know that, in fact, my review had been a strong influence on his original purchase.  So take that Eterna ; )

And here's some interesting data (albeit anecdotal) for the bigger dogs out there.  There were, if I'm honest, some pretty insane volumes of people at these events.  In fairness, the NYC event was in the middle of an upscale food court which guaranteed a fairly large level of foot traffic.  But the one in Alexandria, Virginia was clearly a destination for people to get to, some driving up to 7 hours to be there.  And it really solidified my unshakable belief that this really is a people business.  And actual watches were actually being sold.  So what this further underscores is that at a time where the big brands are hurling money at glitzy events, expensive dinners and celebrity ambassadors and exclusionary press tactics, maybe spend a little time trying to meet your ACTUAL CUSTOMERS.  

Who knows, you might actually sell some ACTUAL WATCHES ; )

And by the way, enjoy yours!

Catching Up With Hemel

So yesterday found me down in the Washington DC area at a get-together where I got to meet some very nice people and look at some very nice watches.  One newcomer that caught my eye was Hemel who were showing their HM Series -

Courtesy of Hemel

Hemel currently offers four different iterations with different dial options but does so in a rational and coherent manner.

My personal favorite was the Hemel Spear.

Hours, minutes and seconds on a clear, legible dial.  The case is 40 mm, but is nicely sized and styled a bit differently than the majority of items coming from the most of the other "micro" brands.

With luck we'll be hearing more from Hemel, but for now here are the pertinents -

• Movement: Miyota 9015 (automatic & manual wind, hacking second hand, 28,800 bph, 24 jewels, 42 hour power reserve, brass retainer)

• Case: 316L Stainless Steel, polished

• Case Width: 40 mm (42 mm w/crown)

• Case Thickness: 13 mm (w/domed crystal)

• Lug Width: 20 mm

• Lug to Lug: 48 mm

• Caseback: Screwdown, exhibition

• Dial: Domed, matte black w/Superluminova C3

• Front Crystal: Domed sapphire

• Back crystal: Flat sapphire

• Water Resistance: 100 meters

• Crown: Signed, screw down

• Straps: Heavy duty, one piece, nylon with metal grommets and signed buckle. Selvedge Denim.