Hercules

In 1953, Hermann Buhl, an Austrian mountaineer, achieved the historic feat of being the first person to scale the 8,126-meter Nanga Parbat mountain. Wearing a Hercules watch around his wrist, this triumph marked a pivotal moment in the history of mountaineering. In the years before, watchmaker Robert Pfaff, hailing from a family with a legacy of watch manufacturing in Pforzheim during the 1920s and 1930s, joined forces with Robert Henzi around 1946 to establish a new company.
By 1952, Henzi & Pfaff had grown to employ over 200 individuals, opening a manufacturing facility in Stein, Germany. Their strategic marketing efforts reached new heights in 1953 when they provided their Hercules timepieces to the German-Austrian mountaineering group attempting the first ascent of Nanga Parbat. The success of the expedition, coupled with Henzi & Pfaff’s effective marketing, solidified the brand’s reputation for producing reliable, robust, and sporty watches.

In the iconic ascent, Buhl set out from the base camp at 02:00 on July 3, 1953, and by 19:00, he stood alone at the summit, becoming the first person to conquer an 8,000-meter peak solo. Unable to return to the base camp, Buhl spent a challenging night on a small ledge with minimal space. Eventually, he reached one of the base camps the following day, surprising expedition members who had assumed he perished. Buhl’s remarkable achievements made him a legendary figure, inspiring numerous books and two movies.

Today, the brand has reintroduced an exclusive series of watches inspired by the original timepieces that accompanied Buhl on his historic ascent. The micro-rotor movement, developed over three years, is tailor-made for Hercules watches. Last year the hand wound movement with 120 hours power reserve was added. Each movement undergoes rigorous testing by the Timelab institute in Geneva,Switzerland, accompanied by an official certificate. The movement’s bridges feature engraved height lines of the Nanga Parbat mountain, and the rotor’s logo is filled with BRW9 SuperLuminova, illuminating in bright blue reminiscent of the permafrost ice atop the mountain, creating a captivating and magical effect.