Breitling Hercules

Hercules is a Breitling chronograph introduced in 2001: its 44.8 mm steel case was then the largest in the brand's history. The Hercules was made for pilots and travellers, so the dial had to be instantly legible rather than decorative.

Reading works differently from a typical chronograph: the elapsed minutes are counted by a central hand with a red tip. At 6 o'clock is a combined 12-hour and 60-minute counter, at 9 o'clock a 24-hour display, at 3 o'clock the small seconds, and an IFR/VFR flight-level scale runs across the dial. The bezel rotates in both directions and is marked with degrees and a compass rose. The sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides, and the crown and caseback screw down, giving 100 metres of water resistance.

Inside is the self-winding Breitling calibre 39: 38 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, COSC chronometer certification and a 42-hour power reserve. Dials in the series come in black, blue, silver and cream. One example is the Breitling Hercules Automatic Chronograph 45 mm, reference A39363, with a dark blue dial and a matt steel case.

Related series are the Superocean diver's watch and the Avenger pilot's watch.