Hemel Air Power — 40mm Big-Eye Hand-Wound Pilot Chronograph (ST19)
The watch
Built around a matte black dial, the Hemel Air Power pairs a 40mm case with a hand-wound mechanical chronograph movement. It brings 100m water resistance and a sapphire crystal. On the ChronoSeasons dial it sits at Hour V — Chronograph, part of the Expedition season — and suits driving days, flights and timing anything that matters.
A big-eye pilot chronograph that wears its heritage on its dial. The oversized subdial draws the eye straight to the hand-wound Seagull ST19 column-wheel movement, echoing the aviation and racing chronographs of the 1960s and 70s. Matte black dial with Swiss Super-LumiNova BGW9, double-domed AR sapphire, and an exhibition caseback that frames the mechanics.
40mm polished 316L steel, 45-hour reserve, 100m water resistance, ceramic 120-click bezel. New, boxed and warrantied — free US shipping.
Good to know
It is driven by the Seagull ST19, a hand-wound mechanical chronograph you wind by the crown, offering the tactile ritual and heritage feel of a classic pilot chronograph.
With 100m of water resistance it handles rain, splashes, hand-washing and swimming. We suggest avoiding hot showers, saunas and diving.
The case measures 40mm — a versatile size that suits most wrists (roughly 15.5-19 cm / 6.1-7.5 in). Our watch size guide (/pages/watch-size-guide) explains how to measure your wrist.
It has a matte black dial, under a sapphire crystal.
The Air Power features an oversized big-eye chronograph subdial for a bold, aviation-inspired look, set under a double-domed AR-coated sapphire crystal on a matte black dial.
On the ChronoSeasons dial it sits at Hour V — Chronograph, part of the Expedition season, and suits driving days, flights and timing anything that matters. It also appears in our Pilot & Aviation edit.
Yes. This Hemel is sourced through Shopify Collective and Hemel's verified channel, so it ships brand-new, boxed and backed by a 2-year limited warranty. US orders include free insured shipping.
From the journal
Owners say
Measured the case at right on 40mm with clean brushing along the lugs. The asymmetric sub-dials are crisp, the 12-hour rotating bezel lines up on the markers without backplay, and the hand-wound ST19 winds smoothly. No complaints from an old Air Force guy.
Been wearing the Air Power to the office and out to dinner for three weeks now. The matte black dial and oversized sub-dial look even sharper in natural daylight than in the product photos, and the leather strap broke in fast.
Gave the Air Power to my dad for his retirement party in Texas. He flew small planes in his thirties and immediately recognized the vintage big-eye cockpit layout. He's been winding it every morning over coffee and showing it off to all his buddies at the golf club.
I spend most weekends fishing and crabbing on the Chesapeake, so the 100m water resistance on this Air Power sold me. I threw it on a waterproof rubber strap to save the leather, and the big-eye dial and bright lume are super easy to read in early morning fog.
Thanks, Wade! Putting the Air Power on rubber to take advantage of that 100m rating out on the Chesapeake is a smart move.
I have a soft spot for 1960s big-eye aviation chronographs, and the Hemel Air Power HF35 hits the right proportions at 40mm. The Seagull ST19 hand-wound caliber has been running at +4 seconds a day on my desk, and the contrast on the oversized 30-minute counter is spot on. Between the AR-coated double-domed sapphire and the 100m water resistance rating, it feels much sturdier than actual vintage pieces.
The big-eye minute register at 3 o'clock makes reading elapsed time much faster than symmetrical sub-dials. At 40mm the stainless steel case sits flat on my wrist, the double-domed sapphire is clear, and the ST19 pushers engage with a firm mechanical click.
