First Look at the Hemel 24 and Hemel Track Night Ops Editions

Hemel has introduced two additions to their Night Ops series, which are stealthy blacked out versions of watches in their other collections. Hemel is the brain child of Marvin Menke, a designer by trade, who started making watches to provide as gifts to clients. Menke started Hemel in earnest in 2016, and has been putting out no-fuss watches with military-inspired aesthetics ever since. Let’s take a look at the latest entries in the Night Ops line.

Hemel 24 Night Ops/Track Night Ops

• Case Material: Stainless steel 
• Dial: Black 
• Dimensions: 40mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire   
• Water Resistance: 100 meters   
• Crown: Screw down     
• Movement: Miyota 9039
• Strap/bracelet: Nylon 
• Price: $399
• Reference Number: HM1NO, HM2NO
• Expected Release: Available now

The Hemel 24 and the Hemel Track are two subtly different spins on the field watch, but with the aforementioned black DLC coating giving them a tactical, modern, military inspired vibe. The Hemel 24 Night Ops has, naturally, a 24 hour in its dial’s interior, with sword hands and triangle shaped hour markers on the dial’s outermost edge. The Hemel Track Night Ops is slightly more spartan, with simple lume filled Arabic numerals and a railroad track style minutes register. The handset on the Hemel Track Night Ops uses sharp arrows, with a clear eye toward legibility.

The cases used for the Hemel 24 and Hemel Track are identical. Fashioned from 316L stainless steel and DLC coated, they measure 40mm in diameter with a lug to lug measurement of 48mm. This is a solid modern size that should wear well on all but the smallest wrists. 

Menke uses solid components throughout his line, so the end result here should be as durable as they look. Both watches feature a sapphire crystal on the front and back, heavy duty nylon straps, and are powered by a Miyota 9039 movement, with hacking and handwinding. With 100 meters of resistance (and a crown that doesn’t screw down) these perhaps aren’t the best choice for diving, but more pedestrian aquatic activities shouldn’t be a problem.

As we’ve discussed many times here, there’s no shortage of value-driven sports watches of this ilk on the market. The abundance of choice allows consumers to be demanding in what they’re after aesthetically, and for someone looking for a blacked out, modern take on a classic field watch (a narrow niche, but it definitely exists) Hemel might deserve a look. These latest entries into the Night Ops line are available now from the Hemel website. Hemel