The Bundeswehr chronograph, reissued with care
By Julien Moreau, Geneva ยท
The Hanhart 417 ES is one of those watches with a reputation that outruns its size. The original was made for the West German air force in the 1950s, and Steve McQueen was photographed wearing a Hanhart. The 1954 reissue keeps the 39 mm diameter, the fluted bezel with its red marker, and the plain black two-register dial.
The movement is a Sellita SW510 M, hand-wound, with 58 hours. 10 bar water resistance and antimagnetic protection to 16,000 A/m are practical touches.
My one reservation: 13.3 mm of height with the high-domed crystal. It looks lovely in profile, but it does sit tall for a watch of this size.
At around $2,950 on the bracelet, it is very good value for a chronograph with genuine military heritage.