Mach's insightful post delves into the rich history of Hanhart's pilot's chronographs, particularly the iconic 417 ES, and its connection to legendary figures like Steve McQueen. He shares his journey to acquiring the limited edition 39mm Pioneer 417 ES Red Lion, highlighting the brand's responsiveness to collector feedback regarding case dimensions. This article explores the nuances of Hanhart's re-editions and the enduring appeal of vintage-inspired pilot's watches.
Now in today's crazy horology environment, Hanhart may not exactly be a household name that immediately comes to mind. But, it has a rich history in pilot's watches, especially the 417, the first pilot's chronograph created for the Bundeswehr (West German Armed Forces) in the mid 1950's. Over the course of a decade, it is believed that approximately 500 of these were produced in two variants, a chrome-plated brass, reference 417, and a stainless steel, reference 417 ES ("Edelstahl," meaning stainless steel in German). The late, legendary actor, Steve McQueen, was often seen sporting the 417 ES:
* Photo by Francois Gragnon / Paris Match via Getty Images *
In October 2020, Hanhart jumped on the Heritage / Tribute bandwagon with their re-edition of the Pioneer 417 ES. Although it's quite faithful to the original in design aesthetics, its diameter increased to 42mm instead of the original's 39mm. It's been positively embraced by enthusiasts with backorders expected to be fulfilled in March 2022. There have been a few times where I have placed it "in my cart," but, I never actually followed through and pulled the trigger. My resistance was due to the hope that Hanhart would listen to customers' feedback and release a 39mm re-edition:
Back in November, I was at a client engagement in Kansas City where one is not allowed to have their cellphones in the plant. Fortunately, just as I was finishing my lunch, there was an email announcing Hanhart's release of the Pioneer 417 ES Red Lion in a limited edition run of 150 pieces. After reading that the diameter as 39mm, there was no hesitation to pull the trigger and submit the required deposit on what would be my first German piece. With no ETA, I have prepared myself for a late January / early February 2022 arrival. To my surprise, the AD sent me an email mid-week stating my watch was ready to be shipped, which finally arrived late this morning:
Some visual differences from the standard 42mm 417 ES include "Antimagnetic" on the dial and Hanhart's trademark red pusher. Officially, this was to prevent pilots from inadvertently resetting the stopwatch. Unofficially, their wives would paint the pushers with red nail polish so the pilots would always think of their wives and return safely. I'll let you decide what to believe!
In addition to the smaller 39mm diameter case, the lug-to-lug length was reduced from 49.75mm to 46.00mm:
This is my first experience with a bind strap, which was extremely easy to remove:
Now, to be frank, I was not aware that this piece was a collaboration with YouTube influencer, Urban Gentry. I had never heard of him before nor had I seen any of his videos until learning about this collaboration on another forum. Fortunately, since the Urban Gentry logo engraving is on the case back, it doesn't bother me. Out of sight, out of mind:
Have a Happy, Safe, and Prosperous New Year!
Mark
