140 Years of Hanhart
Since 1882, Hanhart has been a pioneer in the world of mechanical chronographs. From stopwatches to wristwatches, they have been a premier name in precision timing for almost a century and a half.
The Hanhart 417 ES 1954 Panda Flyback Column Wheel Chronograph is part of a new 140th anniversary collection of Hanhart Pioneer 417 ES watches which feature flyback column wheel chronograph complications and either panda or reverse panda dials.
This watch is housed in a 39 mm diameter case - the same watch design is also available in a
42 mm diameter case.
New Manufacture AMT® Calibre 5100 M
The original Hanhart 417 ES Chronograph was one of the most legendary watches produced in the history of Hanhart and was the very first pilot's chronograph made for the German armed forces.
That watch featured a "Temposchaltung" or flyback complication with column wheel construction, and Hanhart has been working with Manufacture AMT
® to incorporate those same features into this new chronograph.
Powered by the manually wound calibre AMT5100 M, the clearly visible blue column wheel ensures a smooth operation of the chronograph functions, while the flyback complication allows a quick reset while the chronograph hand is in motion.
What is a Flyback Chronograph?
A flyback chronograph is one of the easiest chronographs to operate.
Rather than having to remember to stop the chronograph hand before resetting, the reset button at 4 may be pressed while the chronograph hand is in motion causing that hand to "fly back" to 0.
This function allows continuous operation of the chronograph when timing multiple events, as one push returns the chronograph hand to 0 but does not stop its operation - it simply starts over to time the next event.
This chronograph can also function as a traditional chronograph using the pusher at 2 to start and stop the chronograph and the pusher at 4 to reset.
Column Wheel Construction
Most chronograph watches in production today are cam actuated, using two layers of metal to receive input from the pushers and transmit that input to the clutch.
A column wheel chronograph uses a single part to perform both functions, and is often compared to a castle's turret. The column wheel is more difficult and labor intensive to manufacture than a cam actuated design, and requires more skill and patience to complete.
The advantage to a column wheel design is a more precise feel to the operation of the chronograph.
Antimagnetic Technology
The majority of mechanical watches today have an antimagnetic rating of 4,800 A/m, which has proven challenging to block the magnetic effects from modern gadgets such as cell phones, tablets, and other electronic equipment.
Hanhart designed this watch with more than three times the antimagnetic protection to earn a rating of 16,000 A/m.
To achieve this higher rating, Hanhart first changed the dial material from brass to soft iron. And next, they used a special type of steel both inside and outside of the case to act as a blocking agent.
The result is a watch much less likely to require a watch demagnetizer to maintain accurate timekeeping.
Shock Resistance Technology
This watch features a new Hanhart shock resistance system to better stabilize and protect the movement.
Hanhart has installed gaskets on the front and back of the movement holding ring which allow the movement to slightly move in the event of a drop, hit, or other shock.
This technology is not dissimilar to the way modern buildings are designed in earthquake prone regions to dampen the effects of those shocks.
Historic Design
The historic bi-compax chronograph layout of the Hanhart 417 ES 1954 Panda Flyback Column Wheel Chronograph features a black 30 minute register at 3 and a black small seconds register at 9.
In keeping with the original design of this historic watch, Hanhart has chosen to use the vintage Hanhart logo on the dial, crown and buckle, as well as the "shockproof" and "antimagnetic" designations on the dial.
If you look closely, you may notice that the tips of the hands are actually bent to reduce the parallax effect.
The case is in stainless steel and is fitted with a fluted bi-directional rotating bezel with a red indicator. The bezel is a friction fit, as was the bezel on the original Hanhart 417 ES Chronograph.
Important features of this watch include:
- Domed sapphire crystal with interior AR coating
- Screw down case back
- C3 SuperLuminova on numerals and hands
- Bi-compax design with panda dial
- Manually winding flyback chronograph movement
- Column wheel construction
- Extended power reserve of 58 hours
- Water resistant to 100 meters
A Special Strap
We also love that Hanhart went all out on the strap.
Made by a leading German strap maker, this black calf leather strap is actually lined with Italian Alcantara, a very soft suede material that provides an extremely comfortable fit and protection from perspiration.
Alcantara is the same material used for the interiors in most German cars, and the company counts Porsche as one of their largest customers.
The strap is completed with an engraved tang buckle with the historic Hanhart logo and leather underlay (bund pad). This bund pad may be easily removed (simply slide it off) for those who prefer the look of a traditional strap.