Limited to Only 88 Pieces
The new Hanhart 417 ES BAIT 0260 Limited Edition Collection is, putting it mildly, an eccentric addition to the 417 ES Series. These watches are also undeniably cool. This collection is a short run limited edition of two dial designs, and only 88 pieces will be produced of each dial design.
The project is the result of a partnership between Hanhart and BAIT, a California based company which specializes in acting as a creative conduit for unique brand collaborations, and 0260, the lifestyle brand behind the Time to Drive Car & Watch Festival in Miami.
Both the BAIT and 0260 logos can be found on the dial and steel case back. The individual limited edition number is also engraved into the steel case back of each piece.
This "panda" model features a beige dial with brown registers, a light orange sweep seconds hand, and black oversized art-deco style hour numerals. An equally unique "reverse panda" variant in the same style is also available
here.
Historic Design
The special numerals featured on this limited edition are not new to Hanhart.
These bold Arabic numerals, oriented toward towards the center of the dial, are actually inspired by the vintage Hanhart Model 881 from nearly a century ago (pictured).
The historic two register chronograph layout of the Hanhart 417 ES Chronograph features a 30 minute register at 3 and small seconds at 9. These registers are brown, and the small seconds hand is light orange for a pop of color. 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" designation on the dial.
The hour, minute, and chronograph seconds hands are gold in color, and the hour and minute hands are filled with light Old Radium SuperLuminova. If you look closely, you may notice that the tips of the centrally mounted hands are actually bent to reduce the parallax effect.
The case is a combination of polished and satinized stainless steel, and the fluted bi-directional rotating bezel features a red timing indicator.
The First German Pilot's Chronograph
The original Hanhart 417 ES Chronograph was the very first pilot's chronograph made for the German armed forces. The "ES" in the title of this watch refers to the German word Edelstahl, which translates to stainless steel.
This watch features a highly domed sapphire crystal, but Hanhart was able to keep the overall height of this watch to only 13.6 mm by using a special case design and a manually wound chronograph movement with a power reserve of 58 hours.
Antimagnetic Technology
The majority of mechanical watches produced 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 also features Hanhart's 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.
Important features of this watch include:
- Domed sapphire crystal with interior AR coating
- Screw down case back with limited edition engravings
- Extended power reserve of 58 hours
- Two register chronograph design
- Manually winding movement
- Antimagnetic to 16,000 A/m
- Special shock resistance technology
- Water resistant to 100 meters
This watch is fitted with a light brown Hanhart leather strap with a Hanhart signed tang buckle.
Hanhart 417 ES BAIT 0260 Pan...