Hanhart Pioneer 417 ES 1954 Chronograph

The First German Pilot's Chronograph

The original Hanhart 417 Chronograph is one of the most legendary German chronographs and featured the Hanhart Caliber 42, a manually wound column wheel chronograph movement.

Although Hanhart's original Caliber 42 is no longer in production, Hanhart has chosen the bi-compax SW510 M manually wound chronograph caliber to power this new watch with an extended power reserve of 58 hours.

The "ES" in the title of this watch refers to the German word Edelstahl, which translates to stainless steel.

This new watch also features a domed sapphire crystal, but Hanhart kept the overall height to only 13.3 mm by developing a special case design and using a manually wound chronograph movement. Historic Design With Modern Specs

The historic bi-compax chronograph layout of the Hanhart Pioneer 417 ES 1954 Chronograph features a 30 minute register at 3 and small seconds at 9.

In keeping with the original design of the 1954 model, Hanhart has chosen to use the vintage Hanhart logo on the dial, crown and buckle.

There are four primary differences between the current 42 mm Hanhart 417 ES Chronograph and this new model:

• Case size is 39 mm rather than 42 mm
• New antimagnetic technology rated to 16,000 A/m
• New shock protection technology
• Dial is marked "shockproof" and "antimagnetic"

---

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 new 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. 

---

Other Special Features

Hanhart has designed special hands for this new watch.  If you look closely, you'll notice that the tips of the hands are slightly bent downward to reduce the parallax effect from the domed sapphire crystal.

The case is in stainless steel with brushed and polished finishes, and is fitted with a fluted bi-directional rotating bezel with a red indicator.  This bezel is friction fit, as was the bezel on the original model.

---

Important features of this watch include:

• Domed sapphire crystal with interior AR coating
  
• Screw down case back
• Matte black dial with SuperLuminova on hands and numerals
• Extended power reserve of 58 hours
• Bi-compax chronograph design
• Manually winding movement
• Antimagnetic to 16,000 A/m
• Special shock resistance technology
• 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.