Hanhart - 417 ES Red Lion

1 0 Tuesday, 23 November 2021 Edit this post

At the end of last year, Hanhart presented a reissue of reference 417, one of their most celebrated timepiece and the first pilot’s chronograph used by the German armed forces from the mid-1950s.

That reissue came in a 42 mm case, larger than the original model, and was received enthusiastically. However, many collectors asked Hanhart to also bring back a 39 mm version.

In response to these requests, the German brand is now presenting the new 417 ES Red Lion, a limited edition of just 150 pieces.

Its polished and satin-brushed stainless steel case is equipped with a fluted bezel that rotates in both directions. The detail of the red position mark at 12 o'clock is taken from the historical model while the red pusher at 4 o'clock is a signature of many Hanhart chronographs.

The dial faithfully reproduces the face of the original 417 with a bicompax layout and large hands and numerals treated with vintage Light-Old Radium Super-LumiNova.

Thanks to the hand-wound caliber, the watch has an overall height of 13.3 mm including the high-domed glass that is now made from sapphire crystal with inside anti-reflective coating to reduce glare.

Based on the Sellita SW 510 M and featuring a stop-second function, the movement beats at the frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vph) and offers a power reserve of up to 58 hours when fully wound.

On the screw-down solid caseback we find the historical Hanhart logo and the individual serial number together with the "417 ES x The Urban Gentry" text referring to the fact the chronograph was developed together with the The Urban Gentry watch enthusiast and fan of the brand. His lion symbol logo in combination with the red pusher lead to the nickname of the watch: Red Lion.

The final touch is given by the black calfskin wrist strap featuring a leather underlay and secured to the wrist by a steel pin buckle with the historic Hanhart logo. For improved comfort, the strap has Alcantara on the inside.