Hanhart 417 ES Heritage Flyback

Borna Bošnjak

How does a watch turn out to be legendary? For starters, you want origin story, and hopefully one with a recognisable face to hold it. In the case of Hanhart, there are a number of, although it’s the model’s crimson pusher and its affiliation with Steve McQueen which can be probably the most impactful. So whenever you put these two issues collectively, particularly in response to fan suggestions, it’s fairly straightforward to see why the brand new Hanhart 417 ES Heritage Flyback may have rather a lot going for it. The recipe is a well-known one, because the German model is basically reissuing the 417 ES 1954 from 2022, however including two essential options. The primary one I’ve hinted to already, and is the one you’ll have the ability to see, whereas the opposite is hidden beneath the hood. Let’s see how these refined adjustments make watch even higher.

The case

Beginning with the case, the brand new 417 ES Heritage Flyback is offered in both a 39mm or 42mm diameter. That is one thing Hanhart has supplied for a while now, with followers being particularly pleased as soon as the smaller variant was launched – and it’s that 39mm model that we obtained our arms on. With a mechanical chronograph motion inside, the thickness sits at 13.3mm, which isn’t all too dangerous, and the 46mm lug-to-lug matches on just about any wrist.

Regardless of being a device watch, there may be fairly a fantastic case end. The flanks and tops of the lugs are finely brushed, whereas the pushers and bevels have a very nice polished spotlight. And talking of highlights, it’s that crimson pusher that stands out probably the most. The story goes that an aviator regarded down on the watch, discovering the pusher painted in crimson nail polish as a memento of a beloved. Even Hanhart admits this can be only a story, however it’s a cute one. Initially, it had a purposeful goal, as even early Hanharts had flyback features, so if engaged on the mistaken time, an essential timing sequence might be mistakenly reset. On the brand new 417 ES Heritage Flyback, the crimson pusher is made from HyCeram, a mix manufactured by Invicon Chemical Options consisting of 60% ceramic with polymers added in.

The dial

Oftentimes manufacturers make adjustments to their watches only for the sake of change, quite than implementing a brand new function or enchancment, however I’m pleased to report that Hanhart obtained as much as no such issues with the dial. I’m actually undecided whether or not I’d make any adjustments to the ultra-legible, black 417 ES dial (although the Moby Dick is fairly scorching too). You’ve obtained nods to the classic stuff within the open 6 and Hanhart script, with completely sized sub-dials that don’t intrude with the minute monitor nor the hour indices. The syringe handset permits for loads of luminescence, together with a skinny strip down the central chrono hand, which isn’t one thing we at all times see. And when you did want for one thing totally different, Hanhart nonetheless provides the 415 ES with its winged brand.

The strap

What might be probably the most jarring design function on lots of Hanhart’s Bundeswehr-inspired items is the strap. Bringing ol’ McQueen again into the dialog for a second, he famously wore his instance on a bund strap, named so for its German armed forces origins. Whereas I’m normally not a fan, I feel it really works an absolute deal with on the 417 ES (and Hanharts usually), however the excellent news is you can simply take away the extra layer, leading to a conventional two-piece leather-based strap. Both approach, you get a high-quality piece of leather-based in your wrist, and might even possibility a metal bracelet, with the 20mm lug width giving additional aftermarket flexibility.

The motion

As to the opposite huge replace for the 417 ES Heritage Flyback, we now have to look beneath the caseback, although, the 39mm that we reviewed makes {that a} tad harder. Whereas the 42mm variant does include an open caseback, Hanhart notes that the 39mm has an “anti-magnetic case“, although with out quantifying the variations of their anti-magnetic resistance.

Whereas perusing the above picture for visible reference, it gained’t shock you to be taught primarily based on the brand new mannequin’s identify that Hanhart has added flyback performance to the 417 ES. Whereas the earlier iteration used a Sellita SW510, the 417 ES Heritage Flyback upgrades to the AMT5100 M. The AMT division of Sellita’s manufacture has seen loads of enterprise as of late, basing its options on Sellita’s well-respected vary. As such, the AMT5100 is not only a renamed SW510 with a flyback, because it additionally upgrades the cam-operated chronograph to a column wheel one, seen in vibrant blue to the correct of the crown. Many of the structure is retained nonetheless, together with that enormous central bridge that sadly covers lots of the elements, with only a easy, striped end. It was by no means my favourite-looking chrono motion, so I’m definitely not against a closed caseback. Alongside the look, the 58-hour energy reserve and 4Hz beat fee are carryovers too, nonetheless making it a compelling, entry-level Swiss chronograph.

The decision

This one’s fairly straightforward to sum up people: it’s watch that obtained even higher. The crimson pusher is a cute nod to the model’s previous, and the motion is an improve not simply when it comes to complication (extra intently aligning it to classic Hanharts too), but in addition in person friendliness owing to the column wheel. I do should admit an indiscretion, although. You understand how I mentioned the dial wasn’t modified in any respect? Alas, that wasn’t true. The brand new Heritage Flyback does add a 3rd line of textual content at 6 o’clock, studying “flyback”, and within the spirit of pointless nitpicking, I did assume the two-liner of the 1954 had higher symmetry. Although, for simply €300 greater than its non-flyback predecessor, the 417 ES Heritage Flyback continues to be a fantastic worth purchase.

Hanhart 417 ES Heritage Flyback pricing and availability

The Hanhart 417 ES Heritage Flyback is now accessible. Worth: €2,590