The 417 TI Desert Pilot, 39 mm

From Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

This is the latest offering from the folks in Guetenbach. The 417 TI Desert Pilot is a bicompax, hand-winding column wheel chronograph bearing the TI designation (titanium) as opposed to the more familiar ES designation (stainless steel). As advertised, it is available in 39mm, and also a slightly larger 42 mm option. 

Courtesy of Hanhart

Under the hood its Sellita's AMT 5100, a hand wound column wheel chronograph, viewable through a sapphire crystal display back.

Courtesy of Hanhart

Here are the pertinents, straight from Hanhart -

CASE:

DIMENSIONS
Diameter 39 mm
Height: 13.60 mm (11.55 mm without crystal)
Lug-to-Lug: 46 mm

MATERIAL
Titanium Grade 5, matte

BEZEL
Fluted stainless steel bezel, bi-directional, continuously rotating
Red Marking

GLASS
Convex, internally anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Highly domed sapphire crystal (as on the historic model).

CASE BACK
Screw-down titanium case back with sapphire crystal.
Limited edition number

WATER RESISTANCE
Water-resistant up to 10 bar/10 ATM in accordance with DIN 8310


MOVEMENT:

CALIBER
Manual winding
Sellita AMT 5100 M
Symmetrical pusher spacing
28,800 A/h, 4 Hz, 23 stones

POWER RESERVE
58 hours after full winding

FUNCTIONS
Small second
30-minute counter
Chronograph with central stop second
Hacking seconds
Flyback

DIAL:

DIAL
Sand colors
Historical logo

NUMBERS
Historical Font
Black numerals with Super-LumiNova® coating (only very weakly luminous due to the black color).

HANDS
Hands with Super-LumiNova® coating (only weakly luminous due to the sand-colored base).

STRAP:

STRAP
FKM Rubber
Lug width 20 mm

COLORS
Sand colors
Black

BUCKLE
Pin buckle made of Grade 5 titanium with historic logo.

Rumors of Hanhart's Demise...

May or may not be greatly exaggerated.  Like a vampire, zombie, or Sarah Palin they seem to give you the impression that they are dead, only to rise again in the dark of night, moaning and seeking unsuspecting prey...

Courtesy of Hanhart

May I introduce the PRIMUS Survivor Pilot - Touted by the good folks at Hanhart as a "Limited Edition for Performers" - so needless to say you'll be seeing this watch on Liza Minelli, Barbara Streisand and other notable "performers".

I kid (a little), but Hanhart is starting to become the watch world equivalent of the Boy who Cried Wolf.  For you North American fans, good news!  The new US distribution is being handled out of a medical office suite in Denver, Colorado!  So the good news is you can go skiing, break a leg, get it set, and view the collection all in one afternoon ;  )

Okay, but back to the watch - for all appearances it is eerily reminiscent of the infamous Desert Pilot Chronograph.  This watch was famous in that it was promoted like crazy, desperately desired by collectors and "mere mortals" alike, and (to the best of anyone's knowledge) was either never delivered or delivered on such a remarkably small scale that very few people can recall seeing it in person.  It became sort of the Keyser Söze of the watch world.

So it would seem that it's Prom Night once again, and we've been asked out, and we're all gussied up, sitting in the living room with mom and dad and the Polaroid camera hoping against all hope that Hanhart will show up for once, on time, with a corsage and a steak dinner at Sizzler!  But more likely than not, our fears are that they will ditch us at the last minute for some out of town girl (also known as the grey market) and we'll be stuck "wearing the Prom Dress".  And this is an $8,000 Prom Dress that can't be returned or exchanged.  For those of you not familiar with the expression "Wearing the Prom Dress" let's just say that it is not "an ideal state".

And proof positive that proofreading and editing are "superfluous luxuries" in the world of "manly timekeepers", I'd like to leave this in Hanhart's own salient words:

The watch’s outdoor characteristics are clearly in the forefront and speak to those individualists, which make conscious decisions when purchasing a unique timepiece.

Now truth be told, I like to think of myself as an "individualist" one who "makes conscious decisions when purchasing a unique timepiece".  I am not sure if the "outdoor characteristics" truly apply to me, but there you go.

Favorite Watches of 2012 - The Desert Pilot from Hanhart

While it was shown at BaselWorld and SWISS WATCH - JCK, this one still hasn't made its way to retail stores yet.  Clearly the hope is that it will show up in the not-too-distant future as the rumour is that if (and/or when) it arrives, there will only be a handful of them.

Courtesy of Hanhart

This is Hanhart's Desert Pilot.  The hope is, of course, that acting CEO Ronald Grob will bring this watch to the public.  It has been awfully quiet at Hanhart HQ for the past few months, so the if/and or when question comes up again.  It is a shame - it's a beautiful watch and the public are screaming for it.  Let's hope this finally sees the light of day.

The Watch Industry and the Transfer Window - Hanhart

Alas it seems as if the rumors swirling around Hanhart appear to be true.  Thomas Morf has left Hanhart and the brand is now being led by Ronald Grob who is acting as the Interim CEO.  Again, while this rumor has been in motion for quite some time, I wanted to be sure of the details, and this morning received word from the Head of Communication & PR for the Gaydoul Group, which is the holding company that owns the majority shares of Hanhart.

So with the absence of Hanhart at this year's BaselWorld, and closer to home most likely not attending SWISS Watch JCK in Las Vegas in June (anyone with more definitive info on that please feel free to let me know!), it becomes a question as to how Hanhart will move forward from here.  On the one hand it would seem that at least one key person remains on board - Klaus Eble, a 40 year Hanhart veteran will be responsible for the production side.  But to be very honest, I am not sure if things really can be the same.  In the past, Hanhart had some interesting watches, and a rich (if not well publicized) history.  I think of it a lot like Wonka's chocolate factory.  It was there, but until Willy Wonka revealed himself, and the factory, it hadn't really come to life.

Enter Thomas Morf in 2010 and suddenly there was interest, there were things to talk about!  New products started to appear, and slowly but surely, more and more people became aware of Hanhart.  Two of the most anticipated releases are yet to arrive - the Desert Pilot and the Racemaster.  I guess for me, it just seems somehow unfinished.  My sincere hope is that Hanhart, and I guess more appropriately the Gaydoul Group will find a way to get things settled, and hopefully not completely lose the momentum gained in the past 24 months.  Thomas Morf was a champion of the brand, and that kind of enthusiasm, vision and charisma you don't always find in one person.

I myself do not want to see Hanhart disappear, and by that, I mean return to the quite, anonymous little brand that it was not so long ago.  I know and accept that I am a hopeless romantic, and my sincere hope is that there is at least one more "twist in the tale" so that for those of us Hanhart fans out there, there will be a happy ending.

It's hard not to be romantic about watches.

Perhaps the World's Most Anticipated Chronograph

Desert Pilot -


Courtesy of Hanhart

 Enough said

Hanhart Desert Pilot

Courtesy of Hanhart

Okay, yes, I realize that I am somewhat Hanhart obsessed.  That perhaps, I don't know, maybe I've got Diessenhofen "on the brain".  But the new Desert Pilot from Hanhart has got to be just about the singular coolest thing that I've seen in some time.  I got to see it and try it at Basel and again in Las Vegas - and I have to admit that my Pioneer Mk I is starting to get a little bit jealous of all of the time that I am spending admiring this new Primus model.  It is really that great!

Courtesy of Hanhart

I think what I like most about it is the complete sense of departure from previous Hanhart Primus models - this is something completely different.  But that departure has not forgotten the DNA of the Primus line.  There is nothing wrong with Black or Silver - but this is a really great change of pace - something at once different but familiar.  


So here are the specs - 

PRIMUS Desert Pilot

Movement: HAN3809 modified automatic chronograph movement (bicompax), based on the Valjoux 7750 calibre; 28,800 vibrations per hour, 4 Hz; 28 jewels; rotor with a skeletonised Hanhart logo; power reserve of min. 42 hours

Functions: Small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, date display at 6 o’clock

Case: Sand-blasted stainless steel; anodised aluminium red reset button; fluted bezel with inlaid red marking; convex, internally anti-reflective sapphire glass; screwed-down, internally anti-reflective sapphire glass case back; large screw-in crown; flexible lugs; diameter 44 mm, height 15 mm; water-resistant to 10 bar/100 m

Dial: Sand-coloured; with black Super-LumiNova®-coated, luminous Arabic numeral, index marks and hands

Strap: Fabric strap; folding clasp with inlaid red marking (anodised aluminum) made from sand-blasted stainless steel

For you North Americans out there, the really good news is that there is now an OFFICIAL Hanhart Distributor who will be bringing Hanhart-goodness to a friendly neighborhood retail partner near you in the coming months!