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| Hanhart Watch |
A German name in watchmaking with a long-standing tradition is experiencing a tremendous renaissance. The logo and characteristic "Hanhart stud" on the leather strap, traits that positively identify these stopwatch specialists from the Black Forest, have been symbols for quality and reliability recognized by connoisseurs for more than sixty years, even though the wristwatch section of this small company had been sorely neglected until just a couple of years ago. But a good name will survive, and the widespread trend toward retro design has favored the return of a manufacturer with a proven and "evolved" tradition. On the initiative of two enterprising product developers at Hanhart, wristwatches were recently added to the mechanical and
electronic stopwatches and timers from Gutenbach, and with much care and attention to detail the collection has been gradually expanded.
In 1997 two replicas of the military pilot chronographs from World War II represented the starting point for the new Hanhart collection, and no effort was spared to reproduce them as accurately as possible. Dial details, hands, and the fluted bezel with reference mark, originally laid down in the specifications of the military equipment supplier, are identical in every respect with the look of the original watch produced in 1939. Although Hanhart must now utilize purchased handwound Valjoux movements, by integrating a number of linkages the case specialists succeeded in duplicating the characteristic asymmetrical offset positioning of the buttons with respect to the crown. The company was also able to integrate a one-button mechanism (successively for start, stop, and reset) into the manually wound Valjoux movement, resulting in the awakening of a further classic Hanhart model.
The Minos and Sirius models have been removed a bit from the characteristic design originally stipulated in the" Description, Operation, and Maintenance Regulation for Air Force Watches," and break with the tradition of black dials, fluorescent hands, and fluorescent Arabic numerals. But unlike the remakes of the pilot chronographs, there has been a certain amount of freedom taken in the design of these models, a fact that will move Hanhart out of the niche of military-watch specialists sooner or later.
That certainly would have been in keeping with "stopwatch king" Willy Hanhart's philosophy as he developed a special enthusiasm for sports timing after the war. The "civilian" chronograph, Admiral and a chronograph with a gold case are both dedicated to the founder and captain of the brand, both available with a choice of manually wound or automatic movements and - to offset the pilot look - a matte white dial.
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Hanhart Watch
Eric Armin, Inc. (E.A.I.)
763 Susquehanna Avenue
P.O. Box 644
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Tel.: 201-891-9466
Fax: 201-891-5689
www.hanhart.com
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