Steve McQueen is closely associated with Heuer and Rolex, but his personal watches also included the less conspicuous Hanhart 417 ES. The Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 commemorates that connection with a discreet dial signature and a strap modelled on his own, developed with input from his grandchildren.

Steve McQueen is inextricably linked to Hollywood, but also the objects he surrounded himself with — cars, clothing, sunglasses and watches. Though when it comes to the latter, he’s often mislabeled. The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is often erroneously nicknamed the ‘Steve McQueen’ despite the fact he never wore one (it was a Submariner ref. 5513).

But before the Rolex and Heuer Monaco years came the Hanhart 417 ES, which McQueen was rarely seen without as it accompanied him through everyday activities for many of his early years in Hollywood.

McQueen’s loyalty to the comparatively low-key Hanhart 417 may have been function-led. An avid racer, sportsman and marksman, the flyback chronograph with ample shock resistance and a useful rotating bezel likely hit the mark for what he wanted from a tool watch.

Hanhart has kept the tribute restrained. The actor’s signature replaces the text above six o’clock on the standard 417 ES 1954 Heritage Flyback, but is small enough not to overwhelm the dial. The watch can stand on its own, even for someone with little interest in McQueen. It’s a good story for a watch priced at €2,890.00, just €250 more than the standard model.

The 417 ES dates to the 1950s, when Hanhart made pilot’s chronographs for the German Bundeswehr. It followed the brand’s wartime chronographs, but was itself a post-war watch. “ES” stands for Edelstahl, German for stainless steel.

McQueen wore his Hanhart while racing motorcycles and in private life. It appears on his wrist in iconic photographs from the 1960s, including photographer John Dominis’s images for LIFE. While McQueen’s loyalty to Hanhart was long running, this commemorative edition marks the first time the brand has been able to overtly mention his name, thanks to the participation of his family estate.

Production is limited to 300 pieces, each individually numbered on the case back and presented in a rather special Hanhart box with a certification card styled after McQueen’s 1964 racing license, signed by his grandchildren.

The box also contains a hidden bottle of red nail polish, a playful reference to Hanhart lore, which holds that a pilot’s wife painted his chronograph pusher as a reminder of her. The tale is unverified, but the brightly coloured pusher is distinctive and helps identify the reset pusher.

The 39 mm stainless steel case retains the fluted, bidirectional rotating bezel and red reset pusher of the Heritage Flyback. A highly domed sapphire crystal covers the matte black dial, while the hands and numerals use Super-LumiNova in the brand’s “Light Old Radium” colour.

Inside is the hand-wound Sellita cal. AMT5100 M, also used in the regular production 417 ES. Its flyback mechanism allows the running chronograph to be reset and restarted with a single press, without first stopping it. The movement also has hacking seconds and a power reserve of at least 58 hours, distinguishing it from McQueen’s original Hanhart cal. 42.

Mechanically, the column-wheel flyback chronograph gives the watch substance beyond its celebrity association. The movement is not COSC-certified, but the brand has it’s own perspective on chronometry. At the Hanhart manufacture
in Gütenbach, Germany, watchmakers have a bias for gaining time rather than losing it, and prefer their own standard of 0 to +8 seconds per day over the COSC standard of -4 to +6 seconds per day.

Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1
Ref. H705L.210-21102

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 13.3 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Sellita cal. AMT5100 M
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and flyback chronograph
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Manual
Power reserve: 58 hours

Strap: shell cordovan cuff strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: 300 pieces
Availability: Now at Hanhart’s online shop and authorised dealers
Price: €2,890 (including 19% German VAT)

For more, visit hanhart.com.

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