The extraordinary history of the Swiss-German watchmaker Hanhart can be traced back to 1882, when Johann A. Hanhart founded his eponymous company in the small town of Diessenhofen in northeast Switzerland. In the 138 years since then, Hanhart has forged a reputation for building rugged chronographs for the German air force and mechanical stopwatches, the latter inevitably intrinsically linking the brand to the worlds of sport and motor racing. Hanhart’s most famous advocate, however, is not an athlete nor a racing driver – the Hollywood superstar Steve McQueen famously wore a Hanhart 417 pilot’s chronograph.
We’re delighted that Hanhart’s current range of wristwatches and stopwatches, which both pay tribute to the brand’s rich history and look ahead to a bright and exciting future, can now be bought from the Classic Driver Shop. Oh, and if you’re wondering why there’s a bright red pusher on all the pieces, legend has it that one German pilot’s lover painted the button with her red nail varnish to remind him of her and return home safely. Now that’s a great dinner party conversation starter.
