Unique symbiosis of tradition and modernity

Hanhart is celebrating the 130^th anniversary of the brand by introducing a new model, the Stealth 1882, to its Pioneer collection in a strictly limited edition. This model quite rightly prides itself on its association with the legendary Hanhart chronographs on which it is based and is distinguished by all the typical characteristics of these timepieces: the upper chronograph button, positioned asymmetrically towards the lug, is especially striking and is a unique feature of Hanhart. In order to achieve this arrangement, Hanhart integrates a specially designed lever into the case. This redirects the force from pressing the button located at 2 o’clock by the required number of millimetres. No less eye-catching is the striking red reset button.

A particularly outstanding aspect of the Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition, however, is the extraordinary way in which the highly characteristic design of the display has been realised in terms of technology and aesthetics, with two auxiliary dials at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. An exclusive and complex modification of the automatic calibre enables both of these displays to be placed right on the edge of the large dial which is housed in a case measuring 45 millimetres in diameter. This brings the aesthetic appearance of the watch perfectly into line with the design of its predecessors: due to the relatively large size – 15.5 lignes – of Hanhart’s manufacture calibre 41, the two displays were spaced widely apart on these early pilot’s chronographs too. In addition, the small round display at 9 o’clock on this model is not simply reserved for the small seconds, as would normally be the case; it also accommodates a 12-hour counter which would usually be omitted from a bicompax display of this kind. As a result, the Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition remains true to the bicompax display format, yet it features all the functions of a tricompax chronograph.

The Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition also does justice to the early chronographs from a functional perspective: like these models, it is fitted with a flyback mechanism. While on a conventional stopwatch, one button controls the start and stop functions, another is used for setting the relevant hands to zero and an intermediate stop is required for a restart, this flyback mechanism, designed in the 1930s to facilitate navigation, enabled pilots to simultaneously stop, reset and restart their chronograph by simply pressing a single button. The chronograph hand thus returns to its starting position and immediately resumes its time measurements; there is no need to restart the watch after it has been reset.

Like the “Tachy Tele” pilot’s chronograph from 1939, the Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition also includes telemeter and tachymeter scales. The tachymeter scale is designed to measure speeds and coils around the centre of the dial in a spiral shape, mirroring the design of the original model. This allows up to three revolutions of the stopwatch hand to be taken into account which considerably extends the measuring range and also enables even relatively low speeds of 60 to 20 km/h to be recorded. The practical telemeter scale printed on the peripheral edge of the dial is used to measure distances, taking into account the speed of sound.

A modern interpretation of the tradition

What makes the Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition an exceptionally striking model of its kind is its large case, which measures 45 millimetres in diameter and is made from stainless steel with a hard-wearing ADLC coating and an elegant and gleaming velvety black finish. Since the dial is also deep black, the elements coloured in characteristic Hanhart red particularly stand out. These include the hands and numerals used to measure time and the reset button, which has a high-quality hybrid ceramic coating.

Like the original chronograph models from the 1930s, the design of the Pioneer Stealth 1882 Limited Edition is intended specifically to make the watch perfectly readable and safe and easy to use. The large, glow-in-the-dark numerals at 6 o’clock and 12 o’clock, the clear subdivisions for the hours with narrow index marks, the clearly laid-out displays at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, the tachymeter and telemeter scales and the minute indications – all coated with Super-LumiNova^® – guarantee flawless readability in any situation. This is further enhanced by the minutes and chronograph hands, the ends of which are bent downwards slightly towards the dial. Both the large, easy-to-handle crown with a deep bevelled edge and the upper button with the increased spacing between it and the crown are easy to operate even when wearing gloves. The bezel is available in either a thin design which can be rotated in either direction and which comes with a fluted, slip-proof finish and red marking made of hybrid ceramic, or in an elegant and plain design with a flat surface.

To guarantee maximum water-resistance and robustness, this new pilot’s chronograph is, like the archetypal models on which it is based, fitted with a sealed, screwed-down case back which includes three indentations for the case key which has always been used for Hanhart watches. This robustness is also reinforced by the strap made from hard-wearing calfskin with black, ADLC-coated riveting. A stainless steel pin buckle, also with an ADLC coating, rounds off the distinctive overall design and guarantees a secure fit on the wrist.

Technical details