Hanhart Introduces the 417 ES Steve McQueen Edition

Steve McQueen wore many hats: actor, motorcycle racer, car enthusiast, and, perhaps most famously, Hollywood’s “King of Cool.” Among the objects that became part of his unmistakable image was a Hanhart 417 ES, which accompanied him away from the set. Numerous photographs show McQueen wearing the chronograph, including during the 1964 International Six Days Trial in Erfurt, then part of East Germany, where he competed for the first official U.S. team.

Hanhart now formalizes that connection with its first official Steve McQueen edition. The 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 remains faithful to the character of the watch while adding a few discreet references to its famous former owner.

The Legacy of the 417 ES

The 417 ES is one of Hanhart’s most famous chronographs. The original was created in the mid-1950s as a pilot’s chronograph for the German Bundeswehr. Robustness, reliability, and clear legibility defined its design, characteristics that also shaped the military watch’s distinctive appearance. As on the historical model, ES stands for Edelstahl, the German word for stainless-steel.

The new edition follows the proportions of the original with a 39mm stainless-steel case offering water resistance to 100 meters. Featuring a highly domed sapphire crystal, the case measures 13.3mm thick, giving the watch a substantial presence on the wrist without making it appear oversized.

The familiar combination of a matte black dial with a bicompax layout, fluted bidirectional bezel, and red chronograph pusher remains intact. The Arabic numerals and hands are coated with Super-LumiNova in Light Old Radium, adding a warm, aged appearance while providing contemporary nighttime legibility. Steve McQueen’s signature is discreetly placed on the dial.

The Red Pusher

A charming detail closely associated with Hanhart is the red chronograph pusher. One enduring legend traces the feature back to a pilot’s wife, who is said to have painted the pusher of her husband’s Hanhart with red nail polish. The idea was that he would think of her whenever he looked at the watch and return home safely. There was also a practical reason for the bright color. The red pusher made the chronograph control immediately identifiable and helped prevent pilots from accidentally actuating the reset mechanism and losing their measured time. Over time, the red pusher became one of the defining visual signatures of Hanhart chronographs.

On the Steve McQueen edition, the pusher is rendered in Hanhart’s proprietary HyCeram material. A reference to the red-pusher legend also appears in the presentation box, which contains a small bottle of red nail polish.

A Modern Mechanical Heart

Behind the screw-down caseback with sapphire crystal is the hand-wound Sellita AMT5100 M, with its blued column wheel and screws on full display. The caliber provides a 58-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz.

Its functions include a flyback chronograph, small seconds, a 30-minute counter, and hacking seconds. The flyback function allows the wearer to reset the running chronograph to zero and immediately start a new timing sequence with a single press. The movement therefore retains the practical character expected of a pilot’s chronograph while bringing the historic 417 ES architecture into a contemporary mechanical context. Hanhart regulates the movements at its workshops in Gütenbach in the Black Forest to a daily rate of 0 to +8 seconds.

A Strap in McQueen’s Style

Historical photographs of McQueen wearing his 417 ES show the watch on a dark brown cuff strap, with the leather extending underneath the case. Hanhart recreates that configuration for the new edition using dark brown Shell Cordovan leather from the Italian tannery Comipel. The dense horsehide leather has a smooth surface and natural sheen and is paired with a pin buckle bearing Hanhart’s historical logo. The 20mm strap can also be replaced with other compatible 417 ES straps, including additional leather options and Hanhart’s steel bracelet with tool-free micro-adjustment.

The presentation box continues the connection to McQueen. Alongside a booklet and individually numbered plaque, it contains the red nail polish referencing the famous pusher and a limited-edition card modeled on McQueen’s 1964 international FIM racing license. The card is signed by his grandchildren Chase and Madison McQueen, who were involved in the creation of the edition and approved the use of their grandfather’s signature on the dial.

The Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 is limited to 300 pieces worldwide and priced at $4,255. The “No. 1” designation also leaves the door open for further Steve McQueen editions to follow.