Hanhart Goes Blue and Embraces a Popular Hashtag with a New Limited Edition Chronograph

Hanhart’s newest release is the latest watch to take advantage of a popular watch related Instagram hashtag. That, right there, is a sentence that might only make sense to readers under a certain age, but it speaks to the power of social media in watch collecting, commerce, and our daily lives. The #fliegerfriday hashtag has been used on social media platforms since at least 2015, and during that time it’s created a place where fans of old school pilot’s watches can come together (virtually) to admire one another’s aviation inspired timepieces. Hanhart isn’t even the first brand to jump on the #fliegerfriday train (plane?) – we saw a similar release from Tutima late last year. Let’s take a look at the new #FliegerFriday Edition chronograph from Hanhart. 

What we have here at a high level is a very basic aviation inspired chronograph, with some additional Hanhart touches and small details thrown in to make this one feel worthy of its limited edition status. The dial is rendered in a deep blue, with crisp white Arabic numerals and accents throughout. The stainless steel case has been given a black DLC coating, which feels somewhat at odds with the old school vibes of the dial layout, but the tones of the case are a great match for the blue dial. The watch has a dark, sleek appearance that feels especially appropriate as we head into the colder months. 

One of Hanhart’s signature design flourishes comes in the design and placement of their chronograph pushers. The #FliegerFriday Edition features their trademark red tipped pusher in the reset spot, and you’ll notice that the pushers are asymmetric to the crown (the red pusher is considerably closer to the crown than the start/stop pusher). This gives Hanhart watches an appealing, instrument-like vibe. These kinds of details can sometimes feel a little affected on pilot’s watches, and of course your individual taste for this type of thing will vary, but Hanhart has been doing it long enough at this point to get away with it in an authentic way.

The #FliegerFriday Edition (I will never get used to writing out model names with hashtags, by the way) is powered by a HAN3809 movement, which is Hanhart’s badge for an ETA7750. The watch measures 42mm in diameter and is 15mm tall, which should equate to a fairly chunky presence on the wrist, but is appropriate for a watch of this style. Only 100 will be made (the limited edition number is engraved on the back) and the watch sells for 2,490 Euro. It’s available right now via Hanhart.