Latest Review
What do you think of when you think of Hanhart? I think it’s fair to say that for most of us, the watches that come to mind immediately are very distinctly tool oriented watches. Aviation inspired chronographs with that iconic red pusher, simple but tough field watches, and maybe a diver for good measure. And while certainly the brand dabbles in more elegant fare from time to time, a shaped design forward watch like the Square by Square feels very unexpected. But maybe it shouldn’t? We are, after all, in a moment where everyone is trying their hand at stone dials, shaped cases, and generally challenging the sensibilities of a market previously laser focused on sports watches.
Hanhart, of course, has been around for a very long time, and the Square by Square’s DNA can be traced back to shaped watches in the brand’s extensive archive. This is, however, a completely new design. The brand worked with Marcus Wiedemann, a Munich based designer they have collaborated with previously, on the Square by Square, which was originally an entry in the Dubai Watch Week x Grail Watch Design Competition. The design wound up being named as a finalist in the (very specific) “Most out-of-the-box, innovative yet viable shaped watch design” category.
What we have here is a case that at first presents as a square, but tilted so that it sits on the wrist in a diamond shape. The chief design inspiration here, beyond the Hanhart archives, is the idea of “curved spacetime” and the geometry of “hyperbolic paraboloids,” with surfaces that appear to curve inwards and outwards at the same time. The dial appears to have a dish-like quality to it that has an upward curve at the perimeter, while at the same time the case itself contours downward at the lugs. Hanhart notes in their press materials that the shape of the domed sapphire crystal presented unique challenges in this design, and that figuring out the right manufacturing process was a trial and error situation involving several broken crystals in the prototyping phase. According to Hanhart, the way crystal extends to the edges of the case is what produces the unique optical effect that defines the Square by Square.
There are two dial variants, both dominated by a deep, saturated blue and an Art Deco influenced stepped rehaut with custom designed numerals that echo the shape of the case itself. The interior sections of the dials are what creates distinction between the two. The first is a simple blue sunburst design, and the second is a mosaic mother of pearl. The sunburst version has a case with a matte finish, while the mother of pearl version’s case is polished.
With regard to specs, the watch measures 40mm from 12:00 to 6:00 and 38mm from 9:00 to 3:00. Hanhart lists a lug to lug measurement of 32.8mm and a case height of 10.9mm. This case shape clearly falls into the category of impossible to understand how it wears without trying it on, so it’s probably best not to read too much into those dimensions. The watch runs on a Sellita SW1000 automatic movement with 46 hours of power reserve, and the case is water resistant to 100 meters.
The catch with this watch, if you can call it that, is that it is extremely limited. Only six are available, three of each variant, and Hanhart refers to these as prototypes. Hanhart has not made any final decisions on whether this design concept will lead to serially produced watches.
The retail price for the Square by Square is listed as EUR 1,890 (including 19% VAT). Hanhart
