Hanhart’s Long Awaited Preventor HD12

While it can often feel like the watch industry today is an arms race of sorts to see who can come out with the best, brightest, and flashiest, it’s a nice respite to see a watch that is built with simplicity in mind. That, to me, is embodied in the Hanhart Preventor HD12, the newest reference from the German brand.

While the name Preventor may sound like a prescription I took while I was single, it is, in fact, a successor to the already-established Pioneer model from Hanhart. You can see elements such as the stripped-down dial and case shared between the collections. While the Pioneer models may have promoted simplicity within the brand, it’s the Preventor which has shown restraint. 

With a decidedly Spartan design, the decoration on this watch is in the hands and the use of the vintage-style Hanhart logo, making this a distraction-free watch that isn’t running the risk of being overdesigned. At its core, this watch is meant to be a daily wearer, able to blend in with whatever outfit or occasion and that means all the bells and whistles are reserved for, say, Hanhart’s Primus collection. 

Customers can choose between a black or blue dial, both a cohesive design choice against the 39 mm steel case. And about that steel, I’d be remiss to not mention the HD12 steel used, for which the Preventor was named after. This particular steel is created through introducing carbon into the stainless steel alloy, which in turn increases the hardness of the case’s surface to about 1,200 HV (by comparison, standard steel used by most watch companies has a hardness of between 200 and 240 HV). 

Along with the choice of black or blue dials, customers can also choose between three calfskin straps in black, dark brown, or light brown. If you want to go a little formal, a PVD-coated steel bracelet is offered for an additional 200 Euros. 

For those interested in either colorway and a leather strap, the retail price is 995€. The steel bracelet is 1,195€. Both references of the Hanhart Preventor HD12 are available now to order via their website.