Steve McQueen’s Favorite Chronograph Watch Gets a Modern Technical Upgrade

Steve McQueen will forever be an icon of style, and not just for his Baracuta G9 Harrington jacket and his Persol 714 sunglasses, but also for his excellent rotation of wristwear.

In addition to the Rolex, McQueen also favored his personal Hanhart 417, a classic military pilot’s chronograph from the German brand. Today, the 417 is Hanhart’s undeniable flagship, and its flyback version is one of the most affordable mechanical flyback chronos you can buy.

McQueen is associated with a handful of mid-century tool watches, all of them considered a classic in their category. On screen, he’s most associated with the Heuer Monaco from Le Mans and the Benrus 3061 from Bullitt, while in his personal life, his most-recognizable watch was the Rolex Submariner ref. 5512 he often wore.

The best-known version of the Hanhart 417 is the 417ES, which features a stainless steel case (the original 417 was in chromed brass, and it’s believed, but not confirmed, that McQueen owned an ES).

Today, Hanhart has leveled up its most iconic watch by launching the 417TI, which swaps out stainless steel for a case made of lightweight and strong Grade 5 titanium.

Hanhart

Desert trip

The Hanhart 417TI Desert is the first 417 ever with a titanium case. The material used, Grade 5 titanium, is an alloy that’s far more scratch-resistant than pure Grade 2 titanium. That toughness, coupled with Hanhart’s decision to give the case a completely matte finish, makes the material a great match for the 417’s rugged tool watch vibe (McQueen routinely wore his while riding his motorcycle).

The watch maintains its classic rotating fluted bezel, also in titanium, with the red mark at 12:00 making it useful for tracking elapsed time. Inside the watch beats the Sellita Calibre AMT5100 M, a manually wound column wheel chronograph with flyback functionality, a 4Hz beat rate and a power reserve of 48 hours.

Hanhart

With both a column wheel and flyback complication, this is one of the best movements you can get at this price. It’s also decently finished with the screws and column wheel heat-blued and the 3/4 plate dressed up in Côtes de Genève. The movement is visible behind a sapphire caseback, while a large domed sapphire crystal protects the dial.

Speaking of the dial, Hanhart didn’t go with the 417’s classic black or white dial for the first titanium variant. Instead, the brand went with a sand-colored dial that takes inspiration from its own Primus Desert Pilot, which has previously been worn by driver Stephan Schott during the extreme Dakar Rally. (McQueen, a racer himself, would approve.)

Hanhart

The dial’s syringe hands are lumed, as are the black indices … technically. Hanhart admits it went for style over substance when it comes to the watch’s lume, as the indices barely give off the faintest glow in the dark. But hey, they’re plenty legible during the day!

There are two case sizes for the 417TI Desert Pilot: 39mm and 42mm. Both should be pretty wearable, and while I almost always will choose a 39 over a 42, I think the 42’s proportions are actually better here. Both watches have the same 13.6mm thickness, but the 42 wears it better since the thickness is visually spread out more. The side profile of the 39 is a little stout. Both sizes boast 100m water-resistance ratings and robust shock resistance.

Regardless of which size you choose, you’ll get the same two strap choices. Both are made of FKM rubber with a woven textile pattern and Grade 5 titanium pin buckles. One is sand-colored to match the dial, while the other is black for a more classic look.

Hanhart

Availability and pricing

I think Grade 5 titanium makes a lot of sense for a storied, highly capable tool watch like the 417, and its use here makes what was already an excellent value-for-money proposition even more tempting.

Both sizes are priced the same at $4,518. That is a $604 jump over the 417ES Flyback on a strap, which is a fairly standard upcharge for going from steel to Grade 5 Ti. You’re also paying for exclusivity, as each size of the 417TI Desert Pilot is limited to just 200 pieces.

Although I doubt we’ll see this exact watch again, I’m sure we’ll see future iterations of the 417TI now that Hanhart has the case, in two sizes, no less.

Hanhart

Hanhart 417 TI Desert Pilot

Specs

Case Size	39mm or 42mm
Movement	Sellita Cal. AMT 5100 M hand-wind flyback chronograph
Water Resistance	100m

• $4,518 at Hanhart

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