1943 Hanhart German WW2 Luftwaffe Pilot Flyback Chronograph 41mm Serviced
Item History & Price
I’ve owned and handled hundreds of vintage chronographs butI always go back to this masterpiece produced for German pilots during WW2, which looks so modern even today due to its impressive size and design.Unfortunately, collectors know that most Hanhart and Tutima watches have beenmolested during the years, not to mention the severe amount of wear typical forsuch tool watches. Cases are often re-plated, pusher caps replaced with wrongones, or mismatched, same for the crown, refinish...ed and re-lumed dials andhands are common situations, as well as serial numbers that do not match oncase and movement. The watch offered for sale here is a survivor, authentic andwith great pedigree. It belonged to a German pilot who served in France in 1944after D-Day and in Operation Bodenplatte, the last offensive of the Luftwaffeand part of the larger operation Wacht am Rhein, better known to us as theBattle of the Bulge. It’s a good year to purchase this watch when wecommemorate 75 years since the momentous landings in Normandy, when ourgrandfathers changed the course of the war. More about the watch and itscondition below:
Case: Nickel-brass alloy with nickel plating evenly wornwith beautiful age patina giving the watch an attractive look and a distinguishedmilitary feel. Size 41mm, huge for its time, still great presence on the wristtoday. Not polished. Oversized pushers are correct and a matching pair, nodoubt original, of the “nipple” design variety, correct for this Hanhart. Minor enamel loss on the red flyback pusher. Thecrown is also original and shows the same degree of wear as the case, whichtells me it is also correct. Case back is screw down stainless steel and thenumber matches the one on the movement.
Dial & Hands: glorious black dial, not cleaned, notrefinished, not relumed. Date coded on the back, Sept 24, 1943 and likely madeby Wilhelm Cammart of Pforzheim, one of the suppliers for the Luftwaffe. Dateddials are rare which gives great pedigree to this watch and confirmation of itsproduction date. Mild age patina from radium dust. The indexes are radium.Often these were refreshed during the war making the paint on the indexes lookthick and sloppy because of repeated applications but here we only have theoriginal one applied with care and precision. Typical darkening and pigmentationdue to age. Geiger tested and confirmed to be radium while the luminoussubstance used for the impressive cathedral hands is zinc sulfide, sometimesused by the watchmakers of the Luftwaffe due to its strong glow. It still glowstoday, although more faintly, as you would expect. All hands have the samepatina and were installed during the war.
Movement: legendary cal. 41, flyback function with twopushers, the most advanced model produced during the war. Serviced in 2018 andworking strong and loud with all functions intact and all parts original.
In conclusion, an authentic Hanhart used by a Luftwaffepilot in the last years of the war, date coded on the dial and in beautifuloriginal condition, modern 41mm size case. My price is very decent as only theauthentic Hanharts should attract the buyer’s attention and not Frankened andheavily molested pieces often offered at similar prices on ebay and elsewhere.
Watch comes without a strap (included in the photos forillustration purposes). I’m sure the buyer will want to pick one of theirchoice. I hope I don’t need to remind anyone that mechanical watches don’t havethe accuracy of battery powered quartz or the waterproof properties of modernwatches. In addition, vintage mechanical watches are more fragile and requireperiodic service. Occasionally watches may need adjustment or service aftershipping or going through several magnetic scanners in the mail. I’m acollector myself and selling this watch as seen, no returns, please. Onlyserious buyers who know what they’re buying, please! Descriptions can never becomplete because what is insignificant to me may be crucial to you, while condition and appeal will always remain subjective. So please email questionsshould you have any and examine the pictures, as they are part of thedescription.
I prefer to ship to a US address to avoid the hassle, butwill consider shipping to the European Union or Canada if the buyer willcontact me first for shipping rates. I only ship registered and insured. Anycustom duties will be the buyer’s responsibility.
Case: Nickel-brass alloy with nickel plating evenly wornwith beautiful age patina giving the watch an attractive look and a distinguishedmilitary feel. Size 41mm, huge for its time, still great presence on the wristtoday. Not polished. Oversized pushers are correct and a matching pair, nodoubt original, of the “nipple” design variety, correct for this Hanhart. Minor enamel loss on the red flyback pusher. Thecrown is also original and shows the same degree of wear as the case, whichtells me it is also correct. Case back is screw down stainless steel and thenumber matches the one on the movement.
Dial & Hands: glorious black dial, not cleaned, notrefinished, not relumed. Date coded on the back, Sept 24, 1943 and likely madeby Wilhelm Cammart of Pforzheim, one of the suppliers for the Luftwaffe. Dateddials are rare which gives great pedigree to this watch and confirmation of itsproduction date. Mild age patina from radium dust. The indexes are radium.Often these were refreshed during the war making the paint on the indexes lookthick and sloppy because of repeated applications but here we only have theoriginal one applied with care and precision. Typical darkening and pigmentationdue to age. Geiger tested and confirmed to be radium while the luminoussubstance used for the impressive cathedral hands is zinc sulfide, sometimesused by the watchmakers of the Luftwaffe due to its strong glow. It still glowstoday, although more faintly, as you would expect. All hands have the samepatina and were installed during the war.
Movement: legendary cal. 41, flyback function with twopushers, the most advanced model produced during the war. Serviced in 2018 andworking strong and loud with all functions intact and all parts original.
In conclusion, an authentic Hanhart used by a Luftwaffepilot in the last years of the war, date coded on the dial and in beautifuloriginal condition, modern 41mm size case. My price is very decent as only theauthentic Hanharts should attract the buyer’s attention and not Frankened andheavily molested pieces often offered at similar prices on ebay and elsewhere.
Watch comes without a strap (included in the photos forillustration purposes). I’m sure the buyer will want to pick one of theirchoice. I hope I don’t need to remind anyone that mechanical watches don’t havethe accuracy of battery powered quartz or the waterproof properties of modernwatches. In addition, vintage mechanical watches are more fragile and requireperiodic service. Occasionally watches may need adjustment or service aftershipping or going through several magnetic scanners in the mail. I’m acollector myself and selling this watch as seen, no returns, please. Onlyserious buyers who know what they’re buying, please! Descriptions can never becomplete because what is insignificant to me may be crucial to you, while condition and appeal will always remain subjective. So please email questionsshould you have any and examine the pictures, as they are part of thedescription.
I prefer to ship to a US address to avoid the hassle, butwill consider shipping to the European Union or Canada if the buyer willcontact me first for shipping rates. I only ship registered and insured. Anycustom duties will be the buyer’s responsibility.
