Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Hanhart Officially Puts Steve McQueen’s Name on the 417 ES Chronograph
After years of association with the actor, Hanhart is now releasing the first officially licensed Steve McQueen edition of the 417 ES.
Two watches are often associated with Steve McQueen: the Heuer Monaco worn during the Le Mans movie and a Rolex Submariner that became part of his off-screen image. But “the King of Cool” had a much broader relationship with watches, and among the less celebrated pieces was a Hanhart 417 ES, a chronograph he wore in his private life and while pursuing his other great passion, motorcycle racing. Hanhart is now making the connection official. With approval from McQueen’s descendants, the brand can, for the first time, put his name directly on the vintage-inspired reissue of this legendary pilot’s watch: meet the Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1.
The Hanhart 417 was introduced in the mid-1950s as a pilot’s chronograph for the German Bundeswehr, designed to be robust, readable, and straightforward to operate. It had a black dial with a bi-compax layout, a rotating fluted bezel, and a fluted crown, but no red pusher. The 417 ES, with “ES” standing for Edelstahl, or stainless steel, became a more durable version of the design and is also rare.
Photographs from McQueen’s life away from Hollywood repeatedly show the 417 ES on his wrist, including around his motorcycle-racing activities. In 1964, he competed for the US team at the International Six Days Trial in East Germany on a modified Triumph, riding under race number 278. He later entered events such as the Baja 1000, sometimes using the name Harvey Mushman to avoid some of the attention surrounding his acting career. That makes the new watch less about attaching a famous name to an existing product and more about formalising a documented relationship that was already there. McQueen’s grandchildren, Chase and Madison McQueen, were involved in the project and approved using their grandfather’s signature on the dial.
The new watch closely follows the proportions of the historical 417 ES, with a 39mm stainless-steel case measuring 13.3mm thick, including its highly domed sapphire crystal, and 46mm lug-to-lug. The case combines brushed and polished surfaces, and its compact dimensions preserve much of the charm of the modern 417 ES introduced in 2020 and later refined in the 39mm version.
The signature fluted bidirectional bezel remains, complete with its red insert, while the other immediately recognisable element is the red HyCeram chronograph pusher at 4 o’clock, brought to the collection last year. The screw-down crown carries Hanhart’s historical “h” logo. Sapphire is used for both the curved front crystal and the screw-down caseback, the latter allowing the movement to be seen for the first time in this specific 39mm watch; it was a feature available with the 42mm 417ES models (2025) only. Water resistance is 100m.
The black matte dial, too, stays close to the historic 417 ES. White Arabic numerals, a traditional chronograph layout with the running seconds at 9 and a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, preserve the familiar pilot-watch appearance. The hands and numerals are filled with Super-LumiNova in a Light Old Radium tone. The hands retain the slightly curved-down tips originally crafted to lessen parallax errors when reading the indications. But one addition makes this watch unmistakably different: Steve McQueen’s signature appears on the dial, kept relatively small, under the shockproof inscription and above the 6.
Powering the watch is the hand-wound AMT5100 M, a movement based on Sellita SW510 M, itself derived from the Valjoux 7750 but substantially modified and with a flyback function, made by AMT Manufacture, Sellita’s high-end department. The calibre operates at 28,800 vibrations/hour and provides at least 58 hours of power reserve. Hacking seconds lets you stop the movement when setting the time.
Historic photographs also show how McQueen wore his watch, with the 417 ES frequently seen on a dark brown cuff strap running underneath the case. Hanhart recreates it for this edition in Shell Cordovan supplied by Italian tannery Comipel, using a continuous leather construction with a padded section under the watch. The strap is closed with a historical-logo pin buckle. The 20mm lug width also fits other compatible 417 ES straps and Hanhart’s steel bracelet.
The Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 is limited to 300 pieces. Each watch comes with a booklet, numbered plaque, limitation card inspired by McQueen’s 1964 racing licence and, in perhaps the most fun detail, a bottle of red nail polish referencing the famous Hanhart red pusher. The romantic side of the story says the pilot’s girlfriend painted the reset button red so he would remember her and return unharmed, but the real purpose was to make it stand out and prevent accidental resets.
The price is EUR 2,890 including German VAT. For more details, please visit www.hanhart.com.
