Hanhart Preventor 9 Review

The watch I'm reviewing today is the Hanhart Preventor 9, a field watch loosely based on the "Beobachtungsuhr" or "B-Uhr" that Hanhart used to produce for the German military. (see the picture of the B-Uhr below)

Why did I get the watch and not something else?

Well, I really like tool watches, a category that breaks down into field and pilot watches, and anything in between. I'm not too much into chronos, simply because I never use the chronograph functionality, and it makes no sense paying for something that I don't use. So while Hanhart is know for its chronographs, this watch is not. In fact it is based on a Sellita SW-200-1 with a Dubois Dépraz device to support the small seconds. Interesting, but still a standard movement.

I overall like the German design approach, which generally is rather minimalist, austere and industrial. (Of course the artisan in Germany's luxury segment is something else entirely.)

Now, you may ask why I didn't go the Seiko route, as I already own many Seikos. The reason is that to me Seiko's Prospex lineup is not quite as convincing as their Seiko 5s are at a lower price point. I also wasn't willing to spend my money on Grand Seiko yet.

I had also considered a Sinn 556 and different Stowa watches, but in the end it made sense to me to spend a few extra bucks to get the watch with the right movement, and the right lineage of a watch. I had also thought about the Hamilton Murph, but I'd rather spend money on products from smaller watch manufacturers.

Buying the Watch

I wanted to buy the watch from Hanhart directly, but I didn't get any shipping options for the US. So I went through Watchbuys, which was a very pleasant ordering experience. As a first-time buyer a phone call was necessary to confirm the phone number, and go over the conditions of the sale. I would have been able to return to the watch during the first three days as long as I hadn't worn it.

But back to the actual watch, and what I liked about it:

- The watch case is brushed, with just a sliver of case polishing below the bezel.

- The dial is matte black with easy to read numbers, and pretty much the only somewhat ornate parts are the watch hands, obviously being derived from previous watches by this manufacturer.

- The leather straps is think and robust, with the typical rivets of straps for Flieger watches, with a very angular clasp.

- The case is actually somewhat large at 40mm for this type of watch, giving the watch a certain presence on the wrist, even though it doesn't feel heavy at all.

First Impressions

The watch is very comfy after the first day, after the leather strap has been broken in. My reaction to it hasn't been overwhelming joy of ownership, but rather an odd feeling of familiarity, as if I had worn it for much longer. It feels right without any unnecessary fuss.

The dial lettering holds up nicely using a light macro extension, even though I'm sure you'll find irregularities under higher magnification. But nothing that you would be able to detect with the naked eye.

Interestingly enough the tip of the minute hand is curved, even though I don't think the case actually requires it. (Maybe they reused the hands from another watch.) I would also like to note that the watch has a solid and flat caseback with just basic information and the serial number of the watch,

Winding the watch feels odd, but that is probably because I'm so used to Seiko movements. The watch has functioned flawlessly, so far.

Summary

I was initially apprehensive of buying a watch online that I hadn't held before, since some watches surprised me in the past. This wasn't the case here. I got exactly what I expected.

I was also wondering if I would need to spend more money that I did to get something I really wanted. And I don't think this is the case here.

One thing I want to mention: This watch is not a spec monster. An SW-200-1 is a standard movement, and there really is nothing very fancy about the watch. Yet what you find is well executed.