Hanhart 417 ES Collaboration Brings Vintage Motorsport Style To The Fore
Hanhart have brought three names together for a limited-edition chronograph that connects traditional German watchmaking with the culture of classic cars, motorsport and contemporary collecting.
Some watches are defined by their technical origins, while others capture the spirit of the worlds that surround them. With the new 0260 x BAIT x Hanhart 417 ES, three distinctive perspectives meet in a chronograph inspired by the golden age of motorsport and the enduring appeal of vintage design.
Limited to just 88 pieces per dial colourway, the collaboration brings together Hanhart, the historic watch manufacturer from Germany’s Black Forest, Miami-based lifestyle brand 0260 and BAIT, known for its collaborations across sneakers, apparel, art and collectibles.
The project is the result of a shared passion between Lex Borrero, founder of 0260, and Eric Peng Cheng, founder of BAIT. Both are established collectors whose interests extend across watches, automobiles and design, and both have been named Watch Collector of the Year by GQ.
Their latest collaboration takes one of Hanhart’s most recognisable chronographs and gives it a fresh identity rooted in the visual language of historic motor racing.
A Motorsport-Inspired Interpretation
The starting point is the Hanhart 417 ES, the pilot’s chronograph introduced in the 1950s. Originally conceived as a functional instrument, the model has since become one of the defining designs in the brand’s history, recognised for its clear dial layout, robust construction and distinctive fluted bezel.
For this special edition, Borrero and Cheng have looked beyond aviation to the aesthetics of vintage motorsport. The result is a watch that retains the familiar proportions and functional character of the 417 ES while introducing a warmer, more expressive approach to colour and detail.
Two dial variations are available. The first pairs a black dial with cream sub-dials and red accents, creating a striking contrast that feels equally at home beside a classic sports car or in a contemporary watch collection. The second adopts a cream dial with brown sub-dials, delivering a softer, more understated appearance with an unmistakably vintage character.
Both versions feature slender numerals, finely executed scales and the familiar bicompax chronograph arrangement. The overall effect is purposeful rather than decorative, with the dial design allowing the colours and typography to provide the visual interest.
The signature fluted bezel remains an essential part of the composition. Rotating continuously in both directions, without click stops, it preserves a defining feature of the original 417 ES while reinforcing the watch’s instrumental roots.
A Connection to the Past
Hanhart’s history provides a natural foundation for the collaboration. Founded in 1882, the company has built its reputation on precision timekeeping, mechanical ingenuity and the development of chronographs and stopwatches.
The new edition also draws on an earlier chapter in the manufacturer’s design history. Hanhart’s Model 881 from the 1930s featured a comparable dial arrangement, with bold Arabic numerals oriented towards the centre. The latest 417 ES revisits elements of this historical design language without attempting to reproduce an earlier watch exactly.
It is this balance between heritage and reinterpretation that gives the collaboration its appeal. Rather than simply adding a new colour to an established model, the partners have used the 417 ES as a canvas for a shared interest in vintage aesthetics and collecting culture.
The historic Hanhart logo appears on the dial and crown, while the 0260 and BAIT lettering identifies the collaborative nature of the piece. The minute and seconds hands are curved at their tips to help prevent parallax error, and Super-LumiNova coating provides illumination in low-light conditions.
Traditional Proportions, Contemporary Construction
The stainless-steel case measures 39 mm in diameter, with a height of 13.30 mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of 46 mm. Satin-finished and polished surfaces create a contrast that emphasises the case’s shape, while the domed sapphire crystal features anti-reflective coating on both sides.
A screw-down caseback carries the individual limited-edition number, with each dial variant restricted to 88 examples worldwide. Water resistance is rated to 10 bar, or 10 ATM, according to DIN 8310.
The watch is paired with a vintage-style saddle leather strap featuring bar-tack stitching and a traditional pin buckle bearing Hanhart’s historic logo. Depending on the selected reference, strap options include black, light brown and dark brown leather, allowing the wearer to choose a combination that complements the dial.
The black-dial version has a particularly sporting character, with its cream counters and red accents providing a strong visual connection to period racing instruments. The cream-dial alternative takes a more restrained approach, with brown sub-dials introducing a warm palette reminiscent of vintage dashboards, leather interiors and well-used racing equipment.
Mechanical Timekeeping
Power comes from the hand-wound Sellita SW510 M calibre, a mechanical chronograph movement operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz. It contains 23 jewels and provides a minimum power reserve of 48 hours.
The functions include central chronograph seconds, a 30-minute counter, small seconds and hacking seconds, allowing the movement to be stopped for precise time setting.
Hanhart also applies its own rate-accuracy standard. Every movement is tested and regulated at the company’s manufacture in Gütenbach, in the Black Forest. Averaged across six positions, the specified daily rate is between zero and plus eight seconds, with no losing rate permitted in the main positions.
It is a detail that reflects the brand’s longstanding emphasis on dependable performance, even in a watch whose appeal is strongly shaped by its design and cultural references.
Where Cars and Watches Meet
For 0260, the collaboration extends beyond the watch itself. Its Time To Drive Car & Watch Festival brings together enthusiasts from both collecting communities through rare automobiles, exceptional timepieces, exhibitions, talks and shared experiences.
BAIT adds another dimension through its background in limited-edition projects spanning fashion, art and collectible culture. Together, the partners have created a chronograph that speaks to the growing overlap between automotive enthusiasm, mechanical watchmaking and contemporary collecting.
The Hanhart 417 ES provides the ideal foundation. Its history as a functional pilot’s chronograph gives the design authenticity, while its enduring proportions leave room for a different interpretation through colour, typography and materials.
The 0260 x BAIT x Hanhart 417 ES is therefore more than a limited-edition variation on a familiar model. It is a meeting of three collecting perspectives, brought together through an appreciation of mechanical objects with a story to tell.
Limited to 88 pieces per dial variant, the collaboration offers two distinct expressions of the same idea: a traditional chronograph with its roots firmly in the past, reinterpreted for a generation of collectors who appreciate the shared language of watches, cars and design.
Technical Specifications
Case
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Height: 13.30 mm (11.55 mm without crystal)
- Lug-to-lug: 46 mm
- Material: Satin-finished and polished stainless steel
- Bezel: Fluted, bidirectional and continuously rotating, with red marker
- Crystal: Domed sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Caseback: Screw-down, individually numbered XX/88
- Water resistance: 10 bar / 10 ATM
Dial and Hands
- Available in black with cream sub-dials and red accents, or cream with brown sub-dials
- Historic Hanhart logo, with BAIT and 0260 lettering
- Curved minute and seconds hands to help prevent parallax error
- Super-LumiNova-coated hands
Movement
- Calibre: Sellita SW510 M
- Winding: Manual
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Jewels: 23
- Power reserve: At least 48 hours
- Functions: Small seconds, 30-minute counter, central chronograph seconds and hacking seconds
- Rate accuracy: 0 to +8 seconds per day, averaged across all positions
Strap
- Vintage saddle leather with bar-tack stitching
- Black, light brown or dark brown options, depending on reference
- Historic-logo pin buckle
- Lug width: 20 mm
Price and Availability
- Price: €2,890 including 19% German VAT
- US price: $3,300
- Limited edition: 88 pieces worldwide per dial variant
For more information please visit