Hanhart Pioneer MK I | Hands On Review

Hanhart Pioneer MK I

 

Last year Hanhart introduced the Hanhart Pioneer MK I,  a tribute or homage to their first watch, the Calibre 40, introduced in 1938. I might be a little behind in reviewing this model but when I got the chance, I jumped on it, as I have always loved the design of Hanhart watches and wanted to see if they looked as good in person as they do in photos. Spoiler: They certainly do. What makes this watch stand out is not just the precision craftsmanship that is evident in every area you look at, but also a heavily modified Valjoux 7753 automatic movement to allow not only for a monopusher, but also the pusher itself, as it was moved a significant amount from the crown for easier operation of the two. The Hanhart Pioneer MK I is a combination of beauty and engineering, inside and out.

Hanhart Pioneer MK I Specifications:

• 40mm Stainless Steel Case
• 15mm Thick
• 49mm Lug to Lug
• 20mm Lug Width
• HAN3601 Caliber Movement (Base Valjoux 7753)
• Sapphire Crystal
• 100 Meters Water Resistant
• Leather Strap

Price: $2270 USD (Watchbuys.com)

http://www.hanhart.com/714-200-0110.html?___store=en

A lot of brands claim to have their own caliber of movement, or will relabel a base movement with their own, only to have added some rotor decoration. This does not make it their own caliber or a modified movement. I would describe that as pure marketing shenanigans. Hanhart, on the other hand, actually did heavily modify the 7753 movement for use in the Hanhart Pioneer MK I. Hanhart works with to La Joux Perret to make some very interesting and complex chronographs. For the MKI, they have made it a monopusher, where the red ceramic pusher starts, stops and resets the chronograph. What most might not notice at first glance, is the position of the pusher. It is not lined up with the 2 as most would be, it is moved more between the 1 and the 2 which allows more space between the pusher and very large crown. Another modification was completely removing the date, not just on the dial, but entirely. The HAN3601, which again its base is the 7753, has the following specs: BPH of 28,800, 27-jewels, hacking and hand-winding and 42hr power reserve.

Someone mentioned on a forum the other day that this watch punches above its weight. And it does. The Hanhart Pioneer MK I not only has a modified automatic chronograph, but the construction of the watch is one that will make you feel your money was well spent. That is not marketing speak on my end, nor is it to make you run out and grab one of these. Not my job to do. I do feel my need to convey though how well made this piece is. I’ve seen watches twice the cost that did not have the same level of finish. The massive crown is easy to grab, feels great to turn and is a pleasure to set the time. When it comes to quality, the component that shows how well made this watch is; the AR coated sapphire crystal. I honestly think this is overlooked by most manufactures and maybe even some watch enthusiasts. The crystal and dial is what is looked at most in a watch and when a cheaper grade of sapphire is used or a sub par AR coating, it affects the entire watch for me. It doesn’t just effect how the watch looks in photos, (which can be a huge pain in the butt), but how it looks in real life, how easily you can see the time at a glance, and how you have to move your wrist around so you can remove your reflection out of the crystal. The Pioneer MK I suffers none of these issues. The crystal and AR coating are fantastic and a pleasure to photograph and also stare at, not to look at the time, but rather appreciating the German craftsmanship. Do not roll your eyes at that sentence, we all sit there and gaze at our watches with admiration.

The dial of the Hanhart Pioneer MK I has a distinct military vibe and the dial is not cluttered with text that does not belong. I love the cathedral hands, even though I do see many other brands using them these days (mainly microbrands), they are not as saturated in the market as say the Mercedes hands are. Another feature that may be overlooked is how the minute and second hand curve to the dial and crystal. While it may not sound like much, I feel it allows the hands to be even more noticeable at any point on the dial. Removing the date was a good choice with the sub dials already taking up the 3 and 9, they would have probably had to remove the 6 to insert a date.

Many are probably aware at this point if you have read enough of my reviews that I like a nice solid case back on a watch unless you have a complex or decorated movement. The Hanhart Pioneer MK I has a solid chunk of steel for the case back with clean engraving. Nothing flashy, no planes or propellers here, just a logo and the pertinent info. It does make me wonder though with such a modified movement why they decided to cover it up. I doubt it was for water resistance considering this is a pilot watch with only 100 meters of water resistance. Whatever the reason, I do like the overall look of the back and think it adds to the toolish feel the Pioneer has going on.

There are a few MINOR issues I have with the Hanhart Pioneer MK I, though I do not feel issues are the way to describe them. The first is the overall thickness. While I know much of that is due to the movement, when a 40mm watch is almost 16mm thick, it seems to exaggerated it even more, and at times the watch can feel top heavy. A thicker/heavier strap could balance that out though. Another quibble comes from something that I personally never will use, but bothered me nonetheless. That is the super smooth moving bezel. It just moves around so easily with the touch of a finger or rubbing it against a car seat, couch etc that I do not feel it is of any real functionality. Finally, the stock strap is on the short side, making my 7 1/2 inch wrist feel massive. If you have an 8 inch wrist, you are not going to be able to wear this strap. I actually doubt it will fit anything over 7 3/4 inches if being honest.

Hanhart Pioneer MKI lume

I think it is obvious that I love the Hanhart Pioneer MKI. Sure, I have a few nitpicks, but I can do that with almost anything. The watch just looks great, feels great and while not a large watch, still commands attention when on the wrist, or at least I feel it does. Has anyone noticed my watch this week besides the people that I told to look at it? “Look at my watch dammit, its German!” Well, I went off the rails there for a second, but all jokes aside, it is a fantastic piece of German engineering and design and a nod to Hanhart,s prestigious past. For some reason Hanhart flies under the radar. Maybe because they do not spend millions of dollars on advertising each year, which who can blame them? If you are familiar with this brand, I think you will understand my admiration for them and this Pioneer MKI. If you were unaware before reading and watching my review, I at least hope it will give you the urge to look into the history of the brand and the beautiful pieces they produce. They are not the cheapest out there, but I would consider what you get from them a value.

Special thanks to Chris Shortell for loaning me this watch for review.

The post Hanhart Pioneer MK I | Hands On Review appeared first on WatchReport.com.

Kronaby Apex Connected Watch | Hands on Review

Kronaby Apex Connected Watch

 

I am a traditional watch guy. It is just the way I am wired. I have no real love for digital watches, and the regular smart watch just makes me cringe. I guess you can say I am a purist, at least when it comes to watches. I think of a watch as part of me, it is not just a tool to tell time or a piece of jewelry, it is an extension of my personality. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love technology. Iphones, Ipads, laptops, Bluetooth, voice activated lights, you get the point. I love jumping in the car and turning on the Bluetooth and now my phone is connected to my car. It is amazing. Offer me a “smartwatch”, and I will become a snob and turn my nose up. So why, you ask, would I be reviewing this Kronobay Apex Connected Watch? The answer is simple. It is not your average smartwatch, and while it does sync to your phone via BT, when it is not connected, it is just your standard good looking quartz watch.

Kronaby Apex Connected Watch Specifications:

• 43mm Stainless Steel Case
• 22mm Lug Width
• 13.5mm Thick
• 51mm lug to lug
• Double Domed Sapphire Crystal
• Kronaby connected movement BT001, 2 pcs 2- hand-bi-directional micro stepping motors, Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy (BLE), vibration motor, accelerometer
• 100 Meters Water Resistant.
• Kronaby App working with (or later version) Android 5.0 and iOS 9

Price: $595 USD

https://www.kronaby.com/en/shop/WatchesApex/A1000-0729

Back when Apple first released the Apple Watch, (don’t call it the iWatch, they get mad), I thought about getting one to review. I am an Apple guy, so I thought, why not? Then one of my friends got one, and I realized that I hated it and would not want to waste my time doing a review. I know that might seem short-sided, but it is the way I felt. My opinion on them has not changed in the past two years either. I’m betting after hearing that it would surprise some of you to hear that I contacted Kronaby to review the Kronaby Apex Connected Watch. While there have been other watches on the market the past few years who have done something similar, either the watches did not appeal to me in design, or I was still in that “I hate anything that is a smart watch!” phase. Either way, I did not consider any of these watches until recently. Now let me be perfectly clear, you will probably not be seeing a lot of connected or smart watch reviews here on Watchreport in the future, at least not from me. This Kronaby has shown me what a connected watch can be, and I do appreciate it and have had some fun with it, but it is still not a watch I reach for on a daily basis.

Just because I will not be reaching for the Kronaby Apex Connected Watch all the time does not mean I do not like it. For the most part, I love the way the watch looks and I feel the build quality is much better than I ever imagined. Most people who know that I do reviews looked at it and had no idea it was a smart watch until I told them. They also assumed it was more expensive than it actually is, as overall the Apex is a damned nice looking watch. I imagine you have watched the video already, if not, please do so before continuing to read on. I show how to connect the watch to your phone and some of the basic functions as well, so I am not going to go over them here in the written portion of the review. I will share some aspects of the Apex that I really love and one or two things I think they can change.

Of the things I would change, would be the lume application and the thickness of the leather strap, or lack there of, on both accounts. With a regular smartwatch, say the Apple Watch, it is a display much like your cell phone, so no need for lume. Here, with the Kronaby Apex Connected Watch, you have an analog display and if you wanted to be truly connected at all times, being able to see it legibly in low light or complete darkness would be helpful. Unfortunately that is just not the case here, as seen below.

For the leather strap, It is actually very nice, and a decent leather. No complaints in feel or looks. It is very thin though, and it creases very easily, and long term, it might be only a matter of time before you would need to replace the strap, or switch it out to something else you have lying around. Many of us watch nuts have 22mm straps ready to go that would look great on this, but I wanted to point out that something more in the 3-4mm range would work better on this watch.

One of the great things, to me, about the Kronaby Apex Connected Watch is that you do not always need to be connected. When you turn your Bluetooth off, it is a standard analog watch that will keep accurate time and look good while doing it. When you are connected, the range is pretty damn good in my opinion, at least with my Iphone 6s Plus. The range can differ from phone to phone and different conditions, but I was able to leave it my phone on the back porch, go in the house through the kitchen, up the stairs and into the bedroom behind a closed door and was still able to activate the music player on my phone. Kronaby states that the maximum distance is around 40 meters, or 131 feet.

The Kronaby Apex Connected Watch is fairly easy to set up as I show in the video and overall I have enjoyed the functions. I have not delved into all of the alerts and things you can do, I have kept it pretty simple. The top pusher is set for music, so I press it and my phone starts playing. You can also skip to the next song with a double tap of the pusher and a triple tap allows you to go back. The bottom pusher I have set up as a remote for the camera on my phone. When you have the phone in a tripod, you can use the watch to snap photos. Alert wise, I have Gmail and text messages set up, and they have been flawless in functionality and the watch vibrates about 1-2 seconds after I get the email or message.

As I stated earlier, the Kronaby Apex Connected Watch would not be a daily driver for me, but I also am not really the intended audience. I personally think any of the Kronaby lineup would look better on the wrist than an Apple Watch or Moto360 etc. If you like and want the added functionality of being able to control your phone from your watch and get alerts right on your wrist, you can still do it, but it will not look out of place with your suit and tie at the office. I had fun wearing it and playing with the features, but for me, a non smart or connected watch is the way to go. That is not to say this could not change in the future, who knows. We never know what the future holds. When it comes to the present, I think Kronaby is on the right track and a few minor improvements and I think they will be even better. If you always wanted to try out a smartwatch but did not like the look, maybe give Kronaby a try. Or don’t. It is your dime. I’m just some guy on the internet. The Apex is pretty cool though in my opinion.

PS. Something I forgot to mention, which might not seem like a big thing to most, but I included a picture of the case back in the gallery of when the Apex first arrived. I believe transparency in what you are buying and where the item is manufactured, especially in the watch industry where there tends to be a lot of smoke and mirrors. The plastic film clearly states Assembled in China. No wool being pulled here.

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