Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 Hands-On Review

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Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9

I definitely would not call the Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 the black sheep of the Hanhart lineup, but it surely does not get the same love as say the Pioneer One, the Monocontrol, the 417ES etc. Why is that? I am not sure. Maybe because of marketing, maybe because it lacks the rotating bezle and iconic red marker, but I am here to change that. Well, not really, as this is just one persons opinion inside of a watch blog review, but I will say, this may be my favorite Hanhart to date, and I can honestly say, that I never really paid attention to it before myself either. Join me in exploring this field-pilot style watch from Hanhart, and why I have fallen in love with this 40mm stainless beauty. 

Specifications:

• 40mm Stainless Case

• 12mm Thick

• 48mm Lug to Lug

• 20mm Lug Width

• Sapphire Crystal

• Sellita SW200 Movement with Dubois Dépraz Module

• 100m Water Resistant

• Leather Strap or Bracelet

• Price $1200 on Strap-$1450 on bracelet

https://www.hanhart.com/en/

So, why is the Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 one of, if not my favorite Hanart watches of all time? Looking at it, you probably think, this is a pretty basic-looking watch. It is a basic-looking watch, and that is one of the reasons why. Basic does not mean cheap, or not well made. This watch is straightforward, not flashy, is easy to read, and just has that military-esque look and feel about it, and that is why I find it simply perfect. That could be the whole review right there really: Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9-Simply Perfect. In fairness, it is not perfect though, as there is one thing that keeps it from checking every single box for me, and that is the non-screw-down crown. I know, this is not a dive watch, so why do I want a screw-down crown? Well, because I do. It is not an absolute deal-breaker, but that does keep it off the absolutely perfect list.

Beyond that, this watch really is so close to perfection. It looks great on either the leather strap or stainless steel bracelet (more on that later) and when you combine it with the great contrast dials that Hanhart is known for, with a 99% brushed steel case and that large crown, I am a bugs bunny hearts jumping out of eyes cartoon every time I look at it. The dial is matte black, the Arabic numerals and cathedral-style hands stark white, and along with the clean, minimal text, it is a winner. The sub-dial displays your running seconds, and for whatever reason, I am liking that as well. Normally I prefer a watch like this to have the standard three hands, but it works on this Preventor9 and gives it more of that classic look and feel.

The lines on the case, are simple and straightforward. Notice a theme? The classic case shape of the Pioneer lineup, with a hint of polish under the bezel area. A touch more high polish on the crown. The rest is wonderfully satin-brushed, and the only thing that maybe could have been added is drilled lugs, but I didn’t find the strap or bracelet difficult to remove, so no need to ruin the nice lugs I guess.

Turn it over, and you see the standard Hanhart case back. I know I sound like a broken record, but I just love these case-backs. It’s a relatively simple stamped piece of steel, but like the rest of the watch, there is beauty in simplicity, and this case back proves that. Under that piece of engraved steel is the Sellita SW200 Movement, with a Dubois Dépraz module, which gives us the sub-seconds on the dial. The power reserve is pretty low, only 38 hours and I don’t believe you get any other benefit out of the module, but at the very least, you have a Swiss movement powering this watch. 

One of the things I was most looking forward to checking out on the Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 was the stainless steel bracelet. Now, I have to claim ignorance on my part. Even Hanhart didn’t correct me in an email when I was arranging this piece for review, that this was the only Hanhart that came on a stainless steel bracelet. Spoiler alert; IT IS NOT. As I said, ignorance, or I just never saw it in the drop-down menu, but you can order this multilink stainless bracelet for most of the Pioneer lineup, and let me say this, if you like bracelets, don’t hesitate. Like always, this is a review, and I am not telling you to buy a watch, but if you chose to do so, this bracelet is fantastic. Multi-link (yes, two rows of links are high polished), screws in the bracelet, perfect fitting end links, and just drapes on the wrist.

How does it clasp you ask? It’s probably a dual deployant setup, with no half links or no room for adjustment at all, like on most field or pilot watch likes this. Right? Right??! The answer is no, it is none of that. Hanhart is using a slimmed-down version of a dive clasp with a rachet extension we have come to love on many microbrand divers and others such as Doxa, and giving us a functional clasp instead of just a push-button deployant that so many of us hate. This clasp is not bulky at all, and really looks great on the bracelet and is a joy to use. (See the video to get the best look at the clasp in action)

If you are not a fan of bracelets or want to save some cash, you can get a few different calfskin straps. I show it on a black rivet style strap, with the standard Hanhart buckle. It looks great on this strap, and with it being 20mm lugs, any nice leather strap should do on it as well. This is on my 7.5-inch wrist in the pics below.

As usual, the lume is pretty good. SuperLumiNova is used and you can see it is much stronger on the hour and minute hand than the numerals, but overall, you should have no problem seeing the time in the dark.

Okay, so the Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 may not be absolute perfection for me, but I can almost always pick apart any watch, that’s just what I do. It is pretty damn close though as you can see with my gushing over this piece throughout the review, and it is a favorite of mine within the Hanhart lineup. Yes, you can probably get this style of watch for cheaper, I mean the look of this watch is nothing new. It is Hanhart’s take on a classic design, and off the top of my head, Hamilton offers a lot of watches like this. I love Hamilton watches as well, but the way this Hanhart Pioneer Preventor9 is laid out, with the simple dial and that lovely large crown, I don’t know. It comes down to the small differences. Either way, I am glad to bring this watch to you here on Watchreport and hope you enjoyed the review.