Hentschel: an overview of their range

[Der Amf]

Fortunately the Hentschel website is now available in English, so trying to work out what they offer is a bit easier.

There seem to be five models:

1. H1 (several sizes)
2. H2 (several versions)
3. The Seven Seas
4. The Inselchronometer
5. The Admiral

Since virtually all their output is made to order there's quite a lot of variation. Some of the versions of the H2 have their own names: Nanga Parbat, Hafenmeister, Hamburg Botschafter

[Der Amf]

1. Hentschel H1

The H1 used to come in two sizes, the range has recently been expanded to four: 29.5mm, 34.5mm, 37mm, 39.5mm.
The case can be either Rose or White Gold.
The dial can be Platinum, Silver or Anthracite.
The hands are usually gold, though the photos of the 39.5mm version have blued hands.

Presumably any of the 24 possible combinations is available. Its not clear what the dials are coated with. IIRC the silver is rhodium-coated, which would explain why it was a more brilliant appearance in photos than the platinum dial, which often looks quite grey in photos.



This is what they say about the case: "the bezel is very slim...the case, which is simultaneously stable as well as water resistant, we custom designed a very labour-intensive three part casing with four separate seals....the decently domed glass is cut and polished from a 4mm strong sapphire glass blank"

Prices start at 5,000 euros (£4k, $6.2k), which includes the first service and two alligator straps

The movement used is NOS AS1130, originally developed c.1940 as the German army's Wehrmachtswerk (see here for details: entry in Ranfft catalogue). They then rework the movements.

The most extreme example I've found online of their reworking of an AS1130 in an H1 is this:



ilitig8 wrote this about that:

That is a pretty nicely finished movement. The screw holes are chamfered and it appears the screws have the slot and exterior chamfered also. Geneve waves on the top plate and perlage on the bottom but not sure if they are rhodium plated or not. The exposed steel is well polished but looks not to be black polished. Voluted ratchet wheels but it doesn't look like the teeth are beveled. They are friction set jewels and the decouverture looks nice around them but I can't tell how well it is polished. Basic swan neck and no hand chasing, but still all in all pretty nice. Just from what I can see from the one fairly small picture I put that about at the level Panerai does to the ETA manual movements (not counting the 318...). The Werk 1 is a huge step up.

More photos from the geocities page, a customer's review in Japanese (link), that came from:







H1 on the Hentschel website

[Der Amf]

2. Hentschel H2

Usually a 38.5mm two-piece case, with the AS1130 movement (but see also The Automatics post further down page)

(a) the H2





H2 on the Hentschel website auf Deutsche

(b) H2 Nanga Parbat



4,700 euros (£3.7k, $5.8k)

Nanga Parbat on the Hentschel website

(c) H2 Hafenmeister



4,000 euros (£3.2k, $5k)

38.7mm steel case, brushed cream dial

Hafenmeister on Hentschel website - pdf catalogue for Hafenmeister

(d) the H2 Hamburg Botschafter

38.5mm bronze case, "creme-coloured brushed dial with red 12"



6,000 euros (£4,750, $7,500)

Hamburg Botschafter on the Hentschel website - pdf catalogue for Hamburg Botschafter

[Der Amf]

3. Hentschel Seven Seas

This model is made from ship's propeller bronze with a brushed dial, and contains the "exclusive handwound Seven Seas-movement in Premium-finish, elaboratly made and adjusted by hand with screwed golden Chatons and swans neck regulator" - could this and the Inselchronometer-caliber just be further renditions of the AS1130?



Price is 8,500 euros (£6,700, $10,500)

Sevens Seas on the Hentschel website

[Der Amf]

4. Hentschel Inselchronometer

Restriced to a production of 25 per year the Island Chronometer is "seawater proof and stormtested", designed to be physically very robust. Like the Admiral it has a 39.5mm case or either Rose or White Gold, and can be fitted either with the in house Werk 1 movement (15,000 euros) or with a "Inselchronometer-caliber" (dunno) (10,000 euros)





Inselchronometer on the Hentschel website - pdf catalogue for Inselchronometer

[Der Amf]

5. Hentschel The Admiral

This watch comes in one size only, 39.5mm, in either rose or white gold. It only contains their in house movement, the Werk 1 (see next post) It costs 15,000 euros (£12k, $18.5k)







The Admiral on the Hentschel website - pdf for The Admiral

[Der Amf]

The Hentschel Werk 1 movement

This movement has been developed recently, as Hentschel's in house movement



ilitig8 said this about it:

I had to go look at some different angles on the Werk 1 movement since I was unsure of the anglage from the head on cased picture. For me (from the pictures) that movement meets the threshold of high end they seem to have done a great job with the screws which is often a tell tale for me..... it looks like it borrowed heavily from either a Unitas/ETA 6498 or one of the AS movements

[Der Amf]

The Automatics

There are automatic versions with central seconds of two of the H2 models:

(a) the H2 Hafenmeister Automatic (same price as manual)





Hafenmeister Auto on the Hentschel website

(b) the H2 Hamburg Botschafter Automatic (same price as manual)





Hamburg Botschafter Auto on the Hentschel website

[Der Amf]

I'll continue adding as much detail as I can the fortnight before editing becomes impossible. This will include providing links to all the places I'm finding pictures and information. Hopefully by the time I'm done every piece of online info about Hentschel will be on this page

[Seriously]

Dear Mr Der_Amf,

Thank you for your interest in Hentschel, unfortunately we can't send you a free demonstrator

Thank you for your impassioned (if a little long) plea though, Hentschel headquarters
P.S. We notice you asked the same last year