Hanhart is best known for purposeful chronographs, fluted bezels and pilot-watch cues, so the Square by Square lands with a very different kind of confidence.
Created with Munich designer Marcus Wiedemann of Studio Supercreative, the watch takes Hanhart into shaped-case territory without losing the brand’s practical instincts.
For now, it’s a tightly limited concept rather than a full collection, with only six prototypes planned for the 2025 Dubai Watch Week x Grail Watch Design Competition.
At a glance
- Hanhart has created the Square by Square, a shaped automatic watch developed with designer Marcus Wiedemann.
- The design centres on a compact stainless steel case, edge-spanning domed sapphire crystal and either a blue sunburst or mother-of-pearl dial.
- Only six prototypes are planned, priced at EUR 1,890 each, with Hanhart still deciding whether the project becomes a regular collection.
A shaped Hanhart without the nostalgia trap
The Square by Square draws from rectangular watches in Hanhart’s past, but it doesn’t try to behave like a heritage reissue.
Its case has a deliberately sculptural quality, mixing geometric planes with rounded flanks and a profile that narrows toward the integrated lugs.
The dimensions are unusual in a way that should help on the wrist.
At 40mm from 12 to 6 o’clock, 38mm across and 10.9mm thick, the watch has presence, while the short 32.8mm lug-to-lug keeps the stance compact.
Hanhart is producing three prototypes with a polished case and three with a sandblasted matte finish, giving the same shape two distinct personalities.
The domed crystal is the visual signature
The defining feature is the highly domed sapphire crystal, which stretches out to the edges of the case rather than sitting like a conventional insert.
That choice gives the Square by Square much of its architectural tension, especially as reflections move across the alternating case surfaces.
It was also one of the more demanding parts of the project, with the brand refining the production method after early crystal prototypes failed during development.
The crown is another neat detail.
Instead of protruding heavily from the case, the recessed hexagonal crown sits cleanly into the side, preserving the watch’s shaped silhouette while helping it retain 100 metres of water resistance.
Two dials and a slim automatic movement
The Square by Square will be made with either a deep blue sunburst dial or a mother-of-pearl dial, each paired with a broad stepped flange that adds visual depth.
The applied steel-coloured numerals and indices were designed specifically for this watch, rather than lifted from Hanhart’s existing catalogue.
The hands are just as distinctive.
Fully polished, skeletonised and faceted, they form an elongated diamond when the hour and minute hands meet at 12 o’clock.
Inside is the no-date Sellita SW1000-1 b, a slim automatic calibre from the SW100 family.
It runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, offers a 46-hour power reserve and is regulated by Hanhart to a stated in-house standard of 0 to +8 seconds per day across six positions.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Hanhart |
|---|---|
| Model | Square by Square |
| Case size | 40mm length, 38mm width, 10.9mm thickness, 32.8mm lug-to-lug |
| Case material | Stainless steel, polished or sandblasted matte |
| Crystal | Edge-spanning domed sapphire crystal |
| Crown | Recessed hexagonal crown |
| Water resistance | 100 metres |
| Dial | Deep blue sunburst or mother-of-pearl with stepped flange |
| Hands | Polished skeletonised faceted hands |
| Movement | Sellita SW1000-1 b automatic |
| Frequency | 28,800 vibrations per hour |
| Power reserve | 46 hours |
| Regulation | 0 to +8 seconds per day, averaged across six positions |
| Strap | Multiple strap options, 16mm lug width |
| References | 751P.270-4810 for deep blue, 751P.470-4810 for mother-of-pearl |
| Availability | Six prototypes only, three blue and three mother-of-pearl |
| Price | EUR 1,890 |
The Square by Square is interesting because it doesn’t feel like a side project dressed up for attention.
It shows a more design-led path for Hanhart, one that keeps useful specifications in place while allowing the brand’s archive to bend into a far less expected form.
Collectors who already know Hanhart for its instrument watches will likely find the shift refreshing, especially if they’re drawn to compact shaped watches with a genuinely limited prototype status.
