Haute Time Sits Down With Leonid Khankin, Designer and Managing Director Of Ernst Benz

Recently in New York City, Haute Time had the opportunity to sit down with the Creative and Managing Director of Ernst Benz Mr. Leonid Khankin.

As a second generation watchmaker, he started working with the company ten years ago and helped develop the first more complicated Ernst Benz chronograph “The Triple Date Moon Phase.” You won’t find any tourbillons in the Ernst Benz  collections. The brand stays true to its niche as a chronograph company  and sticks with price point of $2,500 to $25,000.

We first discussed the Ernst Benz  Chronolunar Automatic timepiece, a refined version of the original moon phase chronograph. “The Traditional” had a more vintage look with the painted luminous green numbers but the new “Officer” watches offer more refinement with raised up, hand polished numbers and comes with a black dial or a white, both priced at $6,500.

Ernst Benz also recently created a special timepiece in partnership with designer John Varvatos. His “perfectly imperfect” aesthetic meshed very well with the Ernst Benz’s vinatge Post-War Europe inspiration. The case is angled and polished and features a unique set of hands inspired by an old gage John found. Khankin has been wearing the prototype as his personal watch since its creation. It comes in white and brand new olive green and price at $6,500. They are available now exclusively at John Varvatos boutiques.

The newest Ernst Benz development is the Chronosport, which stays true the brand’s DNA. Ernst Benz loves black cases but the issue you run into with this style is most black timepieces are done in  PVD, which tends to fade.  But Ernst Benz discovered the slick HVCCDLV-High Velocity Combustible Coating Diamond Like Carbon which is much more resistant to abrasion and preserves the black finish. The Chronosport is priced at $7,200.

Check out the video above to see all the Ernst Benz timepieces we discussed and get an inside look at my meeting with Leonid Khankin.

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Seth Semilof

Co-Founder & COO · Haute Time

Seth Semilof co-founded Haute Living and, with business partner Kamal Hotchandani, launched Haute Time, the brands' luxury timepiece site, to educate buyers about the best watches in the world and to showcase the passion of collectors and the CEOs who lead the great maisons. His love of watches began early: a TAG Heuer at 13, an Omega at 16, and his first Rolex at 20. Through Haute Time he has been honored to visit the greatest watch manufactures in the world and meet the master watchmakers behind them. He has also personally featured private collections exclusive to Haute Time, taking readers inside the watch boxes of Kevin Hart, Carmelo Anthony, Tony Robbins and Swizz Beatz.