Habring² – A Rarity In The Watch World
Habring² is currently one of the most sought-after watch brands in the world, and it all started in Austria in 2004 when the couple Richard and Maria Habring founded the brand, hence the name Habring². It has become an iconic brand for several reasons, such as its low production volumes, the design of its exquisite models, and the relative affordability of the watches.
Doppel 38
The Dobbel 38 came out as a completely new model in 2022, although it has a predecessor from 2012.
The new model is slimmer, both in width and height, where the size has been reduced from 42 mm to 38.5 mm (41 mm including the bezel) and a current height of 13 mm including the glass.
The model has a "split-seconds" chronograph or a so-called; 'Rattrapante' , which is one of the more sought-after complications. The function makes it possible to measure two different time intervals at the same time. The timings start together but do not end at the same time, which means that you can, for example, more easily time a race.
The case combines brushed surfaces on the sides with polished elements on top of the lugs, chronograph buttons, and the bezel. The glass is made of sapphire, which is also found on the back where the remarkable manual movement A11R-H1 is visible, which has a power reserve of 48 hours and 27 jewels. The A11R-H1 movement has been developed by Habring² over several decades and is well decorated with, among other things, perlage and blue screws.
Habring² Dobbel 38 comes in four different designs on the dial and hands; including a model with a silver dial, a 'salmon-colored dial, and two 'panda' versions.
Felix
Habring² Felix can be seen as the entry-level model from Habring² if such a model even exists. Despite being a simple watch in the form of its complication with a traditional time display, the Habring² Felix is as close to perfection as an entry-level model can be!
The first model of the Habring² Felix hit the market in 2014 and then won the distinction of being the first watch from Austria to have an in-house movement (A11). The caliber now used is a further developed A11B which, among other things, is manual, and has a power reserve of 48 hours. Unlike the other movements and models from Habring², Felix cannot be customized before purchase or adjusted after purchase.
The time display of the second hand is located at the 9 o'clock position on the dial which is nicely hollowed out with intricate details. The case measures 38.5mm which looks great on the wrist, especially with its slim profile as the height is only 7mm. The watch thus becomes less sporty and more elegant and fits smoothly under the shirt or blazer.
There are different variants of Felix, with many choices for the dial and hands, including a silver, white, and green dial.
Erwin
Since the release of the Felix model in 2014, many timepieces with various complications have been created by Habring². After many years of development at The Habring Uhrentechnik OG factory, the original A11 has given birth to several iterations, including the manual A11S that the model Habring² Erwin has.
The basic complication in the movement is a jumping seconds complication, which has a power reserve of 48 hours and 21 jewels. It is a significantly slimmer version of the jumping seconds complication than has traditionally been offered by other watch companies.
What Habring² succeeded in doing is to make the seconds hand move forward exactly every second instead of the usual sweeping seconds we are used to in manual and automatic watches, hence the name jumping seconds.
The case is 38.5 mm in size and is only 9 mm high, which easily fits under the shirt. The attractive design has an aesthetic similar to the Felix model but has a traditional look with a three-hand dial.
There are different variations of the Habring² Erwin such as with a white dial, black dial, or blue dial.
Foudroyante-Felix
The Foudroyante-Felix is seemingly one of Habring²' s classic models, but like all Habring2' s models, it has its distinct style and on closer inspection is one of the company's most advanced models.
The model combines two unusual and advanced complications; a jumping seconds mechanism (deadbeat seconds/jumping seconds) and a Foudroyante complication.
Habring² is the first brand to combine a jumping seconds mechanism with a Foudroyante complication.
The jumping seconds complication is revealed by the seconds hand on the large dial that beats once per second. The Foudroyante complication - also called in English, flashing seconds, appears here as an extra hand on the smaller dial located at the 9 o'clock position which, in the true sense of the word, shows; The 'flash' of a second.
When the watch is not wound, it looks like any second hand, but when it is running, the movement is extremely fast. The hand rotates at the breathtaking speed of one radian per second, which equates to 86,400 rotations of the second hand per day, whereas a normal watch's second hand typically only rotates 1,440 times. This could strain the movement but this is where Habring² succeeds with its expertise and high technical and advanced construction of the movement.
It is nothing but a technical masterpiece Richard Habring has created in Foudroyante-Felix! Only a few watch brands use these two complications separately, making this model containing both extremely rare.
The Habring² Foudroyante-Felix comes in two variations on the movement; A11FC which is with date displayed with an additional hand (42mm and can be weighted as manual or automatic) or movement A11F which has no date function (manual).
The well-decorated movement has a power reserve of 45 hours regardless of the model variation. The case measures 38.5 mm and 8.5 mm wide and comes in five different variations and with three different colors on the dial.
Chrono-Felix
The Habring² Chrono-Felix is a Monopusher which is an integrated chronograph controlled by only one button, instead of two different buttons in a classically designed chronograph.
All interactions with the complication are thus done with a single button at the stroke of two; start, stop, and restart function. Few watch companies today create Monopushers and in this, Habring² has their proprietary manual movement A11C-H1 which has 48 hours of power reserve.
The movement has been decorated by hand with many details such as polished parts, blued screws, and perlage.
The case is 38.5 mm and is 12 mm high, which gives the model a slightly larger presence on the wrist than most other models from Habring².
There are several variants of the Chrono-Felix, where there are different choices for the dial and the hands.
Repeater
Repeater is Habring²'s version of a minute repeater complication. The movement is based on the A11 but features a five-minute repeater from Dubuis Depraz assembled and decorated by Habring².
The power reserve is 48 hours and the movement can be seen through the case, and also on the front of the case as a classic dial is largely missing except for a center construction where the index markings are visible. This means that much of the movement is also visible on the front and can be viewed beautifully from the wrist.
The case is 42mm and 13.5mm high and is all titanium with a brushed middle section and a highly polished bezel, but can also be made in steel if requested. You easily get a 'raw' feeling from the watch and movement that is visible on the front, but with the elegant blue hands, a beautiful and well-thought-out combination of different elements.
A unique brand among unique brands
Habring² has earned its reputation as a watch company that offers something truly unique, in a clean design and at affordable levels.
The company has received numerous awards from the GPHG (Fondation du Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève) and is a unique brand sought after by collectors worldwide. It is a watch brand that creates technically advanced watches with a great sense of detail, in everything from the movement to the exterior finish.
Habring² has a completely manual production, which includes, among other things, hand assembly, and hand polishing of the cases and every single screw used. These are manual crafts that take a long time and belong to traditions that in the watch industry almost no longer exist, especially not in this price range.
Read more about Habring² below and please watch our video about Habring² on Youtube, or visit our Showroom at Strandvägen 15 in Stockholm.
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