Massena LAB, the design studio founded by industry veteran William Massena has long been associated with Austrian independent watchmaker Habring². And we can’t blame him, we’ve also followed this path… But today’s watch is a bit special since it’s not based on an existing model but actually launches a brand new reference for Habring². And […]
Habring² is a brand that is special on many levels. Not only is it one of the rare manufactures to produce mechanical watches in Austria, but it is also the shared vision of a couple, Maria and Richard, some of the most pleasant and passionate people we know. And of course, the independent watchmaker is […]
While Habring² is certainly famous for its impressively simplified take on the DoppelChronograph (split-seconds), something Richard Habring developed while working for IWC, there are more displays that are dear to the brand. This includes first a precision display, the jumping seconds or dead-beat seconds. Another one that Habring² has often used in the past is […]
In 2004, an Austrian couple, Maria and Richard Habring, embarked on a surprising but successful horological journey by creating their own brand named Habring². Fifteen years is a relatively short period of time but has proved enough to accomplish their goal: to become a true Austrian watch manufacture, respected and capable of producing great watches. […]
Just like we did on previous weekends with our Top 10 watches below EUR 2,000 and between EUR 2,000 and 5,000, it is now time to look at the best watches introduced this year in the hyper-strategic EUR 5,000-EUR 10,000 price range – it is certainly where the competition is the fiercer, with most of the “luxury brands” having their core collections (Rolex, IWC, Cartier, Panerai and many more). After long debates at the MONOCHROME redaction room, here are our 10 “best 2018 watches” picks if you’re in the 5k to 10k market.
On one side: William Massena, one of those inescapable names of the watch industry. A former head of an auction house, Managing Director of one of the largest watch forums, he is first and foremost an avid watch collector and a true connoisseur. On the other side is Habring², a small, independent watchmaker from Austria with superb craftsmanship and interesting (but not overpriced) complications. So what happens when you mix these two? The Habring² Erwin LAB01 Bronze, the result of William’s new project, the Massena LAB.
This is it, the 2018 edition of the GPHG, known as the “Oscars of the watchmaking industry”, has come to a close and the prize for the best watch of the year, also known as the “Aiguille d’Or”, has been awarded. Once again this year, complications, creativity and Haute Horlogerie have been rewarded. Meet the best […]
Creative, daring, highly technical or crafted to a level that you simply cannot achieve in mass production – there are many reasons why independent watchmaking has been on the rise over the past twenty years. “Indies” are passionate about watchmaking and are often just a little bit crazy. Without massive marketing budgets or product committees, their creations are simply born from dreams, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit. Their ingenuity, vision, diversity or simply their smaller size give watchmaking fans a wealth of unique creations. Today, we take a look at some of the best 2018 creations of the independent watchmaking scene.
Not long ago, we reviewed a watch that many collectors and watch aficionado love (for good reasons), the Habring² Doppel-Felix. Also, we took a closer look at the “simple” 3-hand version named Felix. The common thread running through them? The same pared-down design and the same base movement manufactured in-house (quite an achievement for such a small company). But what if you take these two watches and try to find the one that will stand right in the middle? Well, the answer is the Habring² Chrono-Felix.
In 2012 Habring² introduced the Doppel 2.0, an affordable split-seconds chronograph based on a Valjoux 7750 chronograph. This was the same recipe that Richard Habring once developed for IWC Schaffhausen, who used this movement first in the Pilot Doppel Chronograph and later in other watches. When the patent expired, in 2012, Richard Habring was free to use this complication in watches with the Habring² name on the dial, and that led to the Habring² Doppel 2.0. In 2013 they introduced the Doppel 3.0 and last year Habring² introduced the new Doppel-Felix that comes with an in-house split-seconds chronograph from Austria. Here’s the Habring² Doppel-Felix!