Habring² Foudroyante-Felix Date, Steel

The Austrian Watchmaker

Habring² was founded by husband-and-wife duo Richard and Maria Habring, creators of relatively under-the-radar watches from the small town of Völkermarkt, Austria. Richard Habring is known for developing several notable complications during his formative years at IWC, including the split-second Doppel chronograph.

The timepieces that leave the Austrian manufacture are attractively priced, cleverly constructed complications. Despite their relatively small operation, the Austrian watchmaker’s work has been recognised by the wider horological community. Impressively, their watches have been nominated multiple times for the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

The Design 

This Habring² Foudroyante-Felix Date is a variation of the original Foudroyante-Felix series, with an added date ring in brushed metal surrounding the central clock face. Also known as the “flying seconds” complication, the foudroyante is a curious piece of mechanical work that allows the wearer to measure fractions of a second. The Foudroyante-Felix allows the wearer to measure up to an eighth of a second. When asked why they chose to create a watch with this complication in an interview, Maria Habring commented that, “It reminds us how fast the time goes, and that is exactly why we should value every single second in our days.”

The dial of this piece combines brushed and matte textures that interplay with the light to give a distinct character to each component, while the milliseconds sub-dial features an engine turned, concentric circles pattern. The hour and minute hands are rendered in rose gold, while the seconds hand is a contrasting grey.

A blued hand with an arrow at the end is used to indicate the date, providing a dash of colour on an otherwise monochromatic colour scheme. The dates and 12 o’clock numeral are printed in a modern font, with index markers representing the other hours. This Foudroyante-Felix Date has a stainless-steel case that measures 42mm, a modern size that has an assertive presence on the wearer’s wrist without overwhelming it entirely. 

The Movement 

The watch is powered by the Habring A11F, a manually-wound movement that is fitted with 23 jewels, has a power reserve of 45 hours, and oscillates at 4Hz per hour. It also has an amagnetic escapement with a Carl Haas balance spring, and a diameter of 30mm.

The movement, which can be seen through a sapphire caseback, is attractively decorated with polished bevels and perlage, as well as heat-blued screws, which reinforces the watch's visual appeal.

The Set 

This Foudroyante-Felix Date comes with its wooden box, spare parts and certificate of origin. It is also accompanied by our Anthracite grey grained leather strap, in addition to the original Habring² blue calfksin strap and corresponding steel buckle.

If sold within the United Kingdom, this Habring² Foudroyante-Felix Date will be subject to 20% VAT. Viewings are currently suspended for the time being.

Closer look