The history of the chronograph cannot be written without the mention of Richard Habring. Working for IWC at the time, Richard was the first to conceive a module in the form of a Rattrapante chronograph. The module was both reliable and able to be produced in a manner that allowed access to a complication very few collectors could ever hope to own given the immense cost.
While the Rattrapante remains what they are probably best known for, Habring² is far from a one-trick pony. So much in fact, I take far more orders on their Foudroyante and Jumping Seconds watches than their famous Rattrapante series. My personal favorite being the inventive and patented COS mechanism, which allows the operation of the chronograph without any pushers.
Traditional chronograph w/ pushers vs. COS mechanism
Possibly my favorite aspect of Habring² is the foresight of Maria & Richard to consider the entire lifespan of every watch sold with their name on the dial. This means purchasing and owning their watch shall never be a cause of worry for you. Inside the packaging of every new Habring² are spare parts needed for your first service with your trusted watchmaker of choice, and any other replacement part your watch might need along the way are gladly made available to your watchmaker!!! I used three exclamation marks here as this is a very big deal! This is all part of the Habring’s 1-5-0 system which is further explained in this video .
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Maria and Richard are loved by collectors around the world, not only for their watchmaking prowess but also in the way they conduct themselves as honest and responsible citizens of the Earth. I can tell you first hand these are people who walk the walk and talk the talk. They make sincere commitments to their employees, vendors, clients, and the planet which they published here.
The best is yet to come. Maria and Richard continue to innovate and I am aware of their plans for many exciting upcoming releases this year and beyond. If you wish to be among the first to know of these releases please subscribe to my Newsletter.
I would highly encourage you to watch their HSNY Lecture describing the production of and costs associated with creating an In-House Movement here, and of course the Habring² website is always a great source of information.
Warm regards from California🌞,
Brandon
