The Noble and Timelessly Beautiful Habring² – Doppel Felix Rattrapante
With Its Older Brother’s DNA
Many will still remember the “double helix” as DNA strands from biology class. “Doppel Felix” does not only sound similar, but also has – as the name of the model suggests – the DNA of Felix, which was the starting point of the manufacture age for Habring². This DNA can be found also in Erwin, Felix’s younger brother with the “jumping second”.
Naturally, what is ticking inside Doppel Felix is the movement A11 developed and produced in the company Habring². This is the only manufacture calibre made in Austria to date. Despite the relatively small numbers that leave the manufacturing site in Carinthia every year, thanks to these “in-house movements” Habring² is absolutely independent from external movement suppliers.
The aforementioned DNA of Felix excels not only with its reliability and cleverness, but last but not least, with its attractiveness. And so, Felix posed once again as model, after Erwin, the erratic one. This time for the next generation of the Doppel, i. e. the Doppel or split-second chronograph by Habring², also known as Rattrapante.
Dial finishings
Beside the split second movement developed and produced in-house and the cool and timeless Felix metallic look. The Habring² – Doppel Felix Rattrapante also convinces with a further novelty – the date module by Habring². The date is indicated by means of a hand (the fifth hand of the Doppel) pointing from the centre outwards to clearly discernible, large date digits located on the on the new, raised date ring at the edge of the dial. Combined, they form a very special, very aesthetic, large-digit date. Those who are more puristically tuned will pick the version with the tachymeter and telemeter scale in place of the date indication. What else is left from the Doppel 3 are, beside the Rattrapante, also the small running seconds hand as well as the minute counter on the auxiliary dials on the left and right next to the main hand axis.
While the previous Doppel had a mainly sporty appearance, Doppel Felix with its face in either Satin Silver or Grey/Anthracite and rose-golden hands and hour bars presents itself, in all simplicity, very classy and timeless. A great match are the new, tailored, top-quality leather watch bands – which are also “made in Austria”. On request, the customer can have a deployment clasp for his Doppel Felix.
The well-known 42 mm casing, which Habring2 gets manufactured in Austria, has undergone a facelift on this occasion. It has got a new bezel, a new casing bottom, and a new finish achieved with a combination of satination and polishing. The two popular push-buttons (start stop zero at 2 o’clock and the split hand at 10 o’clock) have been joined by a subtle recessed push-button at 4 o’clock. It so-to-say triggers the new date indication of Doppel Felix.
Calibre family A11
Starting 2007, all Habring² models have been based on the wheelwork of the ETA/Valjoux 7750/7760 (auto/manual wind). Due to the widely-publicised withdrawal by ETA in 2011 – and to safeguard their own production – it seemed only logical to Maria & Richard Habring to create an equivalent replacement under their own steam.
This task also included the escapement, balance wheel and hairspring in addition to the entire wheelwork, winding mechanism and hand adjustment mechanism. Whilst their competitors attempt to close the gap to the previous ETA prices – with the help of industrialised processes and large, generous investments in machine pools – the Habrings have struck a different path: “We are making use of our small business structure and focus on adding even more manual value to our watches.”
All components of the A11-family are produced either inhouse or with the help of skilled specialists in the DACH-region. Most of them small family owned businesses. The produced lots varying between 100 and 500 parts/year with a cost structure which ranks inbetween 3 and 8 times of the prices formerly witnessed by ETA. No part can be called “standard” as all components are produced under direction and following production drawings issued by Habring Uhrentechnik OG.
The A11 features improvements to the wheelwork, the motion train as well as a more elaborate décor/finish. The inhouse assembled antimagnetic escapement with it’s manually counted hairspring provided as raw by Carl Haas grants high precision performance. It also supports a tangential screw fine adjustment and KIF shock protection pursuant to DIN and NIHS.
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