The new Habring² Oskar, The Felix with a MoonPhase

Following our article about the new Josef Regulator With Dead-Beat Seconds, it’s time now to introduce the second watch released by Habring² in the frame of the brand’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. Founded in 2004 by couple Maria and Richard Habring, Habring² is one of the very few watchmakers to operate in Austria and, over the years, it has managed to manufacture highly appealing hand-made, in-house developed watches. The latest in line is an elegant, slightly retro-styled watch that takes the concept of Felix one step further. Meet the Habring² Oskar with moon phase display and with or without pointer date. 

The new Oskar is largely based on the Felix model, a watch of high importance in the brand’s portfolio, as it heralded the era of Habring²’s own manufactory movements. For the first 10 years of its existence, the brand relied on ETA ébauches, heavily modified to meet the brand’s requirements in terms of complications. In 2014, with Felix, Habring² introduced the base calibre A11, which is now the foundation of most of the brand’s calibres and is done in-house or with the help of locally sourced parts from finely selected suppliers. The Felix watch has evolved over the year with multiple variants, such as the classic small seconds, the Foudroyante, the Chrono-Felix Monopusher (which we used as a base for our Montre de Souscription 1), the Doppel-Felix with split-seconds chronograph and the Chrono Felix Perpetual.

Now, it’s time for something elegant, slightly retro and poetical, the new Habring² Oskar, which can be seen as the moon phase version of the Felix. As such, Oskar shares the same overall design, starting with the case that has the same compact 38.5mm diameter and classic Calatrava-like design. It has grown slightly, though, due to the space required for further function modules between the base movement and the dial. But at 10.3mm in height, including the crystals, the steel case of Oskar is still fairly thin.

Now, looking at the dial, you’ll see that not only Oskar comes with an unprecedented moon indication at 6 o’clock but also has changed the location of the small seconds from 9 o’clock on Felix to now the same lower location on the dial, on top of the moon display. Here, Habring² made the choice of a traditional sweeping seconds hand, and not a foudroyante or jumping second, in order to retain overall serenity – which goes well with a moon complication. For the classic version, which only carries these two sub-indications, the dial is white lacquered with a glossy effect, features black printed Breguet numerals and tracks, a blue moon disc and blued steel hands.

Two other versions have also been presented, the so-called Oskar II, this time with an additional central pointer date, where an arrow-shaped hand indicates the current date printed on the dial’s periphery. Two editions of this pointer date model have been presented at first, with applied and polished Breguet numerals, either on a rather modern and casual blue galvanized dial with white printings and dark blue moon disc, or a more elegant version with white lacquered dial, blued date hand and golden-brown moon disc.

On all versions, the movement is the same. The Calibre A11Ups is produced in Austria by the brand, as said using their own parts or local suppliers. This hand-wound movement runs at 4Hz, is finely adjusted and is equipped with an anti-magnetic escapement with a Carl Haas hairspring in chronometer quality, and stores up to 48 hours of energy. The back reveals refined decorations, with polished edges, decorative engravings and perlage.

Now available for orders from the brand and its retailers, the Habring² Oskar Moon Phase retails for EUR 6,050 (moon only) or EUR 6,950 (moon and pointer date). It can be chosen either on a leather strap or a BoR steel bracelet. For more details, please consult www.habring2.com.