The Habring² x SJX Chrono Felix Perpetual “Star”

Our friends at SJX, the Singapore-based watch magazine founded by journalist Su Jiaxian, are back at it with yet another collaboration watch with Habring², the Austrian independent watchmaker (and one of the best-kept secrets on the indie scene). And how can we blame them, as we also did 2 projects with them (MdS1 and MdS4, plus a unique piece for charity). This new limited edition is the final piece in a planned trilogy that brings together the stellar motif of the Erwin “Star” and the mono-pusher format of the Chrono-Felix “Medicus”. But now, there’s some additional complication on top, as this new edition combines Habring’s monopusher chronograph with a perpetual calendar – a base model known as the Chrono Felix Perpetual. 

As often with collaboration watches, the base is known. What the team at SJX did with this new Chrono Felix Perpetual “Star” is add a very personal touch to the design, in direct continuity with the first watch in the trilogy, the Erwin “Star”. As said, the base model is the Chrono Felix Perpetual, an evolution of the classic monopusher Chrono Felix. Made of stainless steel with brushed and polished surfaces, the case measures a very reasonable 38.5mm in diameter and 13mm in height (quite nicely proportioned for a chrono QP). Most of the additional height implied by the QP module is hidden by the presence of a triple-stepped bezel, which incorporates the recessed pushers necessary to correct the calendar indications – this is, unfortunately, one of the compromises that Habring² has to make by working with a module.

The dial is where the SJX touch is the most visible. The Singaporean team went for a classic yet appealing gilt-styled look, pairing a glossy black lacquered base with gold-plated accents on every single element of the dial – markers, hands, tracks, and even the moon phase disc, conventionally dark blue, is gold-plated to match the star indices, with a frosted moon face. Adding some contrast and depth, the slightly recessed sub-dials are matte with a concentric finish. The main attraction is, of course, the 8 golden applied stars that serve as hour indexes, directly inspired by the Rolex ref. 6088 Galaxy. This adds a layer of singularity and boldness to a dial that’s already packed with indications: moonphase and 30-minute chronograph counter at 12 o’clock, date at 9 o’clock, day of the week at 3 o’clock, month and leap year at 6 o’clock, in addition to central leaf-shaped hands for the hours and minutes, as well as the chronograph’s seconds in the centre.

Inside the case is the calibre A11CP, which pairs Habring²’s A11 chronograph base with a Dubois-Depraz perpetual calendar module. The module has been customised in order to comply with the monopusher configuration of the base movement, but also to reduce the number of separate calendar correctors, as the crown operates the correction of the day of the week. The base movement is an interesting one, being a strong evolution of the Valjoux 7750. Most of its components have been upgraded and are now produced in-house or by independent suppliers, resulting in a movement conceived to be robust, easy to service and repair, and superior mechanically and visually to the Valjoux. The movement runs at a frequency of 4Hz and delivers 48 hours of power reserve when fully wound. The decoration, with steel chronograph levers finished by German independent watchmaker Pöhlmann-Bresan, is also far more appealing than the base 7750.

Worn on a patinated brown calfskin strap with a star-decorated pin buckle, the Habring² x SJX Chrono Felix Perpetual Star will be limited to 30 pieces, exclusively available from SJX. It is priced at USD 28,500 before taxes. A 40% down payment is required at order, with deliveries in January and February 2027 in sequence of order placement. For more details and orders, please consult watchesbysjx.com or contact [email protected].