Worn & Wound
Habring² Pilot Watches: A Tale of Two Fun (and Rare) Complications
My journey with Habring² started back in 2009 when my girlfriend (now wife) and I decided to spend a cozy weekend in Vienna. At the time, I was living and working in Prague, thus it was an easy drive to Vienna. On a chilly November morning, after a delightful breakfast, we wandered through the city. That’s when I noticed these enormous banners showcasing various watch brands for an event called Vienna Time. Among them was a banner for Habring². I had been a fan of the brand but had never seen any of their watches in person. So, I jumped at the chance to visit and meet the brand’s founders, Richard and Maria Habring. Fast forward to today, after knowing the Habrings for so many years, I can honestly say they are some of the most down-to-earth and caring people you’ll ever meet. And it shows in their watchmaking too. I like to call it “honest watchmaking.” Their watches are reasonably priced, especially considering the various complications they offer. Even the packaging is charmingly unpretentious-a compact wooden box that simply says, “made with love.” In this box, the Habrings also include spare parts necessary for the first service with our preferred local watchmaker-a practical consideration. The Habrings do not like to discuss Richard’s past accomplishments at various big brands like IWC and Lange. However, they are well documented online. As a primer, I would recommend reading this Hodinkee article by Jason Heaton, and this WatchProZine write-up ...
