Marcus Hanke
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Habring ² "Pilot" In-depth review
Habring² "Pilot"
In-depth test report by Marcus Hanke
What are the most important requirements for a good vacation watch? For a while, I considered the chronograph function indispensable, then it was a weekday display, slim case, revolving bezel ... the only common factors in all my hitherto used holiday watches were a good legibility, date display and rugged construction.
This year, the watch chosen limits itself to these very basic specifications: it is a solidly-built, highly legible selfwinding watch with a date window; so far, this is what many thousands of watches on the market share with it.
However, the vacation watch 2013 is something special: first, it is an Austrian watch, designed and developed by two Austrian watchmakers - a team of husband and wife, assembled in Austria. Even the strap is Austrian, too. For someone whose camper truck is adorned with large depictions of the Austrian flag and of the name „Austria“ in various languages, like English, French, Russian, Arabian, even Breton, an Austrian vacation watch somehow makes sense. Yes, we Austrians are a little weird in this respect, but we are a very small country, and - at least until some time ago - the only respect we enjoyed was the result of its international neutral status and politics. Consequently, we tend to show our flag to prove we are harmless ...
So besides my wonderful wife and the dogs, this year I am accompanied by the new Habring² Pilot watch. Until now, the Habring² watches generally had a slightly sportive, but predominantly elegant design, with slim hour markers, rolling numerals, and mostly metallic brushed dial surfaces. Since this year, the „Pilot“ series offers a more professional appearance, but is still more refined than the common pilot watches on the market.
I have to state preliminarily that the watch I received was more or less a pre-series timepiece, quickly assembled to give me the opportunity to test it during my trip to Spain. One has to keep this in mind regarding the quality of a few externally supplied components, which do not meet the common Habring² standard.
Case, crystal and crown:
When I had my first contact with the „Time Only“ almost ten years ago, I noticed the massive, cylindrical „tuna can“-shaped steel case - and didn’t like it very much, even if the stepped bezel somewhat softened the purist impression. I thought that an otherwise so finely executed watch as this should have a more subtle casework. By the way, this is the same problem I have with the Dornblüth’s timepieces, who got his cases from the same supplier as the Habrings do.
However, for the Pilot watch, the „tuna can“ appearance is perfectly appropriate, and is even emphasised by a new, straight bezel, that is brushed like the rest of the case. There is a noticeable step between the bezel and the case, which could be improved for a better blend. Case diameter is 42mm without crown, and its height, including crystal, is 14.5mm, making it a rather large sized watch - that is surprisingly lightweight, with only 98 grams including strap. A water tightness rating of 50 meters might not be overwhelming for a sports watch, but with generously dimensioned gaskets is fully sufficient for everyday use, including swimming or bathing - just make sure that the watch is tested for tightness every year.
The upper sapphire crystal is lightly domed and has an effective anti-reflective coating, while the fully threaded caseback has a flat sapphire crystal to offer a good view on the movement.
The unscrewed crown is a highlight: big, easy to grip, smooth to turn, a perfect match for the pilot watch design.
Dial and hands:
This is a category where Habring² watches traditionally excel. Already with the first „Time Only“ ten years ago, the Habrings introduced their typical style of the watch face, which in the following years was only slightly varied, but never really altered: straight and slender hands above a dial featuring slim and highly polished minute markers. Consequently, I am not surprised to see that even the normally plain face of pilot watches becomes a small piece of art when it is a pilot watch made by Habring².
The flat black surface finish is spiced up by a white railroad track minute register along the outer rim, and a similar, yet smaller scale for the small second at 9. Another white line connects the minute markers on the inner side. The slightly oversized date window at 3 is also nicely framed between this line and the outer register. It is noteworthy that the date window on Habring’s movement is placed perfectly on the dial, without compromising the design, as we see it on too many watches nowadays.
Unlike most other pilot timepieces, Habring² has only two luminous numerals, at 12 and 6, while the other markers are luminous bars. The white C1 SuperLuminova is attractively framed by polished metal, creating the impression of a rather luxurious pilot timepiece; more appropriate for the ambitious Learjet pilot, rather than that of an oil-stained doubledecker.
A tiny fibre has found its way onto the numeral; not a big issue, and completely invisible to the naked eye.
Note the white SL particles on the polished numeral's side. I suspect it fell from the hands' undersides.
Hour and minute hands are once again typical Habring², straight and slender, from polished and rhodium-coated metal, also equipped with white luminous material. Pleasantly old-school, the minute hand’s tip is bent downward to reduce parallax errors when reading the exact time. The thin seconds hand is polished, too. Unfortunately, the finish of the hands leaves a lot to be desired; apparently, the supplier’s quality control has serious difficulties, as these hands should not have left the factory at all. As the pictures clearly show, the minute and hour hands were practically saturated with SuperLuminova, the SL particles covering even their flanks. Additionally, the particles came loose from the hands’ undersides, and were scattered over the dial surface. SL particles can be also found sticking on the sides of the polished markers.
The minute hand furthermore suffers from many blemishes, possibly the result of a finger print and of particles that are causing stains on the polished surface. The small second hand, too, is not completely free from faults, but these are very minor ones. As I already noted at the start, my test watch was quickly assembled to finish it in time for my departure. Otherwise, these hands would not have been used by the Habrings. However, the flaws indicate a larger problem, that of watch manufacturers and their suppliers. Within the last year, I have noticed quality issues of hands and dials on more than one example of watches, from manufacturers generally considered to be among the top group of brands. Off the record, brand CEOs complain about the poor quality control of many suppliers, but smaller manufacturers not backed by the market power of a big luxury group are communicated they have to take what they get, otherwise they won’t be furnished any more, or as quickly as before, and so on. It is time that this situation changes.
Movement:
Habring²’s original fame was based on the idea of a modular timepiece, a watch that can grow with the wishes of its owner. Starting with a „Time only“, powered by a modified ETA/Unitas hand-winding movement, it was possible to add complications, like a jump second, calendar, world timer, even a tourbillon at a later time. Additionally, Habring² presented watches using vintage movements.
Like many small manufacturers, Habring² was affected by the Swatch Group’s announcement to discontinue selling movement kits, and even fully assembled movements to companies outside the group. While most others, after ample lamentations, contracted with alternative movement suppliers, Habring² took the high road and made their own movements. In 2009, they launched their A09 movement family, available as manual-winding (A 09M) and automatic variant. To keep his production effort to a level manageable for such a small manufacturer, Maria and Richard based their development on the gears of the reliable Valjoux 7750, respectively its larger Valgrange derivate. Aside from several wheels, however, barely anything reminds of this origin, so the selfwinding cal. A09 of the pilot watch presents itself as a completely unique movement. Due to Habring’s own bidirectional selfwinding mechanism, the typical wobble of the 7750, caused by the furiously spinning rotor, is completely absent.
Another bad habit of the 7750, the large play of the minute hand when setting the time, also cannot be noted in the A09. The only similarity I could state is that the date is not switching instantaneously, but changes gradually within an hour. This is completed at midnight.
The cal. A09 has a diameter of 30mm, and a height of 6.6mm. Its power reserve approaches 48 hours, which is reached after a relatively short while of active wear. The long power reserve is nice if the owner desires to wear a different timepiece over the weekend, for example. I noticed that the overall accuracy does not change drastically when the watch rests on the table for two days, so it is not necessary to correct the time when it is picked up again.
The movement finish is technical, a mixture of circular perlage and a brushed finish on the rotor and the selfwinding gear bridge, as well as on the balance cock. The edges are sharp and without bevel, screwheads are partially polished and heat-blued. The screws holding the movement in the case are without any decorative finish. Generally, the movement finish could be improved, there are some blemishes on the balance cock and scratches in the perlage of the upper plate. The Pilot does not intend to be a piece of haute horologie, but a finer toolwatch. For this, the finish is fully appropriate.
Very nice gold-filled engraving on the rotor
Well-polished screwheads
Much more important than the optical impression is the movement’s overall performance. Time-keeping is excellent, with a daily gain of under a second, when the watch is worn 24/7. Even when tested in different positions, the difference between the positions is not larger than two seconds.
This accuracy was not affected by vibrations, bumps and temperature variations it was exposed to during my vacation in the mountainous areas of Central Spain. Even if it becomes necessary to adjust the watch, the Triovis fine adjustment mechanism used by Habring² permits a comfortable and easy adjustment by any watchmaker.
Strap and buckle:
The watch came with an extra long, thick brown leather strap supplied by Hirsch. It reminds me of the well-known Hirsch „Liberty“ strap, that looks the same. however, the Habring² version is a lot softer and more comfortable to wear from the beginning.
Its length permits me to wear the Pilot over the jacket, if necessary, as is the case when training with our search dogs. Then it is important to quickly check the exact time span needed by the dogs following every segment of the trail, and especially in winter it would consume too much time to find the watch under all the garments.
As nicely the leather strap matches the slightly vintage look of the Pilot, it is nevertheless not the perfect choice when travelling outdoors: after but three weeks of our vacation, when the watch was worn all the time, the strap looks as if in use for at least two or three years. Sweat, but more so sand and dust, combined with car lubricants and water, are very demanding for the material. Additionally, one normally does not take off the watch when bathing or taking a shower in a rather public place as is a beach or a campground. All this is of course poison for a leather watch strap. In this case, rubber or textile (nylon) would be a much better choice. The 22mm lugs with standard spring bars permit an easy adaption of aftermarket straps for this purpose.
The unsigned and brushed tang buckle also matches the watch case and perfectly serves its purpose. In my experience, tang buckles are better suited for outdoor activities, since folding clasps tend to become sticky when exposed to sand and dirt, sometimes even blocking altogether.
Ergonomics:
Wearing comfort
Despite its size, the Pilot is highly comfortable to wear, mostly due to its low weight of under 100 grams. Only the height of the case makes it a natural candidate for collisions with any obstacles, be it furniture inside the cramped space of an offroad camper, or be it when trying to find out the reason for a minor defect in the engine compartment or under the car.
Sometimes I really had to take it off and stow it in a pocket, otherwise I would have not been able to reach the headlight assembly with my hand; I never had to do this before with any other watch. Given the rather decent movement height of 6.6 mm, I think the one or other millimetre could have been saved on the case height. On the other hand, Habring² is known for good accessibility and „safety margins“ in dimensioning its components. Maybe a slimmer case would have enlarged the risk of damage for the movement or the dial.
Legibility
Good legibility is absolutely essential for a pilot watch, and I can certify that to the Habring² Pilot as well. The luminosity in absolute darkness is sufficient for a sportive watch, in certain dim lighting conditions, such as in a cinema, it is not strong enough to overcome the ambient light. Possibly the use of the stronger - light greenish - C3 SuperLuminova could have helped here, the white C1 substance and its contrast with the black dial looks better at daylight. In darkness, the minute and hour hands are easy to distinguish.
Their highly polished, domed surface additionally catches the light of every source, even faint starlight, so it is rather easy to read the time outdoors, even at new moon. The only critical comment regarding legibility is aimed at the polished second hand. It is too thin to work as the hour and minute hands do, and practically disappears under most lighting conditions other than broad sunlight directly hitting it.
Conclusion:
With the Pilot design, Habring² adds more sportive models to their hitherto „casual elegant“ line up. They are still more elegant than the pure tool watches, but in all aspects easily as capable. Whoever had considered the Habring² watches as too fine for rough treatment, will now be disabused. For me, the „Pilot“ is one of the most practical and attractive aviation-inspired timepieces on the market.
Here is a short video I produced, showing the Habring² "Pilot" in motion:
Copyright December 2013 - Marcus Hanke & PuristSPro.com - all rights reserved
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This message has been edited by Marcus Hanke on 2013-12-27 03:57:08 This message has been edited by Marcus Hanke on 2013-12-27 03:57:38 This message has been edited by DonCorson on 2014-01-15 05:52:33
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thanks for
your wonderful review. I like Habrings2 work very much and this one not less than their other pieces especially for its military look and its robustness. One single bemol imho is the thickness of the case, which lends it much less to regular wearing. I kn...
Great review of a well priced brand...
Disappointed to see some of the quality issues you describe though.
This is what I call a 'reference post'!
Hi Marcus, thank you for your perfect 'test drive'! The watches by the Habrings are always interesting, but I sometimes find them a bit cold. As for the Pilot: I'm not so sure if it has its own personality within the current Habring's range, I slightly di...
Superb post Marcus!
Thanks a lot for this comprehensive and detailed review! Frankly speaking, I much prefer the watch with the dead-beat central second hand. Fx
I agree...
I, too, consider the jump second watches more "habringish" than the conventional basic "Pilot". However, the date display is so practical. Marcus
About the Review, parts suppliers and Maria Habring
Marcus, On-point review and feedback about the watch. Thank you. The situation with parts suppliers is worrying if they are arrogant. Is this because there are so few suppliers left that they can dictate terms? Like the one-eyed man is king in a country o...
Melvyn, just curious...
"Mrs Habring is a petite lady but you don't want to mess with her" - any personal experience you want to share? ;-= Cheers, Magnus
In-depth reviews by you ...
is something I allways appreciate a lot, because of your knowledge, your (sometimes) different view and your very special style. Thanks, Marcus! The Pilot you have chosen is nice, but my personal favorite one is the Jumping Second in Pilot style ... To me...
Thank you kindly ....
dear Oliver! Yes, the Jump Second Pilot is definitely the more interesting watch mechanics-wise, and has a very "pure" appearance. Personally, I would consider it perfect with some kind of a date, maybe a pointer date, that would not add a disturbing wind...
Parts supplliers who deliver rubbish
or poorly, badly made stuff --- and there you have it! The real cheapies are situated in the Watch Tower, ordering around these global things at the lowest price and cheapest labor, with no respect at all for quality, except their orders - or the people w...
Don't know if I understand correctly ...
The hands I criticized (not only on the Habring, but on other watches as well) ARE made and delivered by specialized suppliers in Switzerland, charging really a lot of money for them. If only the cheapest products would have been ordered, one could unders...
You do understand!
Blaming the suppliers - as a manufacturer - is an easy way out, when using them as a scapegoat or an excuse for delays or quality glitches. Those with their name on the dial must bear the full responsibility. Along the existential highway, the customer sh...
the very Model of an In-depth review!
That is the way it should - and in fact must be done! As for my tirade against suppliers - and their suppliers! - no apologies from me are offered other than for getting overheated on the subject. I know that from a similar industry for fine, carefully ma...
LOL! Interesting addition to the pantheon of gods! ...
... I think that the god of deadlines might have more followers and receive the larger temples! Marcus
