Independents

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Custom Dial Habring2

Hello All,

I am embarking on the journey towards my first 'nice' watch. Although I have spent countless hours on the internet learning about the fantastic world of high end and independent watchmaking, the only purchases I have made were all under 1000 dollars. Having only turned 19 recently, I simply never had the money for the Langes and Voutilainens I see being enjoyed here. However, I recently won a music competition which happened to have a very generous 1st prize. With the acquisition of that money, and the fact that I am entering a new phase of life, I figured it would be a good time to buy the watch that will be with me forever.

I set a budget of 10,000 USD for myself - both because it is the limit of my means, and because I fear I wouldn't wear anything much more expensive. I spent months thinking about which watch to go with. The problem is every watch is a compromise. No one watch can do it all (which is why we collect, of course). Still, some types of watches are more versatile than others, so I decided that whatever it is should be steel, simple, and wearable (for me, this means 40mm is a hard max). Additionally, I wanted it to be a new watch. Normally I have no qualms about buying used (my entire (small) collection is vintage), but I wanted the legacy of this watch to start with me. So it had to be new. These guidelines left a huge number of options to pick from.

My first thought was Rolex. Specifically, the OP 34mm in white. The OP is often considered an 'exit watch', and I see why. It could easily be the only thing I ever wore. As such, it felt like a natural choice for my 'forever' watch. However, I always got the nagging feeling that I would regret getting something so ordinary, especially considering the other options for the price. When the white OP 34 was discontinued recently, my decision was made for me. Grand Seiko was also high on my list. The dial work really is second to none. Macro shots from a certain someone on this forum reveal that they can outclass even the best brands in terms of quality, and the insane dial textures they produce are one of a kind. Unfortunately, every GS seems to have some kind of fatal flaw. For most of them, it's size or thickness. Even the handwound models are often quite bloated, at over 10mm thick. Some of their cases also just don't sit well with me. For instance, the way that the SBGW259's lugs meet the case is strange, overlapping one of the horizontal lines of the case rather than going smoothly into the largest uninterrupted portion of the case. I also considered a Nomos minimatik, tudor black bay 36mm, a JLC master control, a Torsti Laine, and others. All of these are watches I'd love to own, but for the question of the forever watch, only Habring2 had the answer.

The Habring2 erwin had come to my attention during my search, but it was put aside rather early on because I was never particularly inspired by the aesthetic of the watch. But after time, I realized that the austere dial was really its ONLY weak point. The case is perfect - calatrava style with polished bezel and satin midcase. The dimensions are perfect, at 38.5mm by 9mm. The movement is incredibly captivating: An anachronistic complication (and one which doesn't force the addition of subdials or scales) achieved in such a beautiful and simple way. And it is produced by one of the most loved brands in watchmaking, one made of very nice people who can work with you to create what you want. This last bit was what pushed me over the edge - not only because it reminded me of how I had my guitar made, but because it meant I could fix the one shortcoming I see in the stock version of the erwin (by ordering a custom dial).

This option is not a cheap one (Maria said 2000 euros extra as a minimum). This significantly reduces the value of the erwin, which in its standard form is quite the value proposition. Still, I believe it will be well worth it for getting exactly what I want. I will find out the actual price when the Habrings quote their dial maker. But for this I will need a drawing, and some accompanying information regarding textures and colors. This leads into the design itself. Here is the solidworks drawing I made:

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