Habring² Josef

A dead-beat second is a term for a mechanical watch mechanism that allows the second hand to jump in precise one-second intervals. Unlike the smooth movement of the hand in ordinary mechanical watches, where the hand moves several times per second, with a dead-beat second, the hand moves in jumps, moving only one increment each second.

This type of movement looks similar to modern electronic watches, where the second hand jumps from one point to another each second. In reality, however, it is a mechanical mechanism with a stepping system that allows for such precise movement.

The dead-beat second appeared as early as the 18th century, particularly in very precise pocket watches and marine chronometers, which had to be able to measure time with high accuracy. Vandaag, this mechanism is rare and is mostly considered a display of watchmaking mastery, often used in high-quality luxury watches.

Mechanical watches made with love by independent watchmaking's "organic farmers," as founders Maria and Richard Habring call themselves. The brand's main specialization is offering fascinating complications at very attractive prices. With an annual production of 200 watches, made by a small team of watchmakers in Austria, Habring² can be considered, without exaggeration, the smallest true "manufacture."

Richard and Maria founded Habring² in 2004 and shortly thereafter developed their own in-house movements. They have won the prestigious Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève four times!