The Habring2 Doppel 2.0 Courtesy Of The Man Who Invented The fake IWC Doppelchronograph 20 Years Ago

Twenty years ago, Richard Habring created the world’s first affordable split-seconds chronograph in the IWC Doppelchronograph. He did it with a bit of genius engineering that turned the ubiquitons Valjoux 7750 into a very special watch. But, in the past twenty years, a lot has replica watches changed – like for example, Richard Habring left IWC to start Habring² with his wife Maria. And just last month, the 20 year patent on the doppelchronograph that Habring designed for IWC expired. What does that mean? It means that Richard Habring can make an updated doppelchronograph under his own name, and that is exactly what you see above. Click through for replica watches a detailed look at the Doppelchronograph and the new Doppel 2.0 – with technical thoughts from Richard Habring himself.

Back in 1991, if you wanted to time two concurrent events with the same chronograph, you needed a pair of column wheels and a lot of money. But the following year, a young watchmaker named Richard Habring devised a deceptively simple solution for his employer, IWC Schaffhausen. Habring’s Doppelchronograph (German for “double chronograph”) suddenly made this complication easier to build and more accessible to watch buyers by making use of the ubiquitous and inexpensive Valjoux 7750 as its base. IWC filed for the patent on this invention and enjoyed liberal use of it for the past twenty years in their well-known Pilot Doppelchronograph, as well as versions of the Portuguese Chronograph, the iconic Da Vinci (which received its tenth hand with its tenth birthday in 1995) and most recently, a titanium Ingenieur Doppelchronograph. Not to mention the Il Destriero Scafusia – still to this day the most complicated serially produced wristwatch ever.

For those unfamiliar with how a double chronograph functions, here’s a quick lesson. A standard chronograph keeps track of elapsed seconds, minutes and sometimes hours, through user input via the pushers. Upon activating the chronograph, the center sweep seconds hands starts moving. With a double chronograph, this center hand is overlaid by another hand that moves in unison. In order to time a second event, the user presses the pusher on the left side of the case, which stops the overlaid sweep hand, thereby displaying the elapsed time instantly while the main seconds hand continues to run until stopped. Pressing the left-side pusher again causes the stopped hand to “catch up” to the running seconds, which is why a double chronograph is sometimes called a “rattrapante” (French for “recapture”). While a chronograph is already a difficult complication to build, adding the rattrapante to it requires even more skill.

Last month, the patent on IWC’s simplified Doppelchronograph finally expired, and Richard Habring is no longer in Schaffhausen. After a prolific run at the company, which saw him develop not only the Doppelchronograph, but also the legendary Aquatimer Deep One, Habring left in 1996. After some years serving the LMH Group (the conglomerate which owned fake IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne before they were bought by Richemont) his wife Maria Kristina had the idea to settle in Austria. With both Habrings as shareholders, their new small company started to specialize in watch movement development and small series assembly of fine watches and clocks until in 2004, when CEO Maria gave the green light for their most successful project yet: Habring². The squared “2” stands, of course, for the two Habrings and also for the potential of the watches themselves. A novelty in the watch business ten years ago, the entire Habring² line is based on a modular system that allows them to produce small series or even custom made pieces for relatively small dollar amounts..

Last month, the patent on IWC’s simplified Doppelchronograph finally expired, and Richard Habring is no longer in Schaffhausen. After a prolific run at the company, which saw him develop not only the Doppelchronograph, but also the legendary Aquatimer Deep One, Habring left in 1996. After some years serving the LMH Group, the conglomerate which owned IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne before they were bought by Richemont, his wife Maria Kristina had the idea to settle in Austria. With both Habrings as shareholders, their new small company started to specialize in watch movement development and small series assembly of fine watches and clocks until 2004, when CEO Maria gave the green light for their most successful project yet: Habring². The squared “2” stands, of course, for the two Habrings and also for the potential of the watches themselves. A novelty in the watch business ten years ago, the entire Habring² line is based on a modular system that allows them to produce small series or even custom made pieces for relatively small dollar amounts..

While the Habring² line started with a simple three-hand watch called “Time-Only,” the collection now contains almost every classical complication up to the tourbillon. In 2007, Habring² produced a dead-beat seconds watch with a newly developed movement. Another highlight of their current collection is the so called COS-Chrono or Foudroyante. COS stands for “crown operation system” – a simple but effective solution to operate the chronograph function entirely without pushers. The Foudroyante is an historical first, combining dead-beat seconds with a so-called “Foudroyante” or flashing seconds. The chrono seconds counter turns once per second and stops every 45 degrees to remain for about 1/10th of a second. And now of course, they have the new Doppel 2.0.

With IWC’s patent on Richard Habring’s own invention finally expired, Habring2 is releasing its own fresh take on the Doppelchronograph. The watch actually improves upon the original version. How is this possible? To understand this, let’s take a look at how the Doppel works.

The integration of the split function inside the Valjoux 7750 was not easy due to the fact that the movement comes pre-built with automatic winding which denies access to the central chronograph seconds wheel. Habring’s solution was simple and effective. As he explains, “we got a hamburger, took off the upper bun, laid a slice of cheese inside and closed it again.”

Of course this analogy is an oversimplification, since the new split-seconds mechanism contains levers, springs, a cam and a pincer. Actually the cam-layout was what deserved the patent since previously, split second mechanisms were operated by a separate column wheel. Maria Habring explains: “The column wheel looks nice – no doubt about that – but technically it represents watchmaking technology of the 19th century. It’s difficult to produce and quite expensive as well when adjusting the movement and all its functions. Column wheel operated splits, if not adjusted perfectly, can be mis-operated if the pusher does not get pushed in fully. Before shifting, the pincer may open or close already, the column wheel may be stuck intermediately for example.”

The cam-operated split mechanism does not have these problems at all. Richard Habring adds that, “finally the 7750-based chrono is a cam-operated modern design. Adding a column wheel disrespects Edmond Capt’s (Ed: father of the Valjoux 7750) genius take on this design!”

Probably the most difficult detail in the original IWC Doppelchronograph was the redesign of the split shaft. In order to allow the 10.5mm-long split axle to go through the central chrono seconds axle, it had to be enlarged in diameter and drilled through. The final version has a diameter of 0.5mm and a length of about 9mm and features a hole of 0.34mm. Drilling such a hole with conventional methods is almost impossible so the first prototypes made use of parts from syringe needles.

The Habring2 Doppel 2.0 is a logical next generation double chronograph. Even aesthetically, the watch is a departure from the first version. It does away with the traditional tri-compax layout so familiar to Valjoux-based chronographs, instead opting for a simpler, more classic dual-register dial, with running seconds on the left and elapsed minutes on the right and overlaid center seconds hands. The distinctive third chronograph pusher at 10:00 is the giveaway that this is a double chronograph. The dial can be had in galvanized blue, brown or slate gray and has radial minute markers and an outer demarcated second’s track. The overall effect is a blend of modern and classic, a stark contrast to the more sober IWC Doppelchronographs, which replica watches uk are clearly designed to be tool watches. While the original Doppel found its roots in aviation where the use of a split-function is not that important, the Habring² Doppel is reminiscent of a time when sports timekeeping was done with mechanical stopwatches.

The Habring2 calibre A08MR, while still based on a Valjoux 7750, introduces several key improvements over Habring’s first, twenty-year old, iteration. Aside from the dial layout, the main differences are inside the split-seconds function. While the original Doppel movement was – due to the necessary integration of the split module inside the existing movement – rather complex, the second generation has a simplified bridge-layout which improves accessibility for service purposes.

Habring2 is based in Völkermarkt, Austria and produces only about 80 watches annually. As a humble husband and wife team, the Habrings like to consider their company the “smallest watch manufacture in the world.” While not a true manufacture that builds everything from blued screws to balance spring yet, Habring2 cares more about building a small number of unique and reliable watches. The timepieces have been largely based on ETA calibers up to now, but this will change in the next year due, of course, to the Swatch Group’s strategic decision not to provide base movements to other companies. To keep things simple, most Habring2 watches are housed in 42mm cases made by renowned German case maker, Fricker, though a few models and are now available in a smaller 36mm-case.

With such limited production of its watches, you can be assured if you own a Habring2 you’re not likely to see one on anyone else’s wrist and that’s part of the appeal. We’re excited about the Doppel 2.0 because it is yet another significant milestone from a company whose watchmaker is the father of the modern double chronograph.

The Habring2 Doppel 2.0 is expected to sell for 6,000 euros. For more information on the Doppel 2.0 and Habring2 in general, click here.