Habring is a relatively new brand that has been turning heads, largely due to their amazingly well-designed pieces and high-quality movements at very attractive price points. With vintage styling and unique complications at the center of their offerings, they are a darling amongst true watch collectors.
Massena Lab, on the other hand, was started by industry heavyweight and veteran, William Massena with the idea of collaborating with existing brands to produce pieces in series. When the two brands came together, we all knew it was going to be good.
Both well-positioned as two of the most notable names in independent watchmaking today, it can only be expected that their watches would sell out fast and following the success of their first collaboration, the bronze Erwin01, Massena Lab quietly announced the Erwin02, available to order only for ‘friends and family’ of the brand.
Starting with perhaps the most crucial part of its design, the Erwin 02 features a gorgeous two-tone sector dial reminiscent of the dials of old. For me, the early Patek Ref. 96 Calatrava Sector Dials immediately come to mind. With a gold outer ring featuring concentric engravings with applied Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 and a silver center with vertical satin brushing housing the crosshairs that split the dial into quarters, the Erwin 02 is classical in its execution and remarkably legible. It must be said, that usually when brands try to recreate that ‘vintage’ look, it is often lost and contrived as the proportions are always off, but with this Erwin 02, Habring really succeeded on the little details making it something that could easily be passed off as ‘vintage’.
Housed within a comfortable and proportionate 38.5mm stainless steel case, the Erwin 02 uses a vintage-styles stepped bezel and also unfussy straight lugs to complement the clarity of its aesthetic. Powered by the cal. A11s – a heavily modified Valjoux cal. 7750 base, it is proudly displayed via its sapphire crystal caseback. The Habring Massena Lab Erwin 02 is a fantastic vintage-styled wristwatch that hits all the right notes and one that will certainly resonate with both modern and vintage collectors alike.
