For our fourth MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription, we are once again collaborating with the independent Austrian watchmaker Habring², a brand close to our hearts and with whom we created our first MdS watch. After the immediate success of the subscription clock 1a monopusher chronograph with a salmon-colored sector dial inspired by the 1940s, we remain true to our passion for independent watchmaking and our trust in Maria and Richard Habring by introducing a new collaboration model, an Art Deco interpretation of the Erwin jumping second. The Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte is a watch with an unprecedented dial, created with the help of a young designer. It is discreetly original, full of details and features a complication that strongly reflects our love of precise timekeeping: the dead second.
“With the MdS4 I wanted to bring something fresh to a watch that I have always loved, the Habring² Erwin. In addition to the almost perfect proportions of this watch, it is Maria and Richard's commitment to independent watchmaking that appeals to my team and I, as well as the rare complication, the so-called seconde morte or deadbeat second, a nod to chronometry and watches of yesteryear. For this new Montre de Souscription we have teamed up with a young designer, Pietro Pilla, who also works with our great friends at Time+Tide The MdS4 represents everything I love about watches – the passion and the friendships that come with it.” Frank Geelen, founder of MONOCHROME
Since our founding in 2006, we have always maintained a strong focus on independent watchmaking. After launching the first Montre de Souscription in 2021, we are very proud to be developing watches in collaboration with some of our favorite independent watchmakers – Habring², Czapek and Armin Strom. Our fourth Montre de Souscription returns to the origins of the concept and once again relies on Habring²'s expertise to share our vision of watchmaking.
After our own interpretation of the brand's monopusher chronograph, the Chrono-Felix, it's time to apply our signature to another signature model from the Austrian duo, the Erwin Jumping Second. This time, however, our inspiration and creation process was a little different, but we are particularly proud of the result: the MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte.
the MONOCHROME MdS 4 Seconde Morte in detail
For our Montre de Souscription 4, which was named Seconde Morte because it retained the French nomenclature, we used Habrings' Erwin model as a basis. This evolution of the hand-wound Felix time-only model introduced in 2014 is equipped with one of the Austrian brand's most famous complications: the jumping seconds or deadbeat seconds.
The MdS4 Seconde Morte is a beautiful expression of our preferences, a watch that combines elegance with a reserved, almost instrumental look. The MdS4 Seconde Morte combines old and new and is a dress watch with vintage elements and modern features. Its dial is a successful mix of discretion and rich details. It is an unprecedented interpretation of the Habring² Erwin with character and sophistication. And of course a monochromatic touch.
As with the Salmon MdS1, the case is made of stainless steel and is fully brushed, giving this elegant, compact watch a more practical appeal. To add a retro touch, we opted for a two-stage bezel, again brushed and paired with drilled lugs. The case is a perfect mix of compactness and modern proportions. It's 38.5mm in diameter and just 9mm thick, allowing it to fit comfortably under fitted cuffs. It is equipped with a slightly curved, anti-reflective sapphire crystal and a case back made of sapphire crystal, which is framed by a steel ring with special MdS engravings.
The special thing about the MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 is the dial. For this new model we enlisted the help of a young designer, Pietro Pilla, who also works at Time+Tide. While classic editions of the Erwin tend to focus on a minimalist, deliberately austere look, the Montre de Souscription 4 is full of subtle but characterful details, all of which are the result of a long and demanding design process.
The Art Deco inspiration is clearly visible here, particularly in the highly detailed seconds display, the unique shape of the Roman numerals and the applied diamond-shaped hour markers. These deliberately slim and elongated polished elements are combined with a glossy black dial and thin white printed tracks, numerals and logos. There is an undeniable tension in this dial, a contrast between the practicality of the brushed case and that elegant, detailed dial that wouldn't be out of place on a 1930s dress watch. To stay in line with the Montre de Souscription series, we chose a French “Seconde Morte” display at 6 o’clock.
What is a seconde morte or jumping second? Why does the second hand on this watch jump once per second instead of sweeping across the dial like a mechanical watch? Rest assured, the MdS4 is not a quartz watch. This would not be possible with MONOCHROME. Most mechanical watches that run at 3 or 4 Hz have a so-called sweep second hand that makes between 6 and 8 pulses per second, giving the impression that the hand is sliding across the dial. A seconde morte or deadbeat seconds movement still runs at a conventional frequency (4 Hz in the case of the MdS4), but displays its seconds jumping at one pulse per second.
Deadbeat seconds movements were not designed to replicate the jumping movement of a quartz watch. Their origins are historic and noble, dating back to the time of regulator clocks used by observatories and scientists, as well as master clocks used in watchmakers' ateliers as a reference for fine-tuning clockworks.
The development of the jumping seconds mechanism for the Erwin is a trademark of Habring. The elegantly simple and pragmatic system includes no more than seven additional components compared to the pure time work of the Felix model. Functional reliability and ease of service are important to Habring². Right in the middle of the movement is the jumping seconds mechanism, which is held by a three-spoke bridge. It consists of an additional gear train next to the seconds wheel that absorbs the energy of a spring and releases it every second, causing the second hand to jump.
This deadbeat or seconde morte mechanism is neatly integrated into the A11 base movement and only increases the watch's overall thickness by 2mm – compared to a classic Felix model. The hand-wound caliber A11S is manufactured by Habring² in-house in Austria, with most parts manufactured in-house or custom-made by independent suppliers to Habring² specifications in Austria, Germany or Switzerland. It runs at a frequency of 4 Hz and is equipped with a tangential screw fine adjustment, an anti-magnetic escapement with a chronometer-quality balance spring from Carl Haas and a KIF shock protection in accordance with DIN and NIHS standards. Its single barrel offers a comfortable power reserve of 48 hours. The sapphire back of the MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte reveals an elegant hand-decorated finish, including polished edges, decorative engravings, brushed surfaces, perlage and heat-blued screws.
The watch is complemented by a handcrafted taupe nubuck leather strap with contrasting cream stitching, MONOCHROME's light blue leather lining, a stainless steel pin buckle and quick-release spring bars.
About habring2 and the movement
As you know, not all watchmakers are from Switzerland and one of our favorite independent brands comes from Austria. Habring² was founded by Maria and Richard Habring. In 2001, Richard and Maria Kristina married and decided to become partners in life and work. In October 2004, the couple founded a watch company called Habring². The first watch, the Time-Only, based on a hand-wound Unitas 6498 movement, was introduced at the end of 2004.
Maria and Richard Habring, founders of Habring2
In 2005, Maria and Richard presented a watch with a rather unusual complication that would become a classic of the brand: a jumping seconds. At that time, the watch was powered by restored vintage Chezard movements from the 1960s, with a central deadbeat or seconde morte seconds. And together with the double chronograph, the jumping seconds has become one of the brand's signature watches.
A defining moment for the company was the launch of the brand's own A11 caliber series in 2014. Up to this point, all movements used by Habring² came from ETA or other movement manufacturers and were then modified internally to add the brand's signature complications: monopusher chronograph, rattrapante, foudroyante (jumping seconds). In 2014 they presented the Felix, a hand-wound movement with a small seconds. But if you know how Richard thinks, you can imagine that the very conception of the movement was implemented with a strong sense of pragmatism. The design of this movement is still based on the architecture and gear train of the 7750, but with significant improvements.
Firstly, most of the A11's components are available exclusively from Habring² and no longer have anything to do with ETA. One of the reasons for developing the A11 was independence. Therefore, the parts are either manufactured in Austria or purchased from nearby partners in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It is noteworthy that most of the key components are manufactured in-house, including the escapement with lever and escape wheel as well as the end curve of the balance springs. The A11 has been designed to retain the qualities of the Valjoux while being superior in many ways. Additionally, it is sturdy and easy to repair in the long run.
Other improvements include a tangential screw adjustment index instead of the usual etachron. Instead of welding parts together in an automated process, Habring² manufactures the components separately, assembles them by hand and secures them with pins. This applies, for example, to the cam of the chronograph. Other developments include parts produced by laser micro-cutting instead of stamping and barrel polishing, resulting in much tighter tolerances and a much more pleasant finish.
Availability and price
The MONOCHROME Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte is offered as a subscription watch in a maximum edition of 33 pieces, all individually numbered. It will only be on sale for two weeks, starting now or until all 33 pieces are sold. The first deliveries are planned for January 2026, all remaining watches are scheduled to be delivered by March 2026.
Available in the MONOCHROME shop, the Montre de Souscription 4 Seconde Morte watch costs 6,000 euros excluding taxes and includes free, insured international shipping and a 3-year warranty from Habring². When ordering the watch we require a non-refundable deposit of 2,000 euros (plus taxes). The remaining amount will be charged when the watch is ready for shipping.
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