Introducing: The Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 Sells Out In Minutes

June 24, 2021

Earlier this morning, the fine folks at Monochrome announced their first-ever collaboration watch design and each and every piece in the series sold in a flash. Created in collaboration with the Austrian indie brand Habring2, this new classically themed monopusher chronograph is based on Habring2's Chrono-Felix model, and blends a steel 38.5mm case with a lovely two-tone salmon dial with blued steel chronograph accents. The Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 was to be sold via pre-order and the entire production (which is done by Habring2 at their atelier in Austria) is limited to just 33 units with deliveries expected in September of 2021. While it's certainly too late to get one to call your own, it is absolutely a watch worth knowing about and a huge success for both Monochrome and Habring2. What we think Monochrome has been at the forefront of covering noteworthy and exciting independent watchmakers, including Habring2. With inspiration from the 1940s, the golden era of hand-wound chronographs, the Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 is 38.5mm wide, 12mm thick, and just 46mm lug to lug, and is delivered with both a taupe nubuck leather strap and a 7-row beads-of-rice steel bracelet for that extra old-school look. The addition of the lovely salmon sector-dial to the Habring2's Chrono-Felix not only looks handsome but it defines the watch from the other versions of the Chrono-Felix currently available from Habring2. Sporting a telemeter scale surrounding the two-tone salmon dial, we see a mix of vertical brushing (center dial), radial bushing (the hour sector), and a snailed finish for both subdials. With polished steel hands for the time display and blued steel hands for the 30-minute chronograph measure, the Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 captures its '40s inspiration while feeling sharp and entirely focused on enthusiast appeal. Just as you'd find in the standard production-spec Chrono-Felix models, the Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 uses Habring2's A11C-H1 monopusher chronograph movement. Hand-wound and ticking at 4Hz, the A11C-H1 shares its architecture with the ETA 7750 (a movement Richard Habring has been innovating for over a decade) but none of the parts used to create the A11C-H1 come from ETA. The design of the A11C-H1 was completed by Habring2 and all of the components are either created in-house or come via independent producers. With 48 hours of power reserve, it also features a design that is meant to be stronger, better-looking, and easier to service than your garden-variety 7750. The A11C-H1 has a Carl Haas hairspring and its hand finishing C which includes blued screws, bridges with circular brushing, beveled edges, and a blued steel cam C can be viewed via a wide display case back. The pre-order opened this morning at 9 AM ET with each of the 33 units in the subscription selling for EUR 5,950 (roughly $7,070 at the time of publishing, before any applicable taxes). That pricing included the watch, the bracelet and leather strap, and a 3-year warranty from Habring2 and the entire run sold out in roughly the amount of time it took you to read to the end of this story. Limited editions are a huge part of watch marketing these days and the success of the Monochrome Montre de Souscription 1 will certainly have folks ready and waiting for their next collaboration. The Basics Brand: Monochrome x Habring2Model: Montre de Souscription 1Diameter: 38.5mmThickness: 12mmLug to lug: 46mmCase Material: SteelDial Color: SalmonIndexes: PaintedWater Resistance: 30 meters Strap/Bracelet: Steel 7-row beads of rice bracelet and a taupe nubuck leather strap The Movement Caliber: Habring2 caliber A11C-H1Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, 30-minute chronographDiameter: 30mmThickness: 6.5mmPower Reserve: 48 hoursWinding: Hand-woundFrequency: 4 HzJewels: 25Additional Details: Monopusher chronograph, Carl Haas hairsping, KIF shock protection, hand-finished. Pricing & Availability Price: EUR 5,950Availability: From June 24, 2021, at 9 AM ETLimited Edition: 33 pieces.For more, click here.