SJX and Habring² have done it again, and this time they're calling it a finale. The Habring² x SJX Chrono Felix Perpetual "Star" is the third and final collaboration between the Singapore-based watch magazine and the Austrian independent watchmaker, and it's the most ambitious one yet. Thirty pieces. That's it.
The watch pulls together two threads from the pair's earlier projects. The star dial motif comes from their very first release, the Erwin "Star". The monopusher chronograph format comes from last year's Chrono-Felix "Medicus". Combine those two ideas, bolt on a perpetual calendar, and you get the CFP Star. The name basically tells you what's inside.
If you've followed Habring², you know the brand operates out of Carinthia, Austria, founded by Richard and Maria Habring. They're the kind of small operation that makes serious complications without the serious marketing budget. SJX, founded by journalist Su Jiaxian, has been one of the indie scene's sharpest chroniclers for years. These two are a natural fit.
What's Actually New Here
The complication stack is what sets this apart from anything the two have done together before. You're looking at a perpetual calendar layered on top of a monopusher chronograph, all in one package. That's not a common combination even from much larger brands. The fact that a micro-brand is delivering this in a 30-piece run tells you something about where Habring² sits technically.
The star motif on the dial is the visual callback to the original Erwin "Star" collab, done here with a glossy black dial. It's a deliberate full-circle moment. SJX is wrapping up the trilogy by bringing back the aesthetic that started it, upgraded with significantly more horological muscle underneath.
Three collabs, three distinct complications, one consistent partner. SJX didn't just keep repeating a formula, they escalated each time. The Chrono Felix Perpetual Star is a proper send-off, not a cash-in on a popular collab format.
Who This Is For
You need to be a specific kind of collector to go after this watch. You probably already know Habring². You likely own or have considered something from the indie Austrian space. And you're not scared off by the idea of a perpetual calendar that needs attention every few years at century turns.
If you're coming to this fresh, here's the pitch: this is independent watchmaking from a brand that actually builds its own movements, paired with a publication that has serious credibility in the space, in a run so small that most people won't ever see one in person. That combination has real collector appeal.
- 30 pieces total, making this the rarest of the three SJX x Habring² collaborations
- Monopusher chronograph format borrowed from the Chrono-Felix "Medicus"
- Perpetual calendar complication, the most complex feature any of these collaborations has included
- Star dial motif referencing the original Erwin "Star" collab, on a glossy black dial
- Closes out a trilogy that has grown in ambition with each release
How It Compares to the Previous Collabs
The first release was the Erwin "Star", a cleaner, simpler piece built around the star motif. The second was the Chrono-Felix "Medicus", which introduced the monopusher chronograph and reportedly did very well, selling in two variations. This third watch takes the Medicus format as its starting point and then adds a perpetual calendar on top. Each release has clearly been a step up in complexity.
Monochrome Watches noted that they've also worked with Habring² on two projects of their own, which gives you a sense of how respected the brand is among watch media outlets. This isn't a single lucky collab partnership. Multiple serious publications have gone back to the same Austrian workshop more than once.
The Bigger Picture
Habring² doesn't get the column inches of the big Swiss names, but the brand quietly keeps building technically credible watches for people who do their homework. Collabs like this one help surface that work to a wider audience, but the production numbers stay deliberately tiny. That's a conscious choice, and it's part of what makes these pieces land differently than a standard limited-edition play from a larger house.
Thirty pieces of a monopusher perpetual calendar from one of the indie scene's genuinely under-the-radar manufacturers is the kind of thing that ends up in serious collections and stays there. If you're in the market, you already know what you need to do.
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