SJX Watches
Architect, Reimagined: The MB&F; HM11 Art Deco
MB&F; opens Dubai Watch Week with a thematic reinterpretation of the HM11 Architect: the HM11 Art Deco. While the underlying structure remains the same, including the strangely satisfying rotate-to-wind case, the latest version goes all in on Art Deco motifs, from sunbeams and stained glass to ziggurats. The 20-piece limited edition also marks a subtle turning point: the growing influence of Maximilian Maertens, who has worked alongside Maximilian Büsser and Eric Giroud since joining the company as an intern in 2017. Initial thoughts Though ‘merely’ a new version of an existing watch, the HM11 Art Deco feels like a sign of things to come from MB&F;. The original HM11 design originated, as so many MB&F; products have, as a collaboration between Maximilian Büsser and designer Eric Giroud. But Mr Büsser is not the only Maximilian to leave an imprint on the HM11 Art Deco; that would be the brand’s Senior Industrial Designer, Berlin-based Maximilian Maertens. Mr Maertens joined MB&F; as an intern in 2017, and has worked on a number of larger objects including the Orb clock made in collaboration with L’Epée 1839. Mr Giroud will no doubt remain as critical as ever, but the growing impact of Mr Maertens is something to watch as MB&F; builds for the future. Tangibly, the Art Deco is much the same watch as the HM11 Architect that debuted two years ago, with its novel rotate-to-wind case and movement. But while everything else seems to have gotten more expensive since 2023, th...
