Results for mb&f

The M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese Is MB&F;'s Most Historically Grounded M.A.D. Edition Yet

A jumping hour complication rooted in real independent watchmaking history, wrapped in the M.A.D.Editions formula

First Look - The new M.A.D.3 Brings Vincent Calabrese’s Jumping Hour into the M.A.D.Editions Universe

A celebration of proper independent watchmaking, looking back at the early days of creative thinking, unusual displays and complications that, back then, felt almost rebellious. A best of all we love here at MONOCHROME, served on a platter by the great minds of MB&F;… And at a fairly attainable price, as you’d now expect from […]

MB&F;’s M.A.D.3 Honours Vincent Calabrese

For it’s third M.A.D. Edition, MB&F; has reimagined Vincent Calabrese’s signature jumping hours complication. While still allocated via raffle, the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese represents a significant departure for MB&F;’s entry level sub-brand, being the first to fully conceal the winding rotor and the first to be based on a historical design from a notable watchmaker. Initial thoughts Vincent Calabrese is a pioneering independent watchmaker who co-founded the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) alongside Svend Andersen in 1985. Mr Calabrese is perhaps most well known for developing highly original movements for other brands including the Corum Golden Bridge and the first-ever flying tourbillon wristwatch movement for Blancpain in 1989. But Mr Calabrese also produced watches under his own name, including the Baladin that served as the inspiration for M.A.D.3. Maximilian Büsser and Mr Calabrese have been friends for years and discussed collaborating on a watch project many times, but the M.A.D.3 is their first joint effort. The M.A.D.3 is affordable as such things go, at CHF2,900. That’s roughly equivalent to where original Baladins trade on the secondary market, depending on the specifics. But the M.A.D.3 is a worthy remake in a more contemporary size and should prove more reliable and easier to service when the time comes. For better or worse, the solid value proposition almost dictates a mechanism to manage demand, so buying a M.A.D.3 isn’t a...

Build Your Own Alien With Maison Alcée and MB&F;

Introducing: The Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo

What We Know Maison Alcée jumped headlong into the watch community consciousness in 2023, winning the GPHG 'Audacity Prize' in recognition of the brand's unique do-it-yourself, high horology, clock-building kits. Championed by Ben, who served on the GPHG jury that year, the French husband-and-wife team of Alcée and Benoit Montfort went on to craft a highly successful LE collaboration with Hodinkee (with lume!) that quickly sold out. Now Alcée and Benoit are back with another collaboration that takes their clock-making kit to the next level. Collaborating with MB&F;, who have long supported Maison Alcée by showcasing and selling their work at their Mad Gallery locations, the Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo leans hard into the well-established alien aesthetic the Geneva-based creative force is known for.  Adding to the intrigue is that this clock was designed by MB&F;'s Creative Designer, Maximilian Maertens. He's the young German who is slowly and purposefully starting to take the lead on some of MB&F;'s pieces, as Max Büsser begins to step back and give up a bit of creative control over the collective brand project he founded more than two decades ago.  So what makes this Maison Alcée kit interesting and different? It's certainly expressive of the MB&F; design language, with the arched base legs or feet giving it an extraterrestrial personality. Maertens says he's a fan of and inspired by the late Swiss artist H.R. Giger (check out the wild Giger Museum in Gruyères if y...

Introducing - The Maison Alcée x MB&F; Nostromo, an Alien-Like Creation to Build Yourself

Just ahead of Geneva Watch Days, MB&F; has teamed up with Maison Alcée to release a wonderful build-it-yourself mechanical desk clock. Celebrating the 15th anniversary of MB&F;’s M.A.D. Gallery, the two brands have collaborated on Nostromo, an alien-like creature that reflects MB&F;’s passion for extraterrestrial design and Maison Alcée’s dexterity in producing DIY desk clock […]

Twelve on Time - MB&F;’s Maximilian Büsser and his Personal Relationship with Time and Watches

Twelve on Time is a conversation series that invites leading personalities from the watch industry to step beyond their work and speak more personally about their relationship with time, creativity, and craft. Through a set of twelve questions, the column aims to lift the veil on both the individual and their perspective on watchmaking, revealing […]

Cousin Greg teams up with Shinola, a rare Rolex Rainbow Daytona hits AU auction, MB&F; continues its MADness

As Centre Court packed away another fortnight of strawberries, sunshine and relentless television close-ups of celebrity watch spotting, Jannik Sinner finally lifted the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles trophy to cap off a superb tournament. Elsewhere, it wasn’t quite such a triumphant week for English football fans, whose World Cup dreams came to an abrupt halt this … Continued

Introducing: The Solar Orbiter Watch Winder For The MB&F; M.A.D.Gallery

What We Know This year marks 15 years of MB&F;'s M.A.D.Gallery, a unique boutique concept that serves as both a storefront for MB&F;'s wildly inventive horological creations and a showcase of mechanical art from artists around the world (and yes, you can buy those pieces, too). As one of the projects celebrating this anniversary, the folks behind the M.A.D.Gallery has commissioned British designer Martin Smith to create one of the most unique watch winders I've ever seen, in a limited edition of 10 pieces. To say that this is a bit of an unconventional design for a watch winder would be an understatement, and it's something that I can't stop looking at. Designer Martin Smith playing with one of his other kinetic sculptures. The sculptural form of the Solar Orbiter stands at a height of 60cm—that's around two feet tall for us Americans—and spans a width and depth (essentially a diameter of the piece) of 40cm or around 16 inches. In the chaos of the two feet of powder-coated steel, aluminum, brass, wood, and electronics, Smith draws inspiration from the whimsy of pop art, toys, and Eames' iconic Solar Do-Nothing Machine from the fifties to create a spinning, rotating sculpture that is hard to ignore in any room.  But most importantly, there is functionality to it all, as part of the spinning arm of the Solar Orbiter holds a watch to perpetually wind as the machine goes on. There are over 300 handmade parts in this piece, and the design certainly doesn't hide any of them. ...

New releases from Awake, Greubel Forsey, MB&F; and more

A week where nostalgia was running high in the watch industry, there are releases here that will take you right back.

First Look - MB&F; Marks the Opening of Its New York Lounge with the LM101 EVO NYC Edition

MB&F; has never been short of reasons to celebrate with a limited edition. This one, though, marks the opening of something new for the brand. After more than two decades of working with retail partners across the United States, the independent brand has finally opened its own New York lounge in Manhattan. To celebrate the […]

New releases from MB&F;, Hanhart, Angelus and more

From colourful, collaborative efforts to the most creative side of high horology, this week had everything you could hope for.

MB&F; HM12 The Guardian: The Robot Watch That Actually Transforms

MB&F;'s twelfth Horological Machine is a flying-tourbillon wristwatch that docks inside a 15 kg, nearly 400 mm tall transforming robot companion, and only 36 will ever exist

Max Maertens Dishes on His Creative Process in Designing the New MB&F; HM12

I first met Max Maertens at Dubai Watch Week last year. The young designer already has a storied career under his belt, working on projects with brands like Chopard, Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, and MB&F;, where he started out as an intern. Here, something clicked. For several years, Maertens firmly fell in the “F” or “friends” category of the brand, collaborating with MB&F; and L’Epée on the T-Rex clock before being given free rein to create the TriPod and the Orb. But his legacy with MB&F; is only just getting started. Through these projects on several horological objects, the brand’s founder Max Busser saw something special and took him under his wing as his protégé and future successor. Today, we see Maertens’ first take on a more traditional MB&F; wristwatch – well…. sort of. Making its grand entrance is the HM12 Guardian, the next chapter in the brand’s horological machines. It started with a “simple” brief (though we all know, nothing MB&F; does is simple. “I was in Max’s office, and he said to me, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to create a watch that’s also a robot’s head?’ And somehow, immediately in that moment, a vision popped in my mind of how it should look,” recalls Maertens. “In the end, I would say this final concept of the HM12 is about 80% of what I had in my mind from that first idea.” Yes, the concept still originated from the mind of Busser himself, but the design of the new HM12 Guardian – a wristwatch with a “very...

First Look - The New MB&F; HM12 The Guardian, A Sci-Fi Horological Machine with a Robot Companion

Childhood imagination and science fiction to inspire high-end watchmaking? Why not, and MB&F; is proof that it can be a successful combination. Since the launch of HM1 in 2007, Maximilian Büsser’s concept laboratory has consistently transformed memories of spaceships, supercars, aircraft and robots into complex mechanical creations for the wrist. Some of the brand’s memorable […]

Guardian of the MB&F; Galaxy: HM12 The Guardian

MB&F; spent years developing its new HM12 ‘The Guardian’ and once all 36 pieces are sold it is gone for good

The MB&F; HM12, originally planned for the 20th anniversary celebrations, marks a major turning point as we enter the brand's third decade.

Max-imum cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian”

After more than 20 years, avante garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. It combines a Horological Machine with a high-end shaped movement, flying tourbillon the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a designer. That Maertens did the har...

MAXimum Cool: MB&F; HM12 “The Guardian” is a Robot Watch-Clock

After more than 20 years, avant-garde independent MB&F; returns to its roots and looks to its future with HM12 The Guardian. The HM12 is a Horological Machine containing a high-end shaped movement featuring a flying tourbillon, nestled in the most elaborate – and coolest – watch stand imaginable: a nearly 400 mm tall, 15 kg robot. Better yet, The Guardian can shift into battle mode at a moments notice, deploying armor to protect its weak points. Initial Thoughts MB&F; marks its 20th anniversary with HM12 The Guardian, or would have, had it been ready in time. Instead HM12 celebrates MB&F;’s future, as the first project led solely by the brand’s creative director (and founder Max Büsser’s heir), Max Maertens. Mr Büsser kicked the project off about four years ago by pitching a robot with a watch for a face, following up on the brand’s robot Melchior and Balthazar desk clocks. After that, Max 2.0 was left to his own devices, with this as the result. It is a very reassuring result for those concerned about the brand’s future after Maximilian Büsser’s eventual retirement, which isn’t yet imminent, but something the brand is clearly preparing for. Interestingly, Eric Giroud, who has designed just about every MB&F; watch, was not involved in the project either. Max (left) and Max (right). Image – MB&F; While discussing the project, Mr Büsser told me that Mr Maertens actually modelled the robot himself in SolidWorks, which goes well beyond the normal duties of a...

Introducing: The MB&F; Horological Machine HM12 'The Guardian' Is The Robot And Watch Combo Of Your Dreams (Live Pics)

What We Know If there's a brand known to constantly exist in a state of one-upping itself when it comes to new designs, it's most certainly MB&F;. And, just as expected, following a slew of radical Horological Machine designs, this new Horological Machine 12 manages to go in a completely new direction. No, your eyes aren't fooling you. This new creation is a robot and a watch combined, in three editions of 12 pieces each: blue, green, and purple. If the Horological Machine 11 drew upon the architecture of the 1960s, the HM12 "The Guardian" looks a decade or two later, when a massive pop-culture obsession with science fiction and robotics would lead to generations of kids obsessed with properties like Transformers, Gundam, and the resulting toys that followed. If there's ever criticism of some of Max Busser's more playful ideas coming across as much too toy-like, the HM12 completely doubles down on that idea with this new design that takes the idea of a robotic action figure to the horological extreme. Here, Max's vision is implemented by another Max, Maximilian Maertens. A name familiar to collectors of the brand, Maertens has been responsible for many of the clock and music box creations for MB&F;, as well as the little Minimilian figures given to owners of MB&F; watches. There's a lot to break down here, so let's start with the watch itself. It is, ever so purposefully, designed to resemble a face, but its construction reveals so much jam-packed into the futuristic, spacesh...

New and reviewed: MB&F; HM12 The Guardian

We had a good look at the new MB&F; HM12 The Guardian recently when Max Büsser and his team visited and presented us with this novelty.

New releases from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Armin Strom, MB&F; and more

Gem-set watches take centre stage this week, with every share of precious and semi-precious stone being utilised across price points.

Introducing - The Gem-Set Trilogy of MB&F; LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions

Teaming up with independent watchmaker wizard Stephen McDonnell in 2015 catapulted MB&F; into the rarefied domain of haute horlogerie. McDonnell’s extraordinary, award-winning LM Perpetual marked a before-and-after in the genre. A fully integrated 581-component calibre, the complication is shown dial-side beneath the suspended balance wheel of the Legacy Machine family. A mesmerising display of mechanical […]

Chromatic and Dramatic: MB&F; Debuts Coloured Gems for the LM Perpetual

Having launched the first Legacy Machine (LM) Perpetual with a gem-set bezel last year — to mark the 75th anniversary of the brand’s UAE-based retailer Ahmed Seddiqi — MB&F; returns with three new LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions set with coloured stones. Initial thoughts Last year’s Seddiqi edition featured a bezel set with baguette-cut diamonds. The choice of stone was appropriately dignified for the moment, but coloured stones seem to be something of a trend within a trend. Jaeger-LeCoultre debuted a trio of Reversos set with coloured gems only yesterday, and Patek Philippe has gone so far as to add its formerly off-catalogue seven-figure sapphire, ruby, and emerald-set Nautilus collection to its website for all to see. MB&F;’s move to embellish its highly technical watches in this way reflects the premiumisation of the broader industry, as collectors seek out the rarest and most exclusive ‘trophy’ variants of sought-after watches. This trio of LM Perpetuals is notable in another way — the black lacquer dials are unusual, similar to those used for the Longhorn and sporty EVO editions. Illustrating the brand’s continued independence — despite Chanel’s 25% stake — the dials are made by Hermès. Gems of many colours At launch, three colours of stones are available — red, blue, and purple — and each watch is limited to just eight pieces. The rubies are sourced from Mozambique, the purple sapphires are sourced from Madagascar, and the blue stones co...

Introducing - MB&F; Releases Two New M.A.D.2 Eric Giroud Editions, Each with a Different Allocation System

Originally intended as a way to thank 500 of the brand’s suppliers and clients who couldn’t afford an MB&F; watch, Max Büsser came up with the M.A.D.1, an accessible one-off project. Inevitably, the news leaked, and requests from the watch community escalated into a frenzy, prompting the annual release of M.A.D. Editions via a raffle […]