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

MB&F has been making weird watches for nearly two decades. Spaceships, jet engines, alien pods - you name it, they've strapped it to a wrist. But with HM12 The Guardian, they've done something that genuinely stops you mid-scroll. This is a flying-tourbillon wristwatch that lives inside a transforming robot. A real one. Nearly 400 mm tall, weighing 15 kg, and capable of shifting between robot and display-stand mode.

The watch is called HM12 The Guardian. The project was originally conceived around MB&F's 20th anniversary, and it marks what the brand calls the start of its third decade. Design credit goes to Max Maertens, a young Belgian designer who first came through MB&F as an intern and has since worked with Chopard, Vacheron Constantin, and Cartier. This one, though, is clearly personal. Only 36 pieces will be made. When they're gone, the HM12 is gone permanently.

What's Actually New Here

The HM12 is a shaped, high-end mechanical movement built around a flying tourbillon. That part sits on your wrist like a traditional Horological Machine - sculptural case, unconventional layout, the kind of thing that makes people on the street stop and ask what you're wearing. But the story doesn't end there.

The robot companion, developed with L'Epée (MB&F's long-time clock collaborator), is not a passive display stand. It transforms. In one configuration it cradles the watch in its chest like a kind of mechanical heart. Fold it another way and it stands upright, arms out, looking straight out of a 1980s toy box. The robot itself weighs 15 kg and stands close to 400 mm tall. That's not a trinket. That's a statement piece that doubles as a conversation starter in any room.

The Design Process

Maertens reportedly carried this concept for years before it became the HM12. The sci-fi and childhood toy references are obvious and intentional. This isn't ironic nostalgia - it's a genuine attempt to build something that feels emotionally resonant, not just technically impressive. MB&F has always led with that kind of thinking, and Maertens, who grew up around the brand, clearly absorbed it.

The watch case itself continues MB&F's tradition of treating the movement architecture as the design. Nothing is hidden. The flying tourbillon is front and center. The shaped case wraps around the caliber rather than containing it as an afterthought.

Who This Is For

Let's be honest about the market here. The HM12 The Guardian is not for someone looking for a daily wearer or a subtle flex. This is for a very specific kind of collector: someone who grew up on science fiction, has a meaningful relationship with MB&F's catalog, and wants something that exists nowhere else. The 36-piece limit makes that even more pointed. You're not just buying a watch - you're buying into a closed chapter of the brand's history.

• Flying tourbillon movement in a shaped case built around the caliber architecture
• Robot companion by L'Epée, nearly 400 mm tall and weighing 15 kg
• Transforming mechanism shifts between display and robot configurations
• 36 pieces total, no planned continuation
• Designed by Max Maertens, who started at MB&F as an intern

How It Sits in the HM Lineup

MB&F launched its first Horological Machine in 2007. Over nearly 20 years, the HM series has covered a lot of ground - some pieces lean technical, some lean sculptural, a few do both. HM12 lands squarely in the "both" category, but it adds a third dimension that previous models didn't have: the companion object. Earlier HMs came with display stands too, but nothing on this scale. The robot isn't a bonus. It's co-equal to the watch itself.

Compare that to something like the HM9 or HM10, and you can see the evolution. Each generation pushes the concept of what a watch release can include. HM12 essentially argues that the object you put your watch on at night deserves as much engineering attention as the watch itself. It's a strange argument. It's also a compelling one.

Thirty-six people in the world will own an HM12 The Guardian. If you're one of them, you're getting arguably the most theatrically complete watch release MB&F has ever put out. And if you're not, it's worth paying attention to anyway - this is what happens when a brand with two decades of credibility decides to go all in on a single idea and makes it count.