Basel 2012: MB&F4 HM4 – “time-machine”

Łukasz Doskocz12.04.201228.05.20135 min. of reading

The clou of the MB&F’s watchmaking philosophy is the will to create crazy, design machines formed far from what we know as traditional, classic watches.

“A traditional wristwatch has a relatively straightforward role: to tell the time. All that is needed is a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and perhaps a power reserve indicator to keep track of running time. Horological Machine No4 Thunderbolt has a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and a power reserve indicator. HM4 Thunderbolt tells the time. HM4 Thunderbolt is not a traditional wristwatch.” – MB&F

If you would approach an ordinary person (with no knowledge or interest in watches), showed him or her any of the HM4 pieces and asked – what is it? – I’m willing to bet, that 99% of answers would not relate this marvellous, micro-mechanical sculpture to a watch – a time telling device. What was born out of crazy ideas of Maximilian Busser, supported by design genius of Eric Giroud, are passion and childhood-fantasies-inspired machines that break all the rules and canons of the watchmaking art (in its traditional form). Besides the unquestionably fantastic Legacy Machine No.1, every single new piece from MB&F is a wild and futuristic vision of its creators, powered by the equally futuristic and innovative mechanical heart. Each is born inside Max Busser’s head, and then transformed into the real product, with help of MB&F Friends, of which some number is always involved in new project (the letter “F” in the company name stands for this).

Among the number of timepieces (or rather time-machines) created so far there is one most vivid and tangible example of everything what can be called MB&F DNA – Horological Machine No.4 Thunderbolt (HM4 in short). Inspired by Mr.Busser’s fascination of aviation and everything, that, contrary to the small kid’s logic, flies in the air, the piece is equally unique and controversial watch-creation.

Only the first brief gaze at the bizarre form of HM4 can already suggest aviation association, particularly association with fuselage or jet engine of the ultra-sonic plane. It was that engine body that directly inspired the form of two pods connected with central bridge opened with sapphire glass, revelling the mechanism inside. The complex sapphire glass used in the piece required a mare 185 hours of work, involving cutting and polishing it to such unusual shape (and keeping in mind how fragile sapphire is, it’s even more impressive). The case is milled by CNC machine from solid block of material in the hundred-hours-long process, that in result gives a sophisticated sculpture tailor-fitted to matching, tailored movement.

311-components mechanical heart of the HM4 is created in collaboration with Laurent Besse and Beranger Reynard of Les Artistans Horologers. The necessity to create functional and perfectly case-fitted calibre required only a specially designed unique parts – non taken from the stock of existing components. Double spring barrel, layered one-on-the-other, provides the hand-wound movement with 72 hours of power reserve. The balance wheel, placed in the centre of the calibre and secured by the special bridge, ticks with the modest 21.600 Alt/h (3Hz) pace. Two separate gear-trains power two timepiece functions. Looking from the front side, small dial on the right side indicates hours and minutes, the one on the left is the power reserve indicator. Both small dials were placed at the 90° angle on the ends of the pods, so that the time reading with the watch strapped to the wrist would be almost intuitive… and it actually, really works. Such arrangement makes the dial turned in your face almost all the time, and their pilot’s like style is surprisingly legible. Both dials are connected to dedicated crowns, located at the ends of each pod. One regulates the time, the other winds (with user’s hand of course) the double spring.

HM4 Razzle Dazzle, Duoble Trouble, RT

After the first HM4 Thunderbolt (I wonder if only I thought about a certain 007 film while hearing the name of the watch?) and its exclusive/extravagant Flying-Panda edition (made for Only Watch auction) two (or actually three) latest Horological Machines with number 4 are military-inspired duo Razzle Dazzle & Double Trouble and a luxurious (more than already luxury standard version) RT model in 5N red gold.

Razzle Dazzle & Double Trouble are perhaps the best examples of the aviation connection of the entire collection. This quite fancifully named pieces (limited to 8 of each version) relate to the small “pin-up girls” paintings on each pod of the watches, taken from the World War military planes decoration. Additionally this military character is enhanced by small rivets placed on the case, just like rivets holding together parts of the old plane fuselage.

Absolutely latest addition to the HM4 line is the RT – the variation that was long planed, argued and discussed among the MB&F team. While the golden version of the timepiece might seem like an obvious choice, the financial-technical difficulty of the project postponed the idea for a long time – and it was all in the case, literally. Construction of HM4 case requires a single block of material used in the cutting process, so one solid block of gold was required. As it turned out, creation of only one single case required a solid gold brick of 1.5kg(!) and the estimated value of around 80.000CHF(!). While all this added-up to a questionably profitable task, Max Busser’s and Charris Yadigaroglou’s (MB&F Chief Communication Officer) stubbornness (in its positive meaning) won, and red gold HM4 moved from the idea to the real thing. MB&F is going to create about 2 heavy-weight pieces per production run (18 in total limited edition – about a year to complete), but if the potential customer is willing to pay some money in advance (for the gold brick), there should be no rejection of his order.

And one more word about live experience with the watches. Form the press pictures you may think of HM4 as a huge and heavy watch. In reality it is big, but well balanced and proportioned piece, especially for its 54x52x24mm dimensions. Thanks to mobile front lugs and wide, leather strap it fits very well and comfortable on the wrist, although it would surely require some getting used to it. The chance to see and feel the MB&F creations in-hand is an undoubted pleasure for any watch fan. Even those concentrated only on the traditional values of watch-art will smile with appreciation for something that was born not from the cards of watchmaking history, but from passion and dream of its creators.

MB&F HM4

You can find our Maximilian Busser interview HERE.