MB&F

MB&F
Industry Watch Making
Founded 2005
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Maximilian Büsser, Serge Kriknoff
Products Luxury Timepieces
Website www.mbandf.com

Maximilian Busser and Friends, normally shortened down to MB&F, is a Swiss watch brand founded by Maximilian Busser in July 2005 and based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Machine Collections

Horological Machines

The Horological Machines are MB&F's first line of wristwatches. Their futuristic designs are inspired by science fiction and MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser's childhood.[1]

Horological Machine No.1 (HM1)

HM1 in red gold.

HM1 features four mainspring barrels connected in both parallel and series, a tourbillon escapement and 7-day power reserve.

Functions: Left dial: Hours Right dial: Minutes and Power Reserve

Movement: Raised central one-minute tourbillon, separate hours and minutes, seven-day power reserve. Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph. Automatic winding. 22K Gold Battle Ax winding rotor. Four mainspring barrels in parallel. The number of jewels: 81 (all functional). The number of parts: 376 (including jewels).

Horological Machine No.2 (HM2)

HM2-CR

HM2 features a mechanical movement offering a combination of: Instantaneous Jump Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase and Automatic Winding.[2]

Functions: Left dial: Retrograde Date and Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase Right Dial: Jumping Hours and Concentric Retrograde Minutes

Movement: Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor[3] designed functionality regulated and powered by a Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear train Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph 22k rose gold Double Hakken automatic winding rotor

Horological Machine No.3 (HM3)

HM3 Sidewinder

HM3 features cones respectively indicating hours and minutes, with the hour cone capped by a day/night indicator. An oversized date wheel allows for large, legible numbers. HM3 is available in two versions: ‘Sidewinder’, with cones lined perpendicular to the arm and ‘Starcruiser’, with cones in line with the arm.

Functions: Hour and day/night indicator on one cone Minutes on the second cone Date around the movement

Movement: Three-dimensional designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor; Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph. 22k rose gold battle-axe shaped ‘mystery’ automatic winding rotor Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to laser-cut hands.

Horological Machine No.3 Frog (HM3 Frog)

HM3 Frogs

HM3 Frog differs from HM3 in that on the Frog it is the hour and minute cones that rotate past their respective indicators and on HM3 the indicators rotate around the cones.

Functions: Hour and day/night indicator on one cone Minutes on the second cone Date around the movement

Movement: Three-dimensional designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor; Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph. 22k rose gold battle-axe shaped ‘mystery’ automatic winding rotor Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to laser-cut hands.

Horological Machine No.4 (HM4)

HM4 Thunderbolt

HM4 features two perpendicular dials respectively indicating hours/minutes and power reserve set in a futuristic case resembling two jet turbine pods.[4]

HM4 Thunderbolt was awarded the prize for best Concept and Design Watch Concept at the 2010 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.

Functions: Hours, minutes and power reserve indicator. Hours and minutes on right dial, power reserve indicator on the left dial. Separate crowns for time setting and winding

Movement: HM4's movement was designed and developed by MB&F with Laurent Besse and Beranger Reynard of Les Artisans Horlogers. The 311 components were developed specifically for the Thunderbolt due to the extreme nature of its architecture.

Horological Machine No.5 (HM5)

HM5 On the Road Again

HM5 was inspired by the futuristic (at the time) Amida Digitrend watch of the 1970s as well as supercars of that era.

Functions: Jumping hours and minutes which are reflected 90° from disks on top of the movement by a sapphire crystal prism that also magnifies the indications 20%.

Movement: Developed by Jean-François Mojon and Vincent Boucard of Chronode; powered by a Sowind gear train; housed in a water-resistant, stainless steel inner container.

Horological Machine No.6 (HM6)

Horological Machine No.6

HM6 features a rounded biomorphic case, flying tourbillon under a retractable cover, and automatic winding.[5]

Functions: Hour and minutes on separate semi-spherical aluminum indication domes, crown to open/close flying tourbillon shield.

Movement: Three-dimensional horological engine with central flying tourbillon, hour and minute indications on domes, automatic winding regulated by twin turbines developed exclusively for HM6 by MB&F and Davide Candaux Horlogerie Créative.[6]

Awards: In 2015 Horological Machine No.6 received a ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best" award – the top prize at the international Red Dot Awards.[7]

Horological Machine X (HMX)

HMX Black

HMX was created for the 10th anniversary of MB&F in 2005. It displays bi-directional jumping hours and minutes vertically using optical prisms like those first seen in HM5. features a rounded biomorphic case, flying tourbillon under a retractable cover, and automatic winding.[8]

Functions: Jumping hours (bi-directional)and minutes displayed by dual reflective sapphire crystal optical prisms with an integrated magnifying lens.

Movement: Three-dimensional movement with jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed in-house by MB&F, powered by a Sellita gear train.[9]

Legacy Machines

The designs of MB&F's Legacy Machines are retrofuturistic, with traditional analog faces and circular cases and unusual design elements including convex crystal and balance wheels suspended above the face with arches. Legacy Machines pay homage to the rich watchmaking traditions of the 18th and 19th centuries by answering the question: What would MB&F have imagined a 100 years ago?

Legacy Machine No.1 (LM1)

Legacy Machine No.1

In 2011, MB&F presented the first of their Legacy Machines, LM1. With LM1, MB&F said they were paying tribute to the watchmaking traditions of 18th and 19th centuries through imagining the type of timepiece they would have created had the company existed 100 years ago.[10] Legacy Machine No.1 has a large-diameter balance with traditional Breguet overcoil suspended over on the dial from twin arches, a vertical power reserve and a dual time zone that is able to be independently adjusted for both hours and minutes.

Functions and features: Hours and minutes; independent dual time zone; vertical power reserve; left crown at 8 o'clock for setting time of left dial; right crown at 4 o'clock for setting time of right dial and winding.

Movement: Developed by Jean-François Mojon and Kari Voutilainen. Mojon and his team developed the movement while Voutilainen was responsible for the aesthetic design and traditionally fine finishing.

Awards: In 2012 Legacy Machine No.1 made history at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) when it became the first watch to win two prizes in the same year: Public Choice Prize 2012 and Best Men's Watch 2012. The Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).[11]

Legacy Machine 101 (LM101)

Legacy Machine 101 in platinum

Launched in 2014, the concept behind LM101 was to reduce the wristwatch to its bare essentials so it only displays time (hours and minutes) plus power remaining in the mainspring.[12]

Functions and Features: Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator and large suspended balance wheel above the dial.

Movement: Entirely new caliber, the first developed entirely in-house by MB&F. [13]

Legacy Machine No.2 (LM2)

Legacy Machine No.2

In 2013, MB&F presented Legacy Machine No.2, which features two flying balance wheels suspended over the dial. A raised (visible through the dial at 6 o'clock) planetary differential transmits the average rate of the two regulators to a single gear train.[14]

Functions and features: Hours and minutes; two flying balance wheels and planetary differential.

Movement: Developed by Jean-François Mojon/Chronode and Kari Voutilainen. Chronode developed the movement while Voutilainen was responsible for the aesthetic design and traditionally fine finishing.[15]

Legacy Machine Perpetual (LM Perpetual)

Legacy Machine Perpetual

In 2015, MB&F presented Legacy Machine Perpetual featuring a revolutionary new perpetual calendar architecture.[16] LM No.1 has a large-diameter suspended balance with traditional Breguet overcoil suspended over on the dial from twin arches with the complete perpetual calendar complication visible on full display above the movement plate.[17]

Functions and features: Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicators.

Movement: Fully integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring dial-side complication and mechanical processor system architecture with inbuilt safety mechanisms.

Performance Art Pieces

In parallel with their collection of Horological Machines and Legacy Machines, MB&F have collaborated with selected artists to create “Performance Art” pieces, available as unique pieces or in limited editions. MB&F Performance Art pieces essentially see a MB&F Machine become the medium for the selected artist to paint or sculptures. .

HM2 Only Watch 2009

Presented in 2009, the HM2 Only Watch was a unique piece created in collaboration with American artist Sage Vaughn for the Only Watch charity auction benefiting research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy, held in Monaco under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II. Vaughn adorned the HM2 with a butterfly surrounded by barbed wire.

HM2.2 “Black Box”

HM2.2 "Black Box"

Launched in 2009, 'Black Box' was a limited edition of eight pieces created in collaboration with French artist/watch designer Alain Silberstein. This creation saw Silberstein give the HM2 a solid black Bauhaus-style, minimalist case.

JWLRYMACHINE

JWLRYMACHINE Pink

MB&F collaborated with French high-jewellry house Boucheron, to create JWLRYMACHINE in which the HM3 was turned into a three-dimensional jewelled owl.

HM4 Only Watch 2011

HM4 Only Watch was created in collaboration with Chinese artist Huang Hankang, featuring a miniature flying panda.

Music Machine

Music Machine 1

Launched in 2013, Music Machine 1 was designed by MB&F and manufacture by Reuge. This was followed by Music Machine 2 in 2014 and Music Machine 3 in 2015, which were also manufactured by Reuge.

MB&F's Music Machines are space-ship styled music boxes playing a variety of melodies, they are not clocks and do not tell the time.[18]

Starfleet Machine

Starfleet Machine (table clock)

Launched is 2014, Starfeet Machine is a spaceship-themed clock developed with, and manufactured by, L'Epée Clocks. Starfleet Machine features hours and minutes, double retrograde seconds and a 40-day power reserve indicator.[19]

Melchior

Melchior (table clock)

Launched in 2015 as part of MB&F's 10th anniversary celebrations, Melchior is a robot clock designed by MB&F and manufactured by L'Epée Clocks. Melchior features ‘slow’ jumping hours, minutes, double retrograde seconds eyes and a very long 40-day power reserve.[20]

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia (table clock)

Arachnophobia was inspired by a giant spider sculpture called Maman (mother in French), created by Louise Bourgeois (1911 - 2010) in bronze, stainless steel and marble. The monumental sculpture has been installed in a variety of locations around the world.

Launched in 2015 as part of MB&F's 10th anniversary celebrations, Arachnophobia displays the time (hours/minutes) on its body, while its head contains the regulator for the clockwork.[21]

Maximilian Büsser

Maximilian Büsser After graduating with a master's degree in micro-technology engineering, Maximilian Büsser's first employer was Jaeger-LeCoultre where he spent seven years in their senior management team during a period of change and strong growth.[22]

Büsser was appointed managing director of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces in 1998. During his seven years there he transformed the company into a well-respected haute horlogerie brand. Working with talented independent watchmakers on the revolutionary Opus series[23] of timepieces planted the seed for developing that concept further still.

In 2005 Büsser resigned from Harry Winston to form MB&F—Maximilian Büsser & Friends—with the ethos of acknowledging the contribution of the individuals who contributed to each project.

References

Further reading

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