Since its inception in 2005, MB&F has always amazed the entire watchmaking world with stunning and completely singular creations.
Born as a true conceptual watchmaking laboratory, the maison boasts to date the creation of as many as 20 unique calibres which over the years have given rise to real “wrist machines”.
In fact, it is no coincidence that the maison’s collections are called Horological and Legacy Machine. The founder of the brand Maximilian Büsser, right from the start, had a very clear idea in mind: to create a conceptual laboratory of art and microengineering to give life to objects capable not only of marking time, but of telling it.
From the iconic balance wheels above the dials, which have become a true trademark of the maison, to the oscillating masses in the shape of a space halberd of the Horological Machines, Maximilian Büsser has always amazed the world of collecting with designs that are outside the box compared to the traditional watchmaking.
Always following the maison’s philosophy of wearing works of art on the wrist within which spatial movements beat like the design of the cases, MB&F presented yet another creation that has left the whole world amazed. This is the new Horological Machine Nº11 Architect, a concentration of design and microengineering that reproduces the concept of home according to the founder of the maison.
Let’s now discover all the details of this latest amazing creation from what I believe to be one of the most interesting independent watchmaker ever.
The inspiration for the new Horological Machine Nº11 Architect
“A house is a machine for living in” – Le Corbusier
It is precisely from this phrase of the famous Swiss architect that Max Büsser wanted to start with the creation of his new Horological Machine. According to the creator of MB&F, in fact, HMs are inhabitable and, at the same time, the stories they enclose within them are able to transport each possessor to different times and places and, sometimes, even to different worlds. Thus, like a house, Horological Machines, according to Büsser, are not only to be worn, but are above all to be lived in.
At first glance, the concept may seem strange. After all, a house and a watch are totally different objects. With the new HM 11, however, Büsser has decided to break the boundaries between the two, going on to recreate his idea of a house on the wrist. Ironically we think of Richard Mille’s motto “A racing machine on the wrist”; Max Büsser has reinterpreted it into “A luxury house on the wrist”!
The design of this watch, which I dare say is out of its mind in terms of its design and the complex and ingenious mechanics contained within it, dates back to 2018.
The houses that Max Büsser wanted to draw inspiration from are those of the second half of the 1960s, that is, a period when the rectilinear, pragmatic forms aimed at precise uses of the previous decade were fast giving way to roundness and prominences in the most unusual places. And it was in looking at such softly and harmoniously shaped houses that MB&F’s founder asked himself, “What if those houses were a clock?” After asking himself that question, Max Büsser knew he had to turn what was initially just an idea into something concrete.
In 2018, in fact, the first designs signed by Eric Giroud, that is, the man with training in architecture and the protagonist of the maison’s design procedures, saw the light of day. The idea was to go for the construction of a “wrist house” in full 1960s style consisting of a central atrium at the side of which four rooms would be placed.
The new Horological Machine Nº11 Architect
This new creation, the brainchild of Max Büsser and his incredible team, undoubtedly represents a watch that no one ever expected to exist.
Housed inside the titanium case of this “house-watch,” what we would traditionally call the watch dial immediately jumps out at you. In reality, the dials have all been moved to the side of the case, to leave in the center the complex set of components that regulate the operation of the mechanism and make up the skeleton of the watch.
Made with blue or red gold bridges and plates, the house’s central atrium stands out in the center, which, in this case, translates into a flying tourbillon rising skyward under a roof consisting of two sapphire domes.
Questo elemento del movimento meccanico a carica manuale dell’HM 11 è dotato di un bilanciere di grandi dimensioni in grado di aumentare l’inerzia complessiva del sistema per migliorarne la precisione di marcia.
To protect this attractive tourbillon from accidental shocking of the watch, a shock absorber consisting of four high-tension suspension springs housed between the movement and the lower case block was chosen.
Looking at the upper deck of the regulating organ, we can notice its cloverleaf shape, which goes to recall the window design of some of the famous temples mankind has dedicated to its Creator.
The 96-hour power reserve of MB&F’s new HM 11 is ensured by what I would dare to call the real “gem” of this Machine. In fact, to wind and run this house-watch, one does not have to turn a traditional crown, but rather turn the entire 42 mm diameter case clockwise.
This is made so that it can be rotated in 45-degree increments going to wind 72 minutes of power reserve per click of the watch. Just 10 revolutions of the entire case anchored to a grade 5 titanium base that rests directly on the wrist are sufficient to achieve maximum power reserve.
Moving to either side of the central atrium, we can instead notice the four rooms that go to make up this MB&F signature watchmaking dwelling. At the ends of the case are positioned rounded domes inspired by the residential skylights of the 1970s. Below each dome are windows through which we can observe the interior of the four rooms that make up HM11, the various functions of the watch.
By rotating the “house” above its foundation, each of the rooms can be accessed to read the different indications reported by the movement through a sophisticated system of wheels and microengineering.
Starting from the main room, which, at the same time, indicates the queen of information above a clock, it is possible to read the hours and minutes.
Instead of traditional hour markers that one would expect to find above a dial, there are spheres mounted on rods. Larger, lighter polished aluminum spheres were used for the main hours (3, 6, 9, 12); and smaller, darker polished titanium spheres for the remainder.
The hours and minutes, on the other hand, are marked by red-tipped arrows that add a touch of color to the hour room. The use of the spheres as hour markers is also a nod to watches designed by designer George Nelson.
Turning the case 90°, on the other hand, provides access to the next room, which is the one where the power reserve is reported. Like the previous room, in this room the information of the power reserve of the hand-wound caliber is shown above a series of spheres mounted on rods and by a red-tipped arrow. Proceeding clockwise, the diameter of the five globes increases to 2.4 mm on the last polished aluminum sphere, which indicates a full 96-hour power reserve.
Turning the case another 90° instead leads to the room that houses an unusual complication for a mechanical watch, namely the thermometer. The choice to include this element, stems from the fact that it represents an instrument for domestic use. As HM 11 is the result of inspiration from the design of a home, it could not be without such an element.
To indicate temperature, this Machine uses a mechanical system consisting of a bimetallic strip that operates without using external power sources. Available with both Celsius and Fahrenheit degree displays, the HM11 thermometer measures temperatures between -20 and 60 °C (0-140 °F).
With a further 90-degree rotation of the case, we can finally access the last room where a small round engraving depicting the iconic MB&F decorative motif, in the shape of a two-pronged axe protected by a sapphire crystal, finds its place.
In addition to identifying the maison, this room provides access to the HM 11 dwelling in that, through the “pull-out” opening of the transparent module, it is possible to pull out the crown that allows the setting of hours and minutes.
In the same way that a house must be resistant to the foreign weather, HM 11 also had to be built with the same concept so that it could be a home in its own right. In fact, 19 different gaskets had to be used to ensure the integrity of the case and movement from the outside weather. The largest one is in the shape of a three-dimensionally shaped ring and is positioned between the case and the bezel.
Along with the other 18, this unusually shaped gasket is able to make the HM11 a weatherproof home thanks to a water resistance level of 2 ATM. Finally, completing the design of this wrist home we find a white rubber strap, for the model with a blue dial, and a green strap, on the other hand, for the model with a red gold dial.
Our thoughts on it
With this new Machine that no one ever expected to see, me in the first place, MB&F has once again managed to outdo itself. I find it amazing that they have turned the idea of a house into a real wristwatch, highly complicated and with a singular and fascinating design.
In the wake of this new HM 11 that literally left me speechless, I am sure that for the future we could expect much more from the brand and, more importantly, even crazier.
Price and availability
MB&F’s new HM 11 will be made in 25 pieces worldwide in the blue dial version and likewise in 25 pieces in the red gold dial version.
The list price for both versions is EUR 207,000 excluding tax.
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