MB&F surprises so often and so regularly that much of the awe of surprise is diminished: it isn’t a surprise when you are expecting to be surprised.

But after more than 20 years of ‘expect the unexpected’, the new MB&F SP One took my breath away. It’s absolutely perfect – as it should be for the price – and will fit nearly any wrist – male or female – and suit nearly every occasion excepting serious sports.

At just 38 mm in diameter and 12 mm high, SP One is both MB&F’s smallest watch and their simplest watch: hours and minutes, that’s it.

While only displaying hours and minutes, the MB&F SP One features conical gearing and copious hand finished anglage.

It looks like the whole movement is on show dial side, but it’s not. The SP One is a masterclass in both making the complicated look simple by concealing many of the movement components and highlighting the movement’s complexity by showcasing the most visually and mechanically interesting components and mechanisms.

Max Büsser describes the case shape as a pebble.  For me the perfect pebble is a flattish, nicely-rounded river stone that you feel like slipping into your pocket, but it’s the ideal shape to skip across the water. While I would not try skipping the SP One (not if was mine anyway), it looks like it would so job done.

I predict that the MB&F SP One will take home at least one prize at the GPHG this year.

The only downside, the price: at 58,000 Swiss francs in red gold and 63,000 Swiss francs (excluding taxes and shipping) in platinum, while the SP One is likely to have many fans, only a fortunate few will be able to afford one. But that’s the same for any high end watch, and certainly any MB&F.

From the press release:

The MB&F SP One, initially dubbed “Three Circles”, showcases a trinity of floating elements – the barrel, balance wheel, and dial – defying gravity on your wrist.

These components appear to hover mysteriously at the centre of an amphitheatre, all visible through invisible sapphire domes, with the balance wheel performing a mid-air dance and the tilted dial highlighting MB&F’s clever conical gearing.

The SP One is a mechanical marvel that turns your wrist into a stage for a captivating, gravity-defying performance.

Encased in a 38mm pebble-like shell, the SP One melds a smooth, tactile feel with a bezel-free design and delicately detached lugs. As MB&F’s slimmest and smallest watch, it nonetheless remains true to the brand’s signature three-dimensional architecture and boundary-pushing spirit.

Somewhere between MB&F’s radical Horological Machines and more classic Legacy Machines, the SP One inaugurates a new, undefinable “Special Projects” collection.

To truly grasp the amphitheatre-like drama and unconventional flair of this project, let’s dig into its origin story.

Plunging the hand in the basket

When COVID hit, like many others MB&F thought it was the end. In this tumultuous time, the team decided it was important to dive into a basket of fun, dormant projects that had been on the back burner for years. The M.A.D.1 was one example of these whimsical ventures: initially planned to be a playful experiment to thank friends and family, it turned out to be the runaway success we know today.

The following years were tinged with more success, marked by new releases, a collection of prestigious GPHG awards… Times were great.

But as MB&F owner and creative director Maximilian Büsser says, success can be toxic – leading to complacency, treating clients poorly, and stifling innovation. Instead of succumbing to these pitfalls, the team ramped up their creativity and plunged their hands deeper in the basket of dormant projects.

This surprising turn of events underscored a timeless truth for the brand: the unexpected can indeed work wonders. It was a bold reminder that the best business plans are the ones you never planned at all. This embodies the spirit of MB&F, which according to any management book, epitomizes doing everything wrong. No business plan, just a will to create the unexpected, going against the grain and revelling in the unconventional.

The basket brimming with special projects sketched over the years, seemingly senseless at the time, was full of wild ideas, flashes of intuition, and even sketches of skateboards and razors. It was a treasure trove of creativity. Max reached into the basket and picked out one project that best embodied the spirit of these special ventures.

This project, simply code-named Special Project One (SP One), was the chosen one.

Nothing classic about a classic

“We asked ourselves: what if we did what no one expected – an elegant, classical watch?” remembers Max. This was a risky move, much like the brand’s first Legacy Machine, or the M.A.D.1, or many other MB&F projects: zero market expectations, 100% risks.

“As creators, pride drives us. Pride doesn’t come from the easy path but from risking it all and potentially facing a huge setback”. The first sketch of the SP One, dating back to 2018, proves this ethos. Like all MB&F projects, it started with a sketch – quickly or “badly” drawn, as Max likes to say – but the essence of the design and specificity of the project were already there.

Three circles resembling a smiley face hinted at the playful yet intricate journey ahead. The concept stemmed from this idea of a trinity: the barrel, the balance wheel, and the dial suspended in the case itself levitating on the wrist.

Yet, these early sketches were all about crafting a watch that whispered sophistication instead of shouting for attention. It needed to be subtly elegant, with a classic flair that set it apart from the usual MB&F boldness while keeping the brand’s roots alive. In other words, a hard-to-reach equilibrium.

This initial sketch was then refined and reworked with the help of famous watch designer and longtime MB&F Friend Eric Giroud. After numerous iterations, the concept seemed just right: it was then time for the engineers to take over, sketching and mapping the entire project with precision, care and plenty of head-scratching.

Levitating in a circle

Initially code-named “Three Circles,” the SP One movement is crafted around the three key elements of any mechanical watch: the barrel, the balance wheel, and the dial. Each component isn’t just there for show; they’re meant to feel like they’re floating in mid-air.

Thanks to the sapphire glass on both the front and back, these elements appear to defy gravity. However, it’s the thoughtful architecture of the movement that truly enhances this captivating levitation effect, creating a striking visual experience. Embracing the “less is more” mantra, the bridges are almost like magic, practically invisible.

Most components are cleverly hidden beneath the three key elements, letting their beauty take centre stage. The fewer bridges, screws, and wheels, the better! In fact, trying to spot a screw from the front is like searching for a needle in a haystack, amplifying that stunning levitating effect.

Visually, the three elements have identical circumferences, adding complexity to the movement’s design. The single-barrel architecture is elegantly suspended, enhancing the levitation effect and presenting a genuine challenge for the movement designers. The balance wheel oscillates at 2 o’clock and captivates the wearer eyes like a flying saucer.

In Max’s imaginative world, everything seems to float, and the dial perfectly follows suit! Tilted just right to highlight MB&F’s expertise in conical gearing, this feature is a tricky feat to pull off while keeping it reliable. Rarely seen in watchmaking, it adds a wonderfully subtle three-dimensional flair that’s as intriguing as discreet.

This technically complex to achieve architecture reveals a simple and unique structure that makes understanding how a mechanical watch functions surprisingly straightforward.

Surrounding this movement is what Max playfully dubs the “amphitheatre”: a beautifully bevelled flange that channels the grandeur of Greco-Roman theatres, spotlighting the stunning intricacies of the movement like a gladiator in the arena.

Flip the SP One over, and you’ll uncover the other side of its arena, showcasing the meticulous hand finishing and overall attention to detail typical of MB&F – one of the rare watchmakers today perpetuating traditional hand finishing and artisanal craftsmanship.

The MB&F touch is unmistakably present in the SP One. Beyond the desire to surprise and take risks, it’s the meticulous attention to the movement that reveals the family ties. The complexity lies in maintaining finesse and elegance while preserving classic codes.

All wheels are hand-angled, with prominent chatons, and the finish balance is subtle between satin, polished, and micro-blasted surfaces.

A satisfying pebble

Beyond the unconventional construction of the movement and traditional hand-finishing, the pebble case design further sets the SP One apart.

Despite being thin, this watch paradoxically boasts a three-dimensional presence. Imagine holding a perfectly-smooth pebble, polished by years in a riverbed: that’s the feel of the SP One. Its 38mm case, sleek like a spaceship and bezel-free, features sapphire glass that seamlessly blends front and back with the case.

This design gives the watch a captivating floating effect also emphasized by its cleverly crafted lugs. A closer look reveals that they’re not directly attached to the upper case; instead, they rise elegantly from the lower case, creating a subtle yet distinct gap between each hand-polished lug and the upper section.

Overall, the SP One is as smooth to the touch as it looks, inviting you to run your fingers over its curves. It’s like a tiny UFO landed on your wrist, blending unconventional design with an organic, tactile sensation.

While the SP One is MB&F’s thinnest watch, it’s not about competing for the title of the slimmest watch in the world. Instead, it embodies a harmonious balance in design and proportions, prioritizing elegance and artistry over mere thinness to achieve true equilibrium.

The term “equilibrium” perfectly captures the essence of this Special Project. It breaks conventions while staying true to the brand’s core identity and traditional craftsmanship, all while exploring new avenues.

In essence, a classical MB&F that has nothing classical about it.

For more information, please visit www.mbandf.com/machines/mbf-machines/special-projects/sp-one

Quick facts: MB&F SP ONE 

SP One launches in two editions: platinum with a sky-blue bevelled flange and rose gold with an anthracite bevelled flange.

EngineSP One movement developed in-house by MB&F, featuring signature balance wheel and inclined time dial.
Manual winding mainspring barrel
72 hours power reserve
Superlative hand finishing; internal bevel angles highlighting handcraft; polished bevels; hand-made engravings, anthracite bridges (ruthenium finish).
Black DLC inclined dial
Balance frequency: 2.5Hz (18,000 vph)
Number of components: 191
Number of jewels: 31

Functions
Hours and minutes on inclined dial at 6 o’clock

Case
Material: platinum 950 or 18K rose gold
Dimensions: diameter 38mm x height 12mm
Lug-to-lug: 41.9mm
Number of components: 19
Water resistance: 30m / 3ATM / 100 feet
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating

Strap & buckle
Calfskin strap with white gold or rose gold pin buckle
Lug width: 18mm

Price: Rose Gold CHF 58,000 + VAT (USD 76,000 / EUR 64,000 + tax) and Platinum 950 CHF 63,000 + VAT (USD 82,000 / EUR 69,000 + tax) 

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