Balthazar’s mission: to locate the source of a distress signal, uncover the events leading to the signal, and learn the fate of Melchior. Here we present an imagined account of Balthazar and Melchior, MB&F’s robot clocks outfitted with real personality.
I saw this “hand” with disconcertingly realistic fingers impatiently tapping at the MB&F M.A.D.Gallery in Geneva. Entitled “Fingers Mk III by Nik Ramage for Laikingland,” it is actually a piece of playful mechanical art. But what else might you use a handy device like this for? Leave your suggestions in the comments.
I recently visited the MB&F M.A.D.Gallery in Dubai, a destination I had been itching to visit for years: those skylines, that mix of culture and art, the glorious weather! I wasn’t disappointed on any front. What a place. And the did not disappoint, either. Follow me in for a visit!
When I asked Alain Silberstein about his watches for MB&F, the French designer grinned beneath his ever-present mustache and replied, “This one is definitely more my style.” There are many more elements ensuring that this version of LM1 is one that will never be forgotten thanks to the extraordinary creative collaboration between Silberstein and MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser.
These two duelists are both called Sherman and they are actually extremely high-quality 8-day clocks by MB&F and l’Epée 1839, Switzerland’s only specialised high-end clock manufacture.
But what I’d like to know this week is: what on earth are they fighting over?
Are they even fighting each other at all?
Transparency fascinates, especially when it’s used in design. And what better way is there to reveal the inner workings of something than to remove the covers and reveal its very soul? At Baselworld 2016, we found five examples of the ultimate in transparency by brands as diverse as 4N, Rebellion, Hublot, MB&F, and Bell & Ross.
Post-SIHH reports indicate that the inclusion of the so-called indies was a big success for both visitors and the small brands alike, but also that there was a little grumbling from some of the large established SIHH brands generated by the fact that visitors to the fair remarked − with justification − that there were more interesting watches in the Carré des Horlogers than in the rest of the SIHH altogether. What can the industry learn from their inclusion in 2016’s first fair?
It’s already been six consecutive years that I’ve had the delightful experience of going through SIHH week with several of my closest friends. Our closing discussions centered around four questions, which were focused more tightly on SIHH itself this year due to the inclusion of nine independent watchmakers: what watch did you think was best of show at SIHH? What was the worst watch of the show? What watch displayed at the show would you buy if money were no object? What watch did you see on display that would you buy with your own money?
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the MB&F HM6, but, it does have a serious design issue: except for that flying tourbillon, the incredible movement is hidden under a protective titanium case. And what a pity: it’s as if only half of the watch was available to be appreciated. The case shape reflects the movement architecture, but the movement architecture is concealed by the case . . . or it was until HM6 SV came along!
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has read my pieces in the past that I like a good jump hour mechanism. Actually, I love a good jump hour mechanism. There is just something about that instantaneous change driven entirely by mechanical means that fascinates me. And yet not all “digital” watches require the use of jump hours and minutes; some don’t even use a jump at all yet still read digitally. So today I want to break down a list of my seven (plus change) favorite “digital” watches.