Hands on with the MB&F HM6 Space Pirate

I don't often let my jaw drop. Bad for the bone structure you see. But that one faithful Monday morning, courtesy of The Hour Glass Sydney, I carelessly let mine drop. Twice. The first was upon seeing the MB&F HM6 in the flesh. The second was when I heard the price.

After I picked up my jaw and clicked it back in place, (come to think of it, I probably didn't put my jaw back properly after the first drop, hence the ease with which it dropped a second time...) I gathered my wits about me and admired the creation as the MB&F Head of Communications, Charris Yadigaroglou, sang its virtues. To be honest I was only half paying attention. I was too mesmerised and captivated by the HM6. (Apologies to Charris) The moment I put it on my wrist I knew I wanted one. It was as if the HM6 was made for me. The tourbillon which resides top and centre was the eye, with the titanium shutters its hi-tech eyelids, met my stare and urged me on. "Buy me buy me" it conveyed subconsciously and telepathically to me.

I shook it off and returned to reality. Just the fact that it EXISTS is astounding. I won't go into the details but a few things certainly stood out for me. The turbines being connected to the rotor, at 90 degree angles. The shutters. By playing with it you know it wasn't easy making it work as smoothly as it does. The shape of the case. THAT could not have been easy to do. The shape of the sapphire crystals (count them- 10 of them!) Nothing in this watch is off the shelf. And it's so wearable.

Of course, the HM6 is not designed to appeal to everyone, nor do they want to. If everyone loved it, then to MB&F, it's a failure. And for a 50-piece run, they don't need too many people liking it. This keeps the circle small, and enables the brand to have a more personal contact with each owner. And like Panerai, it seems MB&F owners cannot seem to stop at just one. But unlike Panerai, each machine looks so completely different, whilst retaining somehow, a sense of familiarity. And calling them "machines"? I think that's underselling them a little. Especially the HM6, whose organic form is almost alive. (You cannot tell me the HM3 Frog isn't alive!) Plus I swear it was communicating with me. Something about selling the house. And a kidney.

What's also impressive are the lists of "friends" that corroborated on each project. You feel as though you're part of the family. You can put a name and a face to each part of the project. You know who did what. Just like those Mercedes AMG cars where the person responsible "signs" the engine they built. It's not done by some machine deep inside a factory somewhere inaccessible, like a Bond villain secret base. Each piece has the warmth and sincerity that is missing from today's mass-produced and mass-marketed production line commodity.

As we all know, this sort of craftsmanship, rarity, research and development and skill set all comes at a price. Price might be stupidly astronomical for something that could barely tell the time, and has no diamonds/precious metals but if you're looking at it as something to tell you the time, then I suggest you're looking at it all wrong. It's a collectable piece of art masquerading as a timepiece. And with this in mind, the odd quarter of a million dollars doesn't seem so bad.

Like art and wine, this is an investment. Even if I sold my home (something the wife might frown upon) and gave the bank its share, I'll still be nowhere close to having the funds to afford my favourite MB&Fs (HM4,5,6 and all the Legacy Machines), so here's what I propose. I'm looking for 50 people to buy shares in the MB&F Ownership Investment Trust Fund. $5000 buy in and this gets you a share of days to wear the HM6, (A second investment fund will be set up for other models) and the possibility to borrow against the equity for other lesser investments such as a property.* Leave your name and bank details below. I'll be in touch.


*details to be worked out later.

This is the eye, urging me to buy buy buy

SalonQP 2011 – a #watchnerd round-up for Down Under

Our horological friend #watchnerd kindly agreed to share some of his thoughts about SalonQP 2011 for Australian readers.

Apologies for the delay in writing this for you – your hosts asked me shortly after SalonQP ended, but I’ve only just got round to putting fingers to keyboard.

I’ve no doubt you’ve already seen some coverage of this event online, on Twitter or even in the press. In my opinion, it was phenomenally successful, capturing the spirit of QP in an environment (the Saatchi Gallery in London’s Chelsea) that seemed to breathe life into everything on display.

The list of exhibitors really was quite extraordinary – there were many brands that had never before displayed in the UK, and it included everything from the hand-made (Dr George Daniels’ final pieces) to the ultimate in haute-horology, MB&F and De Bethune. All in all, it was a very, very good weekend. Apologies for the brief canter through the halls, but here are five of my highlights:

First up, a brand that has been getting a lot of press recently, following its Aiguille d'or at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève: the De Bethune DB28.

This space age, Star Trek-like piece seemed to capture the imagination of many visitors who were enamoured as much by its look as for the opportunity to closely admire the perfectly formed platinum and blued-steel moon phase rotating on its own axis below the dial.

Secondly, a new name: Heritage Watch Manufactory. Exploring the many patented devices that watchmaker Karsten Frässdorff has developed as part of the TENSUS and MAGNUS watch movements, while handling the beautifully designed Eric Giroud case, was pretty much as good as it gets in terms of watch-geekery. Whether it was the discussing the SEQUAX escapement or the VIVAX movement, I was pretty much out of my depth from the start, but found myself swimming in that huge balance, admiring the perfect weight of the movement. At one point, I think I forgot to breathe for about a minute…

Thirdly, the incredible Legacy Machine No1 from MB&F. For me, this is pure steampunk. I know it’s an overused word, but surely, if there’s any watch that deserves the moniker, it’s this one. Max Busser asked his friends a question: what watch would they be making if they’d been born 150 years ago, but had the knowledge and technology available to them today. The answer is the LM1, a truly astounding piece that elevates (quite literally) the balance wheel to the pinnacle of horology. Spinning away, it hovers like some tiny little UFO above the dial. A vertical clutch shows the power reserve, while the whole face of the watch is encased in a highly exaggerated domed sapphire crystal that reminds me of the glass cases in which specimens are sometimes displayed. Truly unique. Truly lovely.

 

Fourthly, the never-before-shown Spirit Pioneer from Peter Speake-Marin. The Pioneer is, perhaps, best described as an entry-level PSM. Built around the last of Peter’s FW2012 movements, the watch is quite different to any other model I’ve seen previously. On the wrist, it looks far more masculine than I expected – and the military influence comes through very strongly, whether it’s in the massive roman numerals, or the oversized, highly lumed hour markers. Of course, the fit and finish is superb as always, with the topping-tool-inspired rotor clearly visible through the display back. Hurry – I hear they’re nearly all gone.

Finally, and my favourite piece on display, the Ressence Series One, Type 1002. I first saw this model reported last year, and absolutely loved the concept. I therefore emailed the creator of the Ressence – Benoît Mintiens – before QP to secure some time talking to him. The concept is relatively simple: a watch without traditional hands, that prioritises the language of time. The hour “hand” (in fact a rotating dial) is top-left in the photo, subservient to the large minute indicator, with a small, sub-seconds dial turning constantly below it. 

The whole face of the watch revolves within the subtly curved sapphire, creating an illusion of orbiting moons, or planets. I found it fascinating, and not that difficult to read at all. Powered by an ETA2824, the dials are mounted on geared wheels and ceramic bearings to allow for smooth passage around the module. There’s been mention previously that this watch is “only” an ETA, but, like PSM, this merely provides power to the watch. Personally, I loved the 1002 model, with its anodised titanium dials. The lugs have been slightly modified from the original prototype and now grip the wrist in a far more welcoming manner. The softly curved, convex sapphire back is also remarkably sensual to wear and touch. It’s probably not for everyone, but it’s certainly for me.