2020 Green Dial Watches Part 2: Top 10 With Complications

To continue our look at green watches launched in 2020, part 2 focuses on watches with complications.

1. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

This year we have yet another variation of the extremely successful Offshore range, in black 44mm ceramic case and bezel, and powered by the in-house Calibre 3126/3840 with 59 jewels, 21,600 vph and a power reserve of 50 hours. 

2. Breitling Chronomat

The Chronomat played an important part in Breitling's history. Introduced in 1984, when the world was still reeling from the quartz crisis, it was launched as a bold mechanical watch that would become an icon of its era. The new version recalls all the classic styling cues from the 1980s and features the in-house B01 calibre, with 70 hours power reserve and COSC-certified.

3. Bvlgari Octo Roma Tourbillon Sapphire Malachite Watch

This is a stunning watch with Malachite used not just for the indices but also in the middle case. Paired to a green strap I think overall, it qualifies for the green watch theme. A classy case with a restrained skeletonisation, coupled with baguette cut diamonds set in the bezel and lugs, it’s high jewellery without being blingy, and with an in-house tourbillon to boot, it has the brains to go with the beauty. 44mm platinum case is no lightweight either. Limited to just 30 pieces. 

4. Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar Forest Green

This is a classic that we all know, but with a gorgeous green dial to be in fashion. 40mm stainless steel case with the dial retaining its original display guided by the Golden Ratio. Powered by the in-house Calibre 90-02, an automatic movement with an off-centred rotor, following the shape of the typically German 3/4 plate. 

5. Grand Seiko "Toge" Special Edition

This new model takes inspiration from the Japanese and British legacies of the two respective companies, combining classic British Racing Green with the fine texture of Grand Seiko's signature Mount Iwate dial. The term 峠 (Tōgè), or mountain pass, refers to a navigable route through a mountain range, and this special edition timepiece subtly evokes the image of a spirited drive over the many ridges of Mount Iwate in Northern Japan. Movement is the Japanese automatic Grand Seiko in-house Calibre 9S66 with a power reserve of 3 days.  

6. Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Saxem 

Ok not quite a green dial per se, but the whole damn watch is about as green as they come! SAXEM stands for Sapphire Aluminium oXide and rare Earth Mineral and is, as the names indicates, an alloy that is the mixture of aluminium oxide (the building block of synthetic sapphire) with rare earth minerals such as thulium, holmium and chromium. Powered by the legendary Zenith El Primero movement, it is limited to 100 pieces. 

7. IWC Portugieser Chronograph

This is the Classic Portugieser chrono, with in-house movement and a very much on-trend for 2020 green dial. 41mm stainless steel case, power reserve of 46 hours.

8a. H. Moser X MB&F Endeavour Cylindical Tourbillon
 
H. Moser & Cie. has borrowed from MB&F the concept of three-dimensional movements, protected by a sapphire dome and featuring a one-minute flying tourbillon that rises above the main dial through a ventricular opening appearing at 12 o'clock. H. Moser & Cie. has equipped its tourbillon with a cylindrical balance spring, invented in the 18th century, it is reminiscent of a worm- or corkscrew, rising perpendicularly around the upper rod of the balance staff. Commonly used in historical marine chronometers at the time, it offers the advantage of developing concentrically, and therefore geometrically, since it works perfectly along the axis of its pivots. This gives it a significant advantage over the flat balance spring, whose opposite ends tend to exert forces on the pivots, despite the Philips or Breguet terminal curves which were specifically developed to partially correct the non-concentric opening of the balance spring. Fitted with a Breguet overcoil at both attachment points, the cylindrical balance spring reduces pivot friction and greatly improves isochronism. Due to its specific shape, the cylindrical balance spring is far more difficult to produce and takes ten times longer to make than a traditional balance spring. Limited to 15 pieces each colour. 

8b. MB&F x H. Moser LM101 

The Legacy Machine 101 distils the very quintessence of mechanical watchmaking: the balance wheel, the power reserve and the passing of time. MB&F has chosen to remove its logo and return to its roots and the origins of horology, when only the movements were signed. The fumé dials are borrowed from H. Moser & Cie. Topped with a domed sapphire crystal, the case is made of steel, for only the third time in the history of MB&F. Limited to 15 pieces each colour.

9. Ressence Type 1 Slim X

The new Type 1 Slim X is a limited-edition piece marking its 10th anniversary. Ressence continues to change the way and the why we experience watches by introducing the first piece of their X collection. 

Visually Ressence created a dedicated symbol for the collection that is the fusion of an X, or ten in Latin, and an hourglass. It sits proudly on the hour disc of the Type 1 Slim X. Each of the four watches of the Collection X is limited to 40 pieces and shares the main dark olive-green color. 42mm case in titanium, powered by Ressence patented calibre ROCS 1 - Ressence Orbital Convex System with a  power reserve of 36 hours. 

10. Tag Heuer Carrera Heuer 02

Hey look I really like this. I don’t know why there is always this hate for Tag Heuer watches and it always seems to be universally poo-pooed by “collectors”. This latest version of the Carrera is powered by the in-house Heuer 02 movement and to me, a much classier look which straddles modernity and timelessness quite nicely. I think This will age well compared to the skeletonised versions. But YMMV. it’s a nice shade of green and with the steel bezel, it works really well. Now if they’ll just refocus their marketing strategy...

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

An interview with Max Busser

A short while ago I blogged about the arrival of MB&F 'Machines' in Sydney and a dinner with Max. Now we bring you part three of this horological trifecta, an interview with Max.

Q: In a 2006 interview on Timezone at the start of MB&F, you said that “at MB&F we create concepts”. It strikes me that this still rings true. How would you describe the ‘concept’ behind the latest collaboration with Stepan Sarpaneva (I was surprised to read a comment made by you that Stepan is not widely known even amongst watch people)?  

Every year since 2009, we at MB&F have enjoyed co-creating a piece with an artist/ designer/ jeweller that we admire. We call it ‘performance art’, and the principle is simple: by giving one of our creations to someone who has a different background and style than ours, we mix our DNAs and obtain a piece neither of us would ever have created single-handed. Stepan is the first watchmaker to have had the opportunity of modifying one of our existing pieces, and the result is wonderful. He chose our HM3 Frog and rethought it into the MoonMachine. The design, the movement and even the attitude of this piece gets therefore his very personal Finnish finish! Also, these joint ventures allow us to give our guest-creators a much wider and deserved recognition - I was for example, aghast to notice in Basel that virtually none of our retailers and very few journalists knew of Stepan’s work or actually had heard of his name.  


Q : Your other latest venture is the gorgeous Legacy Machine 1, which I have to admit is probably my favourite of your ‘machines’. Why does the name ‘Legacy Machine’ represent, how does its modern classicism fit into MB&F, and is it a way of reaching out to a broader collector base?  

LM1 started like with virtually all my creations in my childhood. I had two main fantasies then (and still have!) – firstly, to be able to fly (and you notice that in all my HM pieces) and secondly, to be able to travel through time. This last fantasy was fuelled by an American tv show called the “The Time Machine”. Late in 2007 I started wondering “what would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? What would have happened if I had been born in the era of all the great watchmaking inventions - when literally all that we know today (chronograph, perpetual calendar, tourbillon, minute repeater, etc…) was invented. 

 I believe I would have wanted to create 3D machines which give time, but of course all my childhood references (Star Wars, Grendizer, planes,…) would not have existed, so I started wondering what would have been my inspirations and realiseded that the 19th century was an era where man was obsessed with defying gravity. The era of the first skyscrapers, of the first metallic hanging bridges, of the Eiffel Tower, of man trying to fly, etc… So very naturally the flying balance wheel became the star of the movement. 

The 19th century was also a near of the great explorers so it had to be a two time zone movement, and finally the 19th century was an era where Machines were the stars - whole Universal Exhibitions were set up for each country to compete in presenting the most ambitious or efficient Machines, so the power reserve had to be not only vertical but also reminiscent of the levers and cams seen in all the Machines of that time. 

I sketched pretty quickly what was going to become the Legacy Machine No1 and had to first battle with my whole team who just initially did not understand why I would want to create such a ‘classic’ piece of horology. Once they were convinced, Serge Kriknoff (my partner in the company and head of all technical development) and I went to find first Jean-François Mojon for the engineering and then Kari Voutilainen for the 19th century design and super high end finishing. And both said ok immediately. The dream team was assembled beginning of 2008 and the project could begin!

Most people just think that the Legacy Machine is a more ‘commercial’ piece from MB&F. I actually think it is the biggest risk we have ever taken. Until now we we haven’t been talking the same language as the rest of the industry. No one could say the Thunderbolt is better or worse than for example a Patek or a Lange. But with LM1, everyone can start making comparisons, and if the Legacy Machine had been half as interesting or not as well crafted we would have seriously damaged our reputation. 

As it is, we have on the contrary finally made people understand that MB&F stands for the most amazing engineering and highest quality and finishing, because we finally speak a language they can understand. So Legacy has seriously boosted our image and helped the rest of the range’s appeal. By the way, if you look carefully at the two pieces in our line-up which are most polarised. 

The LM1 and the HM4 Thunderbolt, you will notice that they are clearly from the same creators: two dials two crowns, one central balance wheel, time and power reserve, same finish on the case,… And suddenly you will recognise that both are style exercises based on the same concept!  

Q: Given how distinctive each of the Horological Machines are, do you and the MB&F ‘Friends’ feel pressure to come up with something more even more ‘out there’ each time?  

Creating and experimenting are the fundamental reasons for MB&F’s existence. They are my sole way of expressing myself, and thus there is of course no pressure to create. In fact it’s the opposite: the pressure is on how to find the time, energy and money to make each of our ideas come to life… We have at this moment seven Machines in the pipeline, at all different stages of their development. 


Q: With the watch industry seemingly increasingly driven by trends and fashion, do you think that it’s hard for independent watchmakers to remain committed to their individual visions? 

I don’t believe there is any problem for independents to stay true to their creative vision and beliefs – quite the contrary. But it is increasingly difficult for them to find retail partners willing to take the risks to present a product which needs education and passion – and is not presold thanks to big marketing budgets.  


Q: How many people work at MB&F? How many are watchmakers?  

Thirteen, of whom four are watchmakers and two take care of our Geneva M.A.D. Gallery. In terms of the amazing number of creations we manage to create, develop and craft, this is a very small team. Being small is not only one of the main reasons we can achieve this, but also a way of being. I do not wish my company to grow any larger.  


Q: In the world of independent watchmakers, there are probably a core group of enthusiasts/ collectors who are customers across the brands. I read that over 50% of your customers own two of your pieces. Loyal (repeat) customers seem to be very important…  

I suppose that we create extremely polarising products, sometimes I feel like saying anti-commercial. So, if you actually understand and like what we do, you will probably find a strong connection with us, which gives this amazing statistic. Interestingly, about 10 to 20 percent of our clients are women, with some owning up to 5 or 6 of our pieces, which defeats this common perception than only men buy our pieces. 


Q: For smaller ‘independents’, you often have to do your own PR. How much travelling do you do, and how important do you think word of mouth, especially online, is to success?  

Virtually no independent has any communication budget, and even if they did, you would not see the results as it would be impossible to cover more than one country with the small amount allocated. It could be debated that without Internet most of us would not exist, but I strongly believe so. Some of us are content to craft ten or twenty pieces a year and rely on word of mouth and Internet to relay their talent and find new customers. Others, like MB&F need to craft approximately 150 to 200 pieces a year so as to find the humongous financial investments needed to develop one new movement a year. And as MB&F pieces are so different from others, I do not have the choice: I need to travel extensively around the world to explain why and how we do what we do. In a good year, I spend about half of it travelling.  

Q: How difficult do you think it is for independents to get new customers and wider ‘brand awareness’? Especially for ‘machines’ such as yours which are probably difficult for the average person to wear or understand?  

I see for example that virtually no one in this industry knows of Stepan Sarpaneva and of his talent, and that he barely sells and crafts 15 to 20 pieces a year. That tells you how difficult it is for independents to find a voice and to build on their awareness. Some of them are too shy to showcase their pieces, others just don’t have the resources, time or money to travel. Being an independent watch creator and entrepreneur (and here I speak mostly of those who have funded their own company) is very difficult. That is why I tell everyone who wants to set up their own company that it better be a lifelong dream, because in regard of the super tough times ahead of them the only thing which will keep them from going insane or depressed is that their creative passion is fulfilled.  


Q: This will be your second retailer in Australia, and the first on this coast. Prior to this trip, did you get many enquiries from Australia?  

I must admit that no. I was very amazed when last year Swiss Time Machine came to see us at Baselworld and again when The Hour Glass Sydney followed up this year. But now that I have spent 5 days in Australia for the first time of my life, it is not that much surprising. The small community of watch lovers is incredibly vibrant, educated and wonderfully supportive. 


Q : I read that you are making about a dozen pieces a month, of which a bit over half go to South East Asia/ Singapore/ Thailand and Hong Kong, with 25% the U.S. and the rest Europe. We regularly hear about the importance of the Chinese market in terms of the Swiss watch industry. Do you have any plans for China? 

China is an incredibly important market but virtually impossible to enter for Independents, because there are virtually no high-end multi-brand retailers. The big brands open up their own stores, which give the luxury and power image necessary to sell the volumes they are looking for. I heard the other day that a brand like IWC has over 50 stand-alone boutiques in China! The investment required to open a brand boutique are way over what any independent can manage. We are extremely lucky that one of our very faithful customers (and owner of virtually each of our pieces) has offered us to help us set up the first MB&F boutique in China, which should open in Beijing in October/ November this year. I really hope that this new adventure and risk will be successful and maybe even give us a blueprint to duplicate elsewhere.  


Q: Why do you think it is that you’ve been able to do so well in Asia? 

(At this point Max turned the tables on me, asking me why I thought this might be the case. I had to confess that I didn’t know)  

I have the impression that it’s a lot to do with an appreciation of entrepreneurial spirit, risk taking, cultures which support and admire people who follow their way. Also, Europe tends to look always backwards, to the times when this continent ruled the world, hence a very conservative attitude today to risk taking and creativity, while Asia looks forward and realises that it has developed so fast because it has embraced innovation and new ideas. Finally, Asia has never ceased celebrating artisanship, whilst Europe and America shied away from that to embrace industrialisation as their only mantra over the last century.


Q: There was an online competition to win your personal 1974 Omega Speedmaster Mark 4.5, and you are the new owner of a Spirit Pioneer from your friend Peter Speake-Marin. Dare I ask – when not wearing your own watches, what types of watches do you wear? 

I have tried to own one of each classic: a ’67 Speedmaster, a ’68 GMT Master, a steel Reverso, a steel automatic Royal Oak, which are my every day pieces. And then I am lucky to own a few pieces from watchmakers whose talent and personality I admire such as Peter Speake-Marin’s Spirit Pioneer or Felix Baumgartner’s Urwerk UR-103. And I hope soon Kari’s direct escapement. If I had the means I would only buy pieces from independent creators I admire, because you actually touch a part of their soul in their creation. Brands have more or less lost their soul for me…  


Q: You have said in the past that MB&F is just the beginning, part of a journey of self-discovery. MB&F is no longer just about ‘time machines’; your M.A.D. (Mechanical Art Devices) Gallery is about sharing some of your favourite examples of mechanical creativity. Do you see yourself becoming a patron of unknown or up and coming designers?

 At MB&F we usually feel like aliens in a world of watchmaking normality, and realised that out there were many aliens like us but in their own worlds defying practicality and common sense. Artists, creators, designers who painstakingly created and crafted their own incredible ‘machines’ which were often overlooked or misunderstood by their environment. At the M.A.D. Gallery we are bringing together all these ‘orphans’ to create one jolly family! For example, by explaining the story of how German ‘Machine Light’ creator Frank Buchwald started crafting by hand from scratch less than ten pieces a year of his incredible Machines, we are in fact in one way talking about us. And by introducing to our MB&F fans these amazing creators/creations we are helping them build an awareness they usually did not have. It is therefore not only very rewarding to help virtually unknown creators gain some recognition it also helps us explain better why and what we do.  


Q: Given the time required from gestation to production for each watch, I’m guessing that HM5 is nailed down already? And when does HM6 start?

 The HM5 will be unveiled in October this year (and should see first deliveries by end of the year) , the LM2 which is already in prototype, will be unveiled next October and the movement of HM6 is already completely engineered even though only to be released in two and a half years... Any new MB&F creation takes between 3 and 4 years to take from design to delivery.


 Q: Do you think MB&F will ever run out of ‘F(riends)’ to collaborate with?  

No, first of all as there is no barrier to working with the same people over and over again and second because with our awareness and reputation of trustworthiness growing, more and more artisans and engineers approach us to collaborate. 

I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Max for his generosity in giving up his time (and being patient with my 'technical hitches') and to The Hour Glass Sydney for making this interview possible.

[On a final personal note, I'd like to thank all of you for your support of the Sydney Tarts blog over the past few years. The blog will be entering a new phase after this post. I (aptronym) have launched my own watch blog called Horologium, and am stepping back from being this blog's editor/ chief contributor. There are some new posts in the works from onomatopia, so keep your eyes on this space.]

Moonmachines at Cara & Co

 

You may have already read my post about my afternoon of MB&F Machine Madness. Well this is the second part of my MB&F Marathon Friday, otherwise known as 'Max Büsser eats half of Australia’s coat of arms'.

But more about that later.

I, along with half a dozen others, had been fortunate to have been invited by Purist friend Sidneyc to join Max for a private dinner held at Cara&Co, a restaurant situated at the back of a boutique which sells everything from clothing and accessories to books and cameras.

We were in the middle of Sydney in a Russian owned restaurant eating from a menu devised by a Belgium based chef to meet a Swiss who had just collaborated with a Finn on a watch.

Having not seen the latest MB&F collaboration with the wonderful Stepan Sarpaneva when I met Max a few hours ealier, I was looking forward to seeing whether my initial uncertain response to the Moonmachine in photographs would be maintained. My problem is that I am a Sarpaneva purist of a number of years standing, and I adore his moon in its natural habitat.Would I like it in a HM3 Frog?

But I digress. First up, the food.

An amuse bouche to start : goats cheese (very mild) and mandarin lollipop

Plus some warm fresh bread rolls (which were constantly replenished) with some salted butter. Quite addictive bread and butter.

Max’s entrée of choice was ‘chicken oyster’.

Chicken Oyster - Chimay beer, potato, hazelnut, foie gras, coffee

What is ‘chicken oyster’?

They are the hidden-away sections of meat tucked under the chicken’s backbone. In this case, served in an oxtail jus with Chimay beer, topped with potato foam and, oddly, macadamia nuts with gold leaf.

My entrée was beef tartare, which was served with a 20 degree quail egg and a rather unexpected addition of some Avruga caviar. An unconventional tartare, but I really liked the saltiness of the caviar with the beef, and if beef tartare purists are aghast I’m sorry, but I really enjoyed this iteration.

Veal cheeks - Mustard, aioli, egg yolk, lettuce

For mains, Max had his first taste of national emblem, which I also ordered.

The kangaroo came two ways, including a cube of tartare with a parmesan marshmallow atop, black lentils, and artichoke cooked three ways - puree, baked and crisp. The meat looks rare but it wasn’t; and it was tender, yielding easily to my knife. I’d feared having a red meat overload, but this didn’t turn out to be the case.

Other mains were :

Rock Flathead with quinoa, cauliflower, silvered peanuts, peanut foam and gerkin juice

Australian wagyu rump with eggplant, miso, anchovy, baby carrot

Yellowfin tuna with tomato, cinnamon, white beans, watermelon

Accompanying side dishes were some random watches, including these :

Finally, time for some Moonmachines. The reconfigured HM3 Frog now comes with Sarpaneva’s poignant moonphase seen through a Korona shaped opening, with the winding rotor actually a blued 22k gold disc with a laser-pierced northern constellation.

They are available in three limited editions of 18 pieces each: titanium case with white gold moon faces in a light blue sky, black titanium case with white gold moon faces in a dark blue sky and red gold case with red gold moon faces in an anthracite sky.

What did we think? That they were quite different in the metal. Far more appealing. Even someone who has held the thought that Stepan Sarpaneva’s moon is “too depressing” found himself drawn to the titanium version. 

Below is the titanium on my wrist. For a size comparison, see my previous post with my wristshots with other MB&F Machines.

During the evening we learnt not just about the Moonmachines, his friendship with Stepan, thoughts about the watch industry and his career trajectory, but also about his childhood, his family, his passion for car racing (we should take him out to a racetrack on his next visit), and even his foray into learning to play a guitar.

I know that I sound like an old record (and I realise that I am dating myself by even saying that) when I say that meeting independent watchmakers is an honour, but it is. They are the best people to communicate about their own watches, and it really is only by hearing them in such a small intimate setting that you properly understand what they are about, and why people are so drawn not just to the watch, but also to the watchmaker.

 Max finally gets to try Vegemite (photo credit : RJW)

Many thanks to sidneyc for his kind invitation to this wonderful evening.

In closing, two final photos for the road.

During the week prior to the Sydney dinner, the following happened to Gaz :

"So I get a call from a fellow Hong Kong watch collector. "Are you in Hong Kong and are you wearing your Sarpaneva? You have to come to dinner tonight with your Sarpaneva". So off I go to dinner with my Sarpaneva...

 ... only to find that I was hanging out with Max. Stepan was there in spirit and well represented by his merry men on the moon. Gaz"

[AP]

MB&F Machine Madness

One of the really special parts of the watch world are the independent brands. Although they may not be as widely known in Australia as they should be, they have definitely had a profile here, largely through the active online presence of many Australian watch enthusiasts, some of whom also own 'Indies'.

One of the most well independents is Max Busser’s M&F. It is difficult to open a watch magazine or go to a watch related blog or website without reading about a Horological or Legacy Machine. This is a brand with some serious fans. I had never had an opportunity to see them 'in the metal', so it was with great pleasure and excitement that I accepted an invitation from The Hour Glass in Sydney, who have just become MB&F's newest authorised dealer, to spend some time with Max Busser and his watches.

I shall write more about meeting Max later; this first post is to give you a glimpse of six MB&F watches, and to share my thoughts about seeing them for the first time. With such unconventional designs, an important question will always be about wearability, so this will be my main focus.

These are the MB&F Machines with which I spent an interesting and glorious late afternoon interlude. The technical specifications of them can be found at MB&F’s website here :

Firstly, we have a family photo.

How much MB&F fun can one person have?

HM01 in White Gold and Ruthenium

Dimensions: length 41mm, width 64mm, height 14mm

With 376 parts, 7-day power reserve and an elevated central tourbillon, the Machine that started it all, the HM1, is a big watch. Max said to me that he designs all his watches for his wrist, they are intended to be worn. I am not sure how my wrist compares to the average female wrist, even with the glove on, but I don’t have a petite wrist, not a particularly large one. 

It sits large but reasonably comfortably and not too highly, which is good, but it’s probably designed to be worn a bit higher up the wrist area than I have it in this photo. It’s fun, and probably the most conservative, in retrospect, of all of MB&F’s creations to date.

HM02 in Black Ceramic and Red Gold – Ltd edition of 33

Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 59mm x 38mm x 13mm

There are 450 parts in this Machine, with instantaneous jumping hour, concentric retrograde minutes, retrograde date, bi-hemisphere moonphase.

This is, I believe, is the final one of these available for sale at any AD, so if you want to take a look at it, get in quick. Differently proportioned to the HM1, it is more sleek, more steampunk, but still long in terms of wrist real estate. It's very striking contrast of colour and texture, and I am particularly taken with the ‘matte-ness’ of ceramic component. 

HM03 Sidewinder in White Gold and Titanium

Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 47mm x 50mm x 16mm

This is one half of a famous duo. The 'Sidewinder' has the cones lined perpendicular to the arm, and 'Starcruiser' has the cones in line with the arm. With hour and day/ night indicator on one cone, minutes on the second cone and date around the movement, this Machine is all about being able to see inside it. When it came out, everyone seemed to be debating whether they preferred the Sidewinder or Starcruiser, but I’d just been thinking about how big they looked.

As it turns out yes they are large, but they actually not only sit pretty comfortably, including on a woman’s wrist (see photo), but they do not look as large as you’d think. I was much more taken with this than I had anticipated I would be. It had quite a different impact on me ‘in the metal’, the whimsy shone through in a way that is not possible when you’re just looking at photos.

(thank you to my wrist model, whose wrist is a bit smaller than mine).

HM04 Thunderbolt in Titanium

Dimensions: 54mm wide x 52mm long x 24mm high

With 311 parts, this aviation-inspired Horological Machine features hours and minutes (right dial) and a power reserve indicator (left dial) with separate crowns for time setting and winding. 

When seen in real life, the impact (not to mention the watch) is definitely high, and it was only in being able to see it that the talk about it having its genesis in Max Büsser's childhood passion for model plane kits made sense. This is a watch you want to take off and play around with.

It’s a very visceral watch, the HM4, and sweetly plane-nerdy. 

It’s great fun to play with, but of all the MB&F Machines I saw, this was the only one that was difficult for me personally to contemplate, though I’ve seen a photo of it on a friend’s (male) wrist and it looked fine. It carries a bit more heft and sits a lot higher than I had expected that it would, but it also seemed to be heavier than the others. 

Legacy Machine no 1 – red gold and white gold

Ah my domed beauties …. I never thought I’d have the pleasure of your company.

"What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but there are no Grendizers, Star Wars or fighter jets for my inspiration. But I do have pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower and Jules Verne, so what might my 1911 machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional: Legacy Machine N°1 was my answer."  Maximilian Büsser

Appearing to be the most ‘conservative’ of MB&F’s machine creations, it is in fact not conservative at all, with a wonderful marriage of splendid classicism with a edge of an almost industrial modernity.

At a comfortably (and almost small) 44mm with a unique vertical power reserve of 45 hours, it features completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials. The left crown at 8 o'clock is for setting the time on the left dial, the right crown at 4 o'clock is for setting time of right dial and for winding.

Available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold, my heart belongs to the white gold version. The red gold version bears the warmth associated with that metal, but the clean sharp sleekness of the white gold seems more modern.

Oh and I’m clearly not alone in being enamoured of the LM1 – there is a worldwide waiting list already …

Many thanks to Ching and The Hour Glass for the opportunity to see these watches. As well as being a lot of fun, it made me realise that Max was right when he said that he designed them to be wearable – they actually are. 

Oh and just in case you're wondering about the sizing issue, some 20 odd percent of MB&F owners are women.

[AP]