Outta this world…

The new MB&F Horlogical Machine No. 4 aka Thunderbolt is totally out of this world.  Made of a sapphire and titanium case that measures 54mm wide x 52mm long x 24mm high.  I absolutely love the profile view of the machine and how it mounts to the strap.  Price is $158,000 and total production will be 25-35 pieces per year.  I’ll let Maximillian Busser (he’s the “MB” in “MB&F”) himself describe the rest of the watch and its inspiration for you — read on for details and pics.

Watch the MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt Video:

MB&F Horological Machine No4 is here! For the last three years I could not talk about this amazing piece of machinery, and it is truly a great day that I can finally share with all!

After the 311 part Engine which was unveiled in March during Basel, here is probably the most complex case in the history of horology to protect and magnify it.

Titanium and Sapphire – 150 hours of machining and polishing just for the central Sapphire case (that is close to four weeks of machining for one piece !), over 60 hours of machining and finishing for the titanium case back, etc, etc… In our twenty years of horology, this is the greatest challenge Serge Kriknoff and I have been up to.

The MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt as worn by Maximillian Busser himself:

So what is the Thunderbolt ? A tribute to Aviation…

Why ? Because from the age of 8 to 12-13 I spent every free minute crafting model airplanes… They were everywhere in my room. Hanging from the ceilings, accumulating on the shelves, in the cupboards. I would spend hours assembling, modifying, painting anything which had two wings. HM4 is a very personal interpretation of what would happen if you crossed a piece of ultra high end horology with the world of aeronautics.

July 7, 2010 unveiling approaches…

***UPDATE*** See our full coverage of the MB&F Thunderbolt in photo and video — CLICK HERE***

You’ve seen the “first look” photos….now here’s an even closer look at the new MB&F Thunderbolt courtesy of this “teaser” video recently released by the company:

Does this thing look awesome or what!?!  It will be officially unveiled this coming Wednesday, July 7, 2010!

Coming soon…

***UPDATE*** See our full coverage of the MB&F Thunderbolt in photo and video — CLICK HERE***

Until we get the full scoop from Maximillian Busser (in early July, he tells me), here’s a little teaser from the man himself:

MB&F Horological Machine No 4 Thunderbolt

“…our most radical creation to date…”!

And here’s the “engine” as previewed at Baselworld 2010

A horological interpretation of the amphibious…

MB&F’s newest creation is all over the ‘Net – just Google it!  I’m impressed by the ardent and loyal following Maximillian Busser (& Friends) have built up for their young “brand”.   Seriously, MB&F has total production volume in the hundreds of units, yet from the exuberant coverage they receive online, you would think they have a marketing budget the size of Rolex’s!  Nope.  It’s all PR and word of mouth.

The fact that you love what you do and are having fun doing it is wholly evident in your timepieces.   The accolades are well deserved.  Great job, guys.

HM3 Black Frog (black Titanium) – limited edition of 12 pieces

(love the green battle axe rotor)

Can you imagine the “looks” this amphibious  creature will draw?

The first pieces of the Frog will be delivered during this month of May.

A Watch Made Just For Fun

10/28 Update: Added a few of the more interesting specifications of the watch, and a photo of MB&F and Alain Silberstein’s signatures on the caseback

Today creative genius Maximillian Busser of MB&F (Max Busser and Friends) revealed a new, very limited and very special watch.  This new “horological machine” (as MB&F likes to call them) is called the HM2.2 “Black Box” and is a take on the HM2 – as seen through the eyes of French designer Alain Silberstein (himself a creative genius and famous designer/watchmaker).   The HM2.2 Black Box is entirely crafted out of Titanium, and there will be only 8 pieces made in total.   According to Maximillian Busser, the watch “really is only for the pleasure of working together, and of course to pay homage to 23 years of Alain’s truly amazing creativity.”

While Max Busser’s horological machines are not everyone’s cup of tea, he has a very passionate following, and I am sure this watch horological machine will get a lot of attention from the watch community.  For me personally, the more I look at his creations, the more they call to me.  These truly are some amazing creations – well done, gentlemen!

Here it is:

Left dial: Retrograde Date and Moon Phase

Right Dial: Jumping Hours and Concentric Retrograde Minutes

Case: Silicium PVD coated titanium; Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 59mm x 38mm x 13mm; Number of parts: 89 (case only)

Movement: Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor designed functionality regulated and powered by a Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear train; Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph; 22K blued rose gold “Battle-AX” automatic winding rotor; Number of components: 349 including 44 jewels

Presentation box: Precision engineered aluminium and leather instrument case featuring an integrated Rüeger thermometer

The Creators Maximiliian Busser (left) & Alain Silberstein (right)

More info:

MB&F

Alain Silberstein

Now here’s an exciting development from the world of watches – Linde Werdelin, maker of fine luxury watches with attachable high performance digital instruments – has launched its own blog.  The blog is called “The Lab – where creative thoughts flow” and you can visit it by clicking the logo below.

“The Lab” is written by LW’s creative director and co-founder, Morten Linde.  The theme of The Lab seems to be to give readers a look into the window of Linde Werdeln through Morten Linde’s eyes, and so far the content fits this concept.

Linde Werdelin joins another independent, “high horology”, watch brand that also maintains an excellent blog that I look forward to reading – MB&F’s A Parallel World.

More broadly, I think that having a blog is one of the best things that small production, independent watchmakers/brands can do to help create greater brand awareness.  If published regularly, they are an excellent way to constantly reach out and “touch” (and even expand) your audience (for an independent watchmaker that offers web sales, these are potential customers, after all!).  This is especially true for someone like me who can’t live without my Google Reader (and the 65+ watch blog feeds I follow).  Also, a blog is a perfect platform for helping to shape and fine tune the identity of a brand beyond just the pictures.  And finally, a blog is a great point of differentiation vs. the “big brands” who I think are unlikely to run their own blogs, because these brands have grown way beyond the individual(s) who are behind the brand.  Truly offering that high level of customer contact and interaction with watch owners, collectors & enthusiasts that the big brands can not and will not ever offer!

So well done, Linde Werdelin – I look forward to following “The Lab – where creative thoughts flow.“

Sage Vaughn:  Reseda Butterfly © Galerie Bertrand & Gruner