MB&F
Geneva Watch Festival is now a prominent event on the watch calendar. Initially launched in 2020 by six Founding Members – Breitling, Bvlgari, De Bethune, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F. However, the exhibition has now expanded to 52 different brands, showcasing over a hundred exquisite timepieces. Here, I noticed a very unusual piece from Konstantin Chaykin called the ‘ThinKing’, which is currently the thinnest watch in the world. Although still in prototype stage, the watch is only 1.65mm thick and requires a special winding tool. I really admire the technical ingenuity that goes into achieving this feat. However, I personally prefer watches that have a more three-dimensional look. I feel that this wider canvas allows watchmakers to experiment with more Avant-Garde designs. Horological Machine N°9 ‘Flow’ from MB&F perfectly illustrates this point.
MB&F
Since 2005, MB&F has established itself as one of the most exciting watchmakers in the industry. In addition to creating extraordinary timepieces, founder Maximilian Büsser has also embarked on numerous collaborations with renowned luxury brands. In fact, they recently collaborated with L’Epée 1839 to create an extremely complicated watch called the ‘Albatross’, which consists of 1520 individual components. This stunning mechanical masterpiece was recently unveiled at the Geneva Watch Days 2024.
MB&F
I recently featured two MB&F watches in my 9th book titled ‘Timeless classics‘is a detailed study of the modern wristwatch. However, as a designer, I always look to their much larger Horological Machines. I feel these watches really allowed Maximilian Büsser and friends to push the boundaries of contemporary watchmaking. In my opinion, the Horological Machine N°9 ‘Flow’ is one of their most daring creations. This is exemplified in the enormous 57mm x 47mm x 23mm jet engine-inspired case (designed by Eric Giroud) available in a choice of luxurious 5N red gold or grade 5 titanium. What makes this watch aesthetically pleasing is the abundance of sapphire crystal (a total of 5 anti-reflective treated windows).
MB&F
Beneath the 3D architectural facade lies an extremely sophisticated single-barrel hand-wound movement developed in-house (Guillaume Thévenin / MB&F). The 52-jewel calibre comprises 301 components and beats at a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour. The mechanism also features two independent balance wheels with planetary differentials. Functionally, the Horological Machine N°9 ‘Flow’ displays the time on a tachometer dial or an aviation-style dial. The watch also has a 45-hour power reserve and is water-resistant to 30 metres.
MB&F
As a perfect ending Horological N°9 ‘Flow‘ presented on a hand-stitched brown calfskin strap with a custom-designed 5N+ red gold or titanium folding clasp.
