Posts Tagged ‘MB&F’
MB&F HM No.4 Thunderbolt – First Image Released!
The unveiling of MB&F’s HM No.4 on July 7 is arguably one of the most highly anticipated events on this year’s holological calendar. After presenting the mouthwatering HM4 engine at Basel World earlier this year, speculation has been raging as to what could be in store for the brand’s die hard enthusiasts the world over.
The movement itself was 3 years and 311 parts in the making, all of which were created, even the balance wheel and hairspring, specifically for this piece. Now it gives us great pleasure to present to you the very first image of all the new HM No.4 (above). Precious few details can be gleaned from the picture other than we know we want one already!
It doesn’t help things when the brand’s founder and design visionary, Maximilian Büsser, declares that the Horological Machine No4 THUNDERBOLT will be the brand’s most radical creation to date… And if you think we’re exaggerating, why don’t you check out the most recent piece MB&F unveiled just over 2 months ago, known simply as ‘The Frog‘.
All we can say is bring on July 7!
3 Great Comments. Leave one too. | Filed under Exclusives and Previews, New This Week, Watch News
The Origin Of Legends – The Sketch Book Series (Finale)
Well, it’s the finale of our special series on the Origins of Legends, where we’ve featured the original sketches of some of the best known (and unknown) brands in the world. It’s been quite a journey of artistic and intellectual enlightenment and as it draws to an end we are proud to present to you our final set of sketches from one our personal favorites. MB&F.
In just a few short years MB&F, lead by their truly inspirational founder Maximilian Büsser, have developed a cult following around the world for their unique, bold designs that continually challenge the commonly accepted conventions of watch-making. In this final series of sketches we focus on all three MB&F models presented to date, with a special focus on HM No.1, as after all, that is where it all began.
Be warned though, there are a lot of images, so you may want to take a moment to ensure there will be no distractions for the next few minutes (hours?) before you proceed.
Enjoy!
Those of you with a keen attention to detail may notice that the logo “B&F” appears in some of the original sketches of HM No.1. Although it’s a little known fact, this was actually the originally proposed name – Büsser & Friends. We think Max and his team made the right decision adding in the ‘M’, what do you think?
HM No.1
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HM No.2
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HM No.3
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We sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed our special insight on the Origin of Legends. If you missed the earlier articles please see here for Part 1, Part 2 and http://thewatchlounge.com/the-origin-of-legends-%E2%80%93-the-sketch-book-series-part-3/.
MB&F HM.3 Frog – The Frog Is A Prince!
Being late for an appointment is never a good start, but being late when you were only 5 minutes away to begin with is just embarrassing. Regrettably this was how I started my time with Max Büsser, of MB&F, luckily for me he is a forgiving man.
I am at MB&F headquarters to have a look for myself at the newest variation in their rather exotic stable, the (almost) all new HM3 known simply as “The Frog”.
This variation of the standard HM3 has been garnering considerable media attention both on-line and in print, especially in the Far East, so they very least I could do was go and try it on.
So it’s based on the HM3 and so that means it’s just an evolution of the existing model, right? Sounds feasible, however the best laid plans sometimes go astray. The initial design for The Frog was penned very quickly, however, that of course is where things start to become complicated.
The time indicators of the HM3 are displayed via two separate globes, and so the same was required for The Frog. However, the hour indicator was changed from 24 to 12 hours and the method of indication changed from stationary spheres with moving hands to stationary hands with moving spheres.
No problem right? Ah, no.
Actually these “small” changes required significant changes to the drive chain and some ingenious solutions.
On the HM3, moving the indicator around the stationary hour and minute markers is relatively simple. With little mass, the force required to move the indicators is very small; however moving an entire dial requires considerable power which must be delivered evenly.
The solution?
A strong light material is needed, such as aluminum, which greatly reduces the mass of each sphere. However, rather than pressing the dial they decided to carve it from a block. This is much more difficult and considerably more expensive, but results in a much more consistent product.
In the original design these indicators were set under a frame that allowed you tell the time. To aid clarity the frame has been dispensed with and the numbers have been directly applied to the domes, also known as the “eyes” of The Frog.
The outer cases were ground from a block of sapphire, and presented all manner of challenges; you see unless you make the radius of the curves even between the outside and the inside surfaces you end up with a lens which will look very odd indeed.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two HM3 models is the weight, the new titanium case is considerably lighter than the previous steel one. As today’s trend is towards thinner and lighter this is very much on the mark.
There are two models available; the “Black”, limited to 12 examples, but if you don’t have yours confirmed you are too late they are already spoken for. The other has a mirrored case and is available in unlimited quantities. The other main difference between the models is the color of the rotor, powder coated blue for the standard model and green for the “Black” model.
The green version was apparently much more difficult to produce and in the right light really stands out, with the color changing between a strong green to one with a blue halo.
While some may find the design of the HM3 challenging, I prefer to see it as a strong statement. For some the price may be in the specialist collector range, it is undoubtedly a fantastic development of an already fantastic watch.
So what’s next for MB&F? Why the HM4 of course. Roll on July
Exclusive: Max Büsser of MB&F Talks Us Through The All New HM3 Frog!
HM3 Black Frog (black Titanium) – limited edition of 12 pieces ©MB&F
You may recall that a few weeks ago we published a photo of the first and only hint presented by MB&F in relation to their latest creation, known simply as the Frog. Now we are proud to be able to bring you the official photos of this breathtaking new piece, unveiled only a short while ago!
Modeled on the HM No.3 the hour and minute gears as well as date system within the 304 part engine have been entirely modified. The trademark sapphire domes have been perfectly machined on both sides (no mean feat!) so as not deform the numbers and even more amazingly the aluminium domes within weigh just a meager 0.58g which was achieved by machining them down to a thickness of 0.28mm. Only 32 of these special movements will be crafted this year: a limited edition of 12 pieces in black titanium (with green gold rotor) and 20 pieces of a non-limited titanium version (with blue gold rotor).
Although we could go on about this amazing new piece all day we thought you would probably prefer to hear it straight from the man himself, Mr Maximilian Büsser. So we asked him.
Here’s what he had to say.
TWL: What made you choose a Frog as the inspiration for this latest piece? Why not a Tiger or a Cobra, or some other member of the Animal Kingdom?
MB: The creative process did not in fact start with a frog. Like most of our creations, I imagined the piece in my mind first as a “concept piece”, in this case based on the HM3 movement. The idea was, and I know this will seem more than a little surprising, to create a “whacky” version of the HM3. Many will think “isn’t the HM3 crazy enough?”. In my mind, the HM3 is in fact a very elegant piece, and I wanted to push it into another territory.
It is only when we finished the design with Eric (Giroud) that when I looked at it, it was clear that it looked like a frog’s head coming out of water with its two big eyes. Now over a year later, when I look at it, it makes me think of the Martian heads in “Mars Attacks”!
HM3 Frog (Titanium) ©MB&F
TWL: How many different design concepts did you come up with in conjunction with the ‘Friends’ before you settled on the final one we see today? How did you decide?
MB: This was pretty straight forward. The HM3 existed. I wanted a rotating dome version, and we nailed the design very quickly – but to get the proportions of the aluminium and sapphire domes right we did many prototypes…
TWL: Does the final piece look anything like what you first envisioned in your mind when you set out to create this unique model?
MB: That is it. As it was in my head.
TWL: What is your favorite aspect of this new piece and why?
MB: It makes me smile each time I look at it. The Frog has a very mischievous attitude to it. Also it is super light thanks to the intensive use of aluminium. You practically do not feel it on your wrist.
TWL: What do you think MB&F enthusiasts will like most about this newest addition?
MB: I honestly don’t know. As we create foremost for ourselves, our public’s reaction is always a mystery and a surprise!
The HM3 Frog Engine – 304 components ©MB&F
TWL: Are there any little intricacies you can point out for us that may not be immediately apparent just from looking at the still photographs?
MB: Well, first of all, more than 30% of the movement is different from the original HM3! The Hours run in 12 hours instead of 24, the minutes in 60 minutes instead of 120 minutes, which therefore required us to change all those gear trains. Also the changing of the date which was direct (as the hours turned previously in 24hours on the HM3) is now much more complicated to achieve. All this for only 32 movements this year… (13 Black and 20 Titanium)
The aluminium domes needed to be as light as possible, which meant we had to machine them down to 0,28mm thick and therefore to 0,58 grams a piece! And the sapphire domes were a headache. How do you machine a perfectly concentric dome from a block of sapphire, especially as there is no way to hold that block in the machine when you are cutting it…?
TWL: Are there any plans to release any further special editions prior to the introduction of the highly anticipated HM No.4 in July 2010?
MB: The HM4 will theoretically be unveiled on July 8th (with deliveries anticipated for last quarter of the year), so in the two months from now to beginning of July, we have not planned a new launch!
TWL: As always, thank you for your time Maximilian.
MB: As always a pleasure. Thanks Tom!
Exclusivité : Max Büsser de MB&F nous parle de la dernière HM3 « Frog » !
HM3 Black Frog (Titanium noir) – édition limitée à 12 pièces ©MB&F
Vous vous souviendrez peut-être que nous avons publié il y a quelques semaines la toute première et unique photo de la dernière création MB&F, tout simplement appelée la « Grenouille ». Aujourd’hui nous sommes fiers de pouvoir vous montrer les photos officielles de cette pièce hors du commun, dévoilée très récemment.
Reposant sur la base de la Hm No.3, les moteurs des heures, des minutes, comme celui de la date ont été entièrement modifiés au sein de cette machine de 304 composants. Les dômes de saphir, brevetés, ont été parfaitement usinés des deux côtés (un défi!) de manière à ne pas déformer les chiffres ; de plus, ces incroyables dômes d’aluminium ne pèsent que 58g grâce à un travail sur le verre qui a permis d’en réduire l’épaisseur à 0,28 mm. Seulement 32 pièces de ce mouvement spécial seront produites cette année : une édition limitée de 12 pièces en titanium noir avec rotor en or vert, et 20 pièces d’une série limitée en titanium avec rotor en or bleu.
Bien que nous aurions pu vous parler une journée entière de cette pièce extraordinaire, nous avons pensé que vous préfèreriez entendre son histoire de la bouche de l’homme en personne, M. Maximilan Büsser !
TWL: Pourquoi avoir choisi la Grenouille comme inspiration pour cette création ? Vous auriez pu choisir tout autre créature du règne animal, comme le cobra ou le tigre…
MB: En réalité, le processus créatif n’a pas débuté avec l’idée d’une grenouille. Comme pour toutes nos créations, j’ai d’abord imaginé la pièce dans mon esprit, en tant que concept, en l’occurrence sur la base du mouvement de la HM3. L’idée était, aussi curieux que cela puisse paraître, de créer une version encore plus extravagante de la HM3. Beaucoup se demanderont à ce stade en quoi l’on pouvait faire encore plus atypique que la HM3 ! Mais dans mon esprit, c’était davantage une pièce d’élégance, que je voulais faire évoluer vers d’autres territoires.
Ce n’est que lorsque nous avions fini le design avec Eric (Giroud) que je l’ai regardée, et qu’il m’est clairement apparu qu’elle ressemblait à une grenouille dont la tête sortait de l’eau, avec ses deux gros yeux. Bon, aujourd’hui, plus d’un an plus tard, elle me fait davantage penser aux têtes de martiens dans « Mars attack » !
HM3 Frog (Titanium) ©MB&F
TWL: Combien de concepts avez-vous développé avec vos Amis avant d’en arriver au produit fini que nous voyons aujourd’hui ?
Ca a été assez rapide. La HM3 existait déjà. Je voulais une version avec dôme rotatif, et nous avons fixé le design assez rapidement ; toutefois, pour obtenir les bonnes proportions entre l’aluminium et les dômes de saphir, de nombreux prototypes furent nécessaires…
TWL: La pièce finale ressemble-t-elle à celle que vous aviez imaginée ?
MB: Oui. Telle que je l’avais pensée.
TWL: Qu’est-ce qui vous plaît le plus, dans celle pièce ?
MB: Elle me fait sourire à chaque fois que je la vois. La Frog a vraiment quelque chose de malicieux. En plus, elle est vraiment très légère, grâce à l’emploi important de l’aluminium. On ne la sent pratiquement pas sur son poignet.
TWL: A votre avis, qu’est-ce qui va le plus plaire aux aficionados de la marque ?
MB: Très honnêtement, je ne sais pas. Comme nous créons à peu de choses près pour notre propre plaisir, les réactions de notre public sont toujours source de mystère et de surprise !
Le moteur de la HM3 Frog – 304 composants ©MB&F
TWL: Y’a-t-il des éléments sur lesquels vous pourriez attirer notre attention et qui ne seraient pas visibles au premier coup d’œil ?
MB: Eh bien, en premier lieu, plus de 30% du mouvement sont différents de son modèle d’origine, la HM3 ! Les heures tournent en 12 heures au lieu de 24 et les minutes en 60 au lieu de 120, ce qui nous a demandé de changer tous les barillets des moteurs. Il y a aussi le changement de date, qui était direct (puisque précédemment les heures tournaient en 24h sur la HM3), et qui maintenant est beaucoup plus compliqué à mettre en œuvre. Et tout ceci seulement pour 32 pièces produites cette année, 13 noires et 20 en titane.
Les dômes d’aluminium devaient être aussi légers que possible, ce qui nous a conduit à réduire leur épaisseur à 0,28 mm, et par conséquent leur poids à 0,58 g par unité. Leur réalisation en verre saphir fut vraiment problématique. Comment voulez-vous usiner un dôme parfaitement concentrique issu d’un bloc de verre saphir sans avoir la possibilité de le maintenir dans une machine pendant que vous le taillez… ?
TWL: Avez-vous planifié la sortie de nouvelles séries limitées d’ici la sortie très attendue de la HM No.4 en juillet 2010 ?
MB: La HM4 est théoriquement le 8 juillet, ce qui nous amène à des premières livraisons au quatrième trimestre de l’année ; par conséquent, dans les deux mois qui nous séparent de début juillet, non, nous n’avons pas planifié de nouvelles sorties !
TWL: Une nouvelle fois, un grand merci pour votre temps, Maximilian.
MB: C’est toujours un plaisir. Merci Tom !
Traduit de l’anglais par Olivier Müller – © The Watch Lounge
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