MB&F - Parallel World

Stunning video of worldwide air traffic in 24 hours

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is a 24 hour observation of all of the large aircraft flights in the world, condensed down to 1:11 minutes.

Seen from space, earth looks like a bee hive of activity. This video displays a satellite's view of air traffic flying around the world in a 24 hour period - the yellow dots are airplanes.??

Daylight moves from the east to the west as the Earth spins on its axis. You will see the flow of air traffic leaving North America and travelling through the night to arrive in the UK in the morning. ?

Then the flow changes as planes leave the UK in the morning to fly to America during daylight. The day commences in Australia.

Giant traffic-straddling bus

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Good public transport benefits everybody in big cities with dense populations. However, reconciling the trade-off between fast efficient mass-transit and ensuring car traffic moves smoothly isn't easy.

Bus lanes are a great idea . . . if you are in the bus. To the motorist, an empty lane - and they are usually empty - is just a waste of space.

Bus lanes speed up buses at the expense of cars, thus making bus travel more attractive while annoying millions drivers for whom the car is their only practical method of transport. Without bus lanes, cars have more of the road real estate at their disposal, but public transport becomes slower/less attractive so choking the roads with even more cars.

But imagine having it both ways, i.e. buses unhindered by cars, cars able to use the entire road? Well the Chinese Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment is developing a 3D Express coach that straddles the traffic lanes enabling cars to drive underneath it.

The 6m (20') coach will be powered by a combination of electricity and solar energy, and will be able to travel up to 60 kms/hr (35mph) carrying 1200 -1400 passengers.

A major benefit of the straddling bus is its short construction life cycle. It should only take a year to build 40 km compared with at least three years for a subway system. And the bus will not need the large parking spaces to load/unload passengers as it can stop virtually anywhere without impeeding traffic.

The first 200kms of track is set for construction in Beijing's Mentougou district in late 2010. The Chairman of the Huashi Future Parking Equipment company boasts it will take only a year and (and $73 million) to build the futuristic transportation system.

A tip of our hat to an innovative transport solution that should make (nearly) everyone happy.

Haruo Suekichi - Steampunk Watchmaker

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Steampunk is an oft abused term these days as every man and his gadget tries to jump on the fashionably retro-futuristic bandwagon; however, there is no doubting Japanese watchmaker, Haruo Suekichi's steampunk credentials. His timepieces are steampunk defined.If you are are sure what steampunk is, Suekichi's watches are it.

"Steampunk" is a sub-genre of the speculative science fiction popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in a world where steam power is widely used—usually the 19th century and often set in Victorian era England. Incorporating retro-futurism styles of fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells.

Leather, copper, technical-looking parts, tubes, dials, usual curves and impractical designs.Haruo Suekichi's watches have it all!

From an interview in Ping magazine, " . . . I made a watch for a guy with only one arm who couldn"t wear a watch at all before. When you slid in your arm, the watch on the arm snaps closed by itself. From that experience, I realised a watch can be any shape and it just opened up so many creative possibilities. I"m so spontaneous that whenever I think of something, every watch has an impulse behind it. The idea comes to me and I end up just forgetting about it because I"ve made so many."

Flashes of Jules Verne, influenced by Japanese manga comics, Suekichi"s finely crafted timepieces are the epitome of the futuristic vintage style that is steampunk .

Horiyoshi III: The Skin Carver

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Horiyoshi III is Japan"s undisputed tattoo master. He found his calling when, as a young boy at a public bathhouse, he first saw a Yakuza (Japanese gangster) sporting a full body tattoo—or "suit". He was inspired to have his own tattoo and visited the studio of his later master, Horiyoshi I, and at 25 became his apprentice.

Based in the suburbs of Yokohama, Horiyoshi works from a secluded, quiet atelier, crammed with skulls, Japanese Noh theater masks and even a dragon-print umbrella from Vivienne Westwood. His status as the most respected tattoo artist in Japan is confirmed by his adoption of his master"s honorific title, which he aims to pass down to his son, Kazuyoshi Nakano.

Horiyoshi considers each symbolic figure, dragon or floral motif as a component of one great masterpiece—for which clients will pay tens of thousands of dollars, making weekly, hour-long visits over the course of several years to obtain an indelible, corporeal artwork.

Horiyoshi for the most part draws the tattoos freehand on the body, using an electric needle for the outlines and traditional bamboo tools for filling in color.

"It"s important to remember that "Hori" means "to carve,"" says photographer Johnnie Shand Kydd, who made the film below about the living legend for NOWNESS. "They are called skin carvers because the process involves] sharpened bamboo being pushed again and again into the skin, creating gradations like you would in a brush stroke on a painting."

The designs stop sharply at the wrist and ankle and often a gap is left down the middle of the torso so that clients are able to entirely cover their bodywork, even when wearing a traditional kimono.

You can view a higher resolution version of the film on NOWNESS Skin Deep: Horiyoshi III

New T.27 city car by McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Gordon Murray, world renowned car designer and the man behind the McLaren F1, has launched his latest creation, the T.27. In line with the times, the T.27 is no 1000bhp supercar, but an all-electric city runabout. There will also be a T.25 petrol version.

Said to represent a breakthrough in terms of weight, safety, useability and efficiency, the T.25 is a three-seater with a footprint that is considerably smaller than the likes of the Smart fortwo or Toyota IQ, a point reflected in its 575kg kerb weight.

Like the Smart car, the T.27 can be forward parked in spaces, its small dimensions - at 1.3m wide it's 26cm narrower than a Smartcar - meaning three can fit in the space it would take one conventional car to parallel park.

A unique single door design means that it is possible to get in and out of the car even when it is parked in close proximity to another, opening up the possibility of fitting two T.27s into one conventional single garage.

This tiny width also means that - in theory - two T.27s can drive side-by-side in the same direction in one traffic lane. That should be interesting.

Despite such diminutive dimensions the T.25 is said to be incredibly strong thanks to the use of materials and technology derived from Formula One racing.

Top Speed: 105kph
0-100kph: Less than 15 seconds
Range: 80 – 100 miles

"The iStream process used to produce the T.25/T.27 is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and offers a significant reduction in CO2 emissions over the lifecycle of the vehicles produced using it, compared with conventional ones," said CEO Gordon Murray. "The simplified assembly process means that an assembly plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%."

The T.25 is scheduled to go on sale in 2012, with the T.27 to follow.

For more information, please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com

MB&F celebrates its 5th birthday!

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In July, MB&F celebrated its 5th anniversary !

5 years of unbridled creativity. A fantastic human adventure with 4 amazing Horological Machines to prove to date what teamwork, passion and craftsmanship can do.

So here is a very cool logo created by GVA Studio to celebrate the occasion.

When you reach for the stars, the sky is the limit !

The playfully artistic world of Lomo photography

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We don't like to take ourselves too seriously at MB&F - we save serious for our watchmaking - and the same could be said for Lomo photography.

In 1991 a group of Viennese students discovered the Lomo Kompakt Automat when on holiday in Prague. This mass-produced Soviet camera was so cheap and easy to use that they shot rolls of film, ignoring the established rules of "serious" photography. The resulting snaps were often strange to look at, out of focus and, due to the character of the Lomo lens, garishly coloured. But they were wonderfully fresh and thanks to some clever marketing, the craze for Lomo spread worldwide.

Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Characteristics such as over-saturated colors, off-kilter exposure, blurring, "happy accidents," and alternative film processing are often considered part of the "Lomographic Technique" Lomo photographers are encouraged to take a lighthearted approach to their photography document everyday life.

The Lomo LC-A's small size, simple controls, and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage, and following the 10 Golden Rules, with particular emphasis on No.10.
1. Take your camera everywhere you go.
2. Use it any time – day and night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but part of it.
4. Try the shot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your Lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don"t think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don"t have to know beforehand what you captured on film.
9. Afterwards either.
10. Don"t worry about any rules.

Since the introduction of the original Lomo LC-A, Lomography has produced and marketed an entire line of cameras, most designed to produce just a single photographic effect. For example, the Lomography Fisheye camera features a built-in wideangle lens and shoots fisheye-distorted photos.

Similar to the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "Don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups, and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique.

Typical lomography cameras are deliberately low-resolution and inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks.

Today the Lomographic Society has embassies across the globe with Lomography.com as its base. Hundreds participate in international Lomo events and add to the ever-growing LomoWorldArchive.

Visit the Lomographic Society website to find out more about Lomo.

Can you help with "The Impossible Brief"?

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Challenges don't come much bigger than this. BBR Saatchi & Saatchi Tel Aviv have called upon the advertising community to help solve what could be the most difficult brief in the world: to end 60 years of conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

The advertising world is used to tough demands from challenging clients - but none can quite top this brief from the Tel Aviv-based agency. Through the website theimpossiblebrief.com they are asking people worldwide to put their creative minds to good use and submit ideas on how to unite the Israeli and Palestinian communities.

"We are not naïve enough to think that The Impossible Brief will solve all the problems in the Middle East," explain creatives Eran Nir and Tomer Gidron, "however, what excites us about creativity is that one brief can lead to many different perspectives and creative solutions. In our agency group, the team includes both Israeli Jews and Arabs. Together, we wanted to create something we felt passionate about. We share the common vision of wanting to bring our two nations together and decided to open it up to the creative community to consider creative solutions on how to do this."

The initiative was launched at the Cannes Festival and grew from frustrations that, after six decades, political leaders have still failed to reach an acceptable diplomatic remedy. But after so many failed solutions, what do Nir and Gidron believe the ad industry can offer? "We view advertising as creative problem-solving," they say, "and the advertising community is home to some of the most creative minds in the world. We want to channel the creativity, innovation and the 'give-it-a-go' fearless attitude that is so characteristically found in this industry and see what the fresh perspective can bring."

The agency is looking for any "out of the box" inspiring ideas that have the potential to bring the two communities closer. Submissions can take any form - be it a written description, multimedia presentation or hand-drawn sketch - and the best will be presented to the Palestinian and Israeli parliaments. And if the thought of receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for your efforts isn't enough, the overall winner will also bag a free delegates pass to next year's Cannes Lions Festival.

You can follow the progess and take part in the discussion on Facebook and contribute your own great idea at theimpossiblebrief.com.

The Hotelicopter. Point to Point luxury

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In early April last year, the Blogosphere year bloomed with the announcement of a new super-luxurious mode of transport: Hotelicopter, the world's first flying hotel.

Based on a a giant Soviet Mil V-12 helicopter, of which there were only two made, the Hotelicopter featured 18 luxuriously-appointed rooms for those seeking a truly unique and memorable travel experience . . . and rich enough to afford a room.

The soundproofed rooms were equipped with a queen-sized bed, fine linens, a mini-bar, coffee machine, wireless internet access, and all the luxurious appointments you would expect from a flying five star hotel. Even room service was available between one hour after liftoff to prior to landing.

The very professional website was full of information, video and photographs, and informed that the Hotelicopter was due to fly its maiden journey on the 26th of June 2009.

There was even the tour program!

Inaugural Summer Tour - 14 days (Friday, June 26th, 2009 - Friday, July 10th, 2009)

California Tour - 14 days (Friday, July 17th, 2009 to Friday, July 24rd, 2009)

Bay/Jamaica, European Tour - 16 days (Friday, July 31st, 2009 to Sunday, August 16th, 2009)

And if there was any doubt that this baby didn't have the space or the power, the detailed technical specifications put those to rest.

Dimensions Length: 42 m (137 ft)
Height: 28m (91 ft)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 105850 kg (232,870 lb)
Maximum speed: 255 km/h (137 kt) (158 miles/h)
Cruising speed: 237 km/h (127 kt) (147 miles/h)
Original Mi Range: 515 km (320 mi)
Our augmented Mi Range - 1,296 km (700 mi)

Well if it all looked too good to be true, it was. Hotelicopter was first presented on the 1st of April, with the website url http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/ (two clues that most Bloggers missed) and was in fact a brilliant viral marketing campaign by Yotel, an short-stay airport hotel chain.

We doff our hats to Yotel for entertaining publicity, superbly executed.

For more information, please visit http://aprilfools.hotelicopter.com/

Presenting Horological Machine No. 4 Thunderbolt

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A traditional wristwatch has a relatively straightforward role: to tell the time. All that is needed is a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and perhaps a power reserve indicator to keep track of running time. Horological Machine No4 Thunderbolt has a hand for the hours, another for the minutes and a power reserve indicator. HM4 Thunderbolt tells the time.

HM4 Thunderbolt is not a traditional wristwatch.

The aviation-inspired case and engine of the Thunderbolt are one. Neither would, nor could, exist without the other, yet each is so transcendental as to be able to stand alone as a work of art in its own right.

The Thunderbolt's engine is the culmination of three long years of development. Each of the 300-plus components – including the regulator and even the screws – was developed specifically for this anarchistic calibre. Horizontally configured dual mainspring barrels drive two vertical gear trains, transferring power to the twin pods indicating hours/minutes and power reserve.

But describing HM4's engine through its mechanical functionality is like describing Renoir's work through the chemical composition of his paint. Only careful contemplation enables full appreciation, and the sapphire case section and display panels top and bottom allow full access to the flawless fine finishing of HM4's intricate and vibrant micro-mechanics.

The sleek aerodynamic form of the Thunderbolt's titanium and sapphire envelope has its roots in Maximilian Büsser's childhood passion for assembling model plane kits, though none looked remotely as futuristic as this. The striking transparent sapphire section of the case requires over 100 hours of machining and polishing to transform an opaque solid block of crystal into a complex, exquisitely curved panel allowing the light to come in and the beauty of Thunderbolt's engine to stand out. Every component and form has a technical purpose; nothing is superfluous and every line and curve is in poetic harmony. Articulated lugs ensure supreme comfort. Highly legible time is a fringe benefit.

To download the full press release, please click hm4_english.zip and for more photos and information, please check out the HM4 Thunderbolt section of our website

pCubee: showing you 3D . . . in 3D

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

When we nomally watch something in 3D, we are generally viewing a flat 2D display like a screen or TV and seeing the image in 3D.

Engineers at the Human Communications Technology Lab at the University of British Columbia have developed pCubee, a three dimensional cube - from two dimensional flat LCD screens - that adjusts the 3D images based on your position. And motion sensors allow you to interact with the subject.

"Most people think 3-D is all about stereo and having alternating frames to help the brain perceive depth," says Sidney Fels, who leads the Human Communication Technologies Lab at the University of British Columbia, where the project was designed. "What we wanted to offer is a fish-tank-like experience in a handheld device."

"Our brains are wired to perceive motion parallax and interpret it as 3-D. "It"s one of the reasons why even if you have just one eye, you can do reasonably well with depth in the real world."

pCubee is only a research project at the moment, so you can't buy one just yet, but looking at the demonstration it appears to work well. The box has five flat display panels, each of which shows a different perspective of a 3D image. By rotating the box, you can see above, behind, or to the side of whatever's being shown, and even interact with the image using a stylus. The effect is achieved through a combination of motion detection and perspective-corrected images.

The pCubee has three graphics feeds that drive the screens on the sides of the box. A motion tracker monitors both the pCubee and the user"s head. The software that powers the device ensures that the user"s view of the box and the rendered perspective on each screen are in sync.

Cutting edge 3D technology and somebody thought that shaking cows around was the best way to demonstate it?

For more information, please visit http://www.cubee.ca/

Magic Wave kinetic sculpture by Reuben Margolin

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At MB&F we have an affinity for kinetic sculpture - just look at any of our Horological Machines - and we like our dynamic art in all sizes: from wrist wearable to museum installations.

An excellent example of teh latter was exhibited at the Swiss Center of Technorama near Zurich. Artist Reuben Margolin worked with museum staff to suspend 450 aluminum rods by 256 wires and connect 3,000 pulleys and sliding bars.

The resulting specimen is one of the most complex kinetic sculptures in the world and uses pure mechanics—not computer-controlled servomotors—to create almost limitless figurative shapes.

A net of 450 aluminium bars is transformed into a dynamic wave landscape powered by a marvellous mechanical mechanism that turns 4 circular movements into 4 sine waves of different wavelenghts, amplitudes and frequencies.

Reuben Margolin creates totally singular techno-kinetic wave sculptures using everything from wood to cardboard to found and salvaged objects. Reubens sculptures range from the small to the large, from motorized to hand-cranked and he focuses on natural elements from a single water droplet to a powerful ocean wirlpool.

For more information, please visit www.reubenmargolin.com

Force Dynamics 401 - the ultimate car simulator!

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Force Dynamics 401 uses motion simulation techniques that have been well-known for many years, but delivers forces with incredible performance and realism.

To provide any motion cues, the platform has to move. To accomplish this, multiple linear actuators are driven by a networked 3-axis digital servo drive. The actuator motors provide 3hp peak and 500lbs of peak thrust each; each actuator has 18" of travel. The trapezoidal strut shape, provides bracing, bridge-style, against the large lateral loads experienced during fast moves, allowing the machine to move faster and more reliably over time than comparable machines with standard tubular struts.

In the 401, the transfer of information is direct, and much closer to what you'd feel in a real car. And the large range of rotation, something you won't find even in extremely expensive 6DOF platforms, lets that rotation get closer to the amount you'd feel if you were actually driving, and by extension lets you feel problems even sooner.

The additional range also means a slower 'wash out' - the gradual return to center that keeps the machine from winding up like a tether ball - and so you're far less likely than in machines with 30 degrees or less of yaw to feel like you're spinning while heading down the straight.

So far so go, but what Force Dynamics found when they started testing the 401 was this: Not only is it important to feel the rotation of the car when you've broken the rear end loose, or in a four-wheel drift, but it makes an incredible difference even when the car's glued down to the road. The ability to feel the rotation of the car through the corner means that you know where you are in space; that sense of turning tells you even more than your eyes how close you are to the apex.

And what's it like to drive? See for yourself below.

You know you want one, I know I do!

For more information, please visit www.force-dynamics.com

The Beauty of Paper Art

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Paper used to be considered to be the primary medium for a writer's artistic expression; however, thoses times are long gone. These days scribes use computers and even e-ink to develop, record and distrubute their ideas.

There is though something very special about using "physical" paper that digital methods cannot replicate canvas - doodling just isn't the same unless its on paper.

But we should never forget just how flexible medium paper is. I isn't only writers who can use it to express their ideas, but painters and sculptors as well.

This incredible installation by Japanese artist Itou, the result of over four years of hard work,is complete with electrical lights and a moving train - all made of paper! Called, "The Castle On the Ocean", it is on display at Umihotaru, between Tokyo City and Chiba Prefecture

The Golden Swan by le Creativ Sweatshop

For more images and information, please visit /www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/29/the-beauty-of-paper-art/

The Deep Exhibition at the British Natural History Museum

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The British Natural History Museum is running an exhibition called The Deep about life in the very deep oceans.

Visitors enter the weird and wonderful world of life a depths down to 11,000 metres, which is less explored than the surface of the moon.

Many of the bizarre creatures, astonishing images and real specimens are on display for the first time

If you lived down here, you would look wierd too!

Microscopic animals rule the deep ocean in terms of numbers. Tiny and soft bodied, they are hard to see and to preserve and also to display in a realistic way. In the late 1800s Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka began making glass models of sea creatures. Some of these exquisitely delicate and acclaimed Blaschka models are on display.

One of the exhibition highlights is a life-size model of a walk-in submersible for visitors to investigate.

The largest of the deep sea giants is the giant squid, the biggest ever recorded is nearly 17 metres/56 feet long! The biggest Japanese spider crabs can have a leg span of up to 4 metres/13 feet.

In a fight between a giant squid and a sperm whale, who would win? Suspended up high in the gallery ceiling are models of both in simulated battle. No one has ever seen a battle between a giant squid and a sperm whale, but scientists have found evidence for these clashes.

The Deep exhibition runs from the 28th May to the 5th of September 2010. For more information, please visit www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/thedeep

MB&F June 2010 Newsletter

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Every new creation at MB&F is an occasion for celebration and the HM3 "Frog" serves to emphasise that rule! But we have many other reasons than the highly successful launch of the Frog to celebrate this month, including our presence in the Financial Times and the opening of our 16th retail partner, Manfredi in Greenwich (Connecticut).

HM3 Frog Unveiled
I have just returned from a hectic but incredibly successful 2-week world tour presenting the HM3 Frog and was humbled by the positive reaction and appreciation for this highly unusual piece. While this may be hard to believe, in early 2008 when I first held the prototype of the original HM3 in my hand, I truly thought it a very elegant timepiece and then and there I had a strong urge to morph it into a "wacky" version. HM3 Frog is pure fun, pure haute horlogerie, and pure Horological Machine.

The bulging eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. In a similar, but opposite, way, the HM3 Frog's bulbous domes enables the wearer to be easily see the time from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas on HM3 it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their stationary cones.

The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was for example because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.

HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor and a limited edition of 12 featuring black-coated titanium with green rotor. For more about the HM3 Frog

MB&F in The Financial Times
The FT is one of the world's most respected and influential newspapers so it was a very important day for our niche Concept Lab when the Financial Times devoted a full page article on MB&F. Haig Simonian, a seasoned economics journalist, who has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEO"s, appeared genuinely impressed and I highly recommend reading his article. Read the article (PDF 102 Ko)

MB&F at Manfredi
Roberto Chappeloni, the owner of Manfredi, is known as one of the most important retailers in the USA and as one of the nicest men in our Industry.
We are therefore extremely honoured and very pleased to have MB&F featured in his Greenwich (Connecticut) store from this week onwards. Manfredi becomes our 16th retail partner in the world. www.manfredijewels.com

5.300+ Fans on Facebook
For those who are interested in more informal information on a regular basis and becoming part of our vibrant circle of international Friends, please do not hesitate to join us on Facebook. There you can keep up with and discuss the latest news and see what others think and feel about our Horological Machines. Join MB&F on Facebook

While the first six months of the year will soon be over and has already seen MB&F present the HM2-SV, HM4 Engine and HM3 Frog, we intend to make 2010 a seminal year for our Horological Concept Lab, so please stay tuned for many more surprises to come!

With our very best regards,

Transformer apartment provides 24 rooms in one.

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Architect Gary Chang has lived in his small 32sqm (344 sq.ft) Hong Kong apartment for 30 years now, ever since he was 14 years old.

Because of severe space restrictions apartments in Hong Kong are small and expensive. Chang decided to design his apartment so that by sliding panels and walls it is able to change into 24 different designs.

He calls it the "Domestic Transformer."

The swinging hammock is in the center of a huge home theater setup

Virginia Gardiner described the apartment in the New York Times: "The wall units, which are suspended from steel tracks bolted into the ceiling, seem to float an inch above the reflective black granite floor. As they are shifted around, the apartment becomes all manner of spaces -- kitchen, library, laundry room, dressing room, a lounge with a hammock, an enclosed dining area and a wet bar."

Chang explains that his key idea is that everyone could look into their home more carefully and into how better to optimise their resources, because space is a resource. There is no use making your home as if it is a perfect show flat but at the same time never using the space.

Gary Chang has now written a book about his experiences in the apartment; he has lived in it since he was 14 and has renovated it five times. It's called My 32m2 Apartment, a 30 Year Transformation.

The Hornby Eagles - Reality TV at its best

Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Even its most passionate fans would have a hard time describing Reality TV as anything more than mindless entertainment, and the word "webcam" is more often a synonym for voyeurism than education. But that changed in 2004, when Doug Carrick, of Hornby Island, BC, Canada, received permission to install - while the birds were away - a video camera for scientific and educational purposes.

Carrick first edited and distributed the footage via video tapes, then in 2006 he began streaming live.

View the live webcam of Hornby Island Eagles in nest (if screen is black it is probably night time).

It has been said that these are among the most watched live Internet streaming webcams anywhere.

The Hornby Eagles of Hornby Island, British Columbia are year-round residents of the island, leaving only to follow the salmon runs in late August; they return to their territory by early October.

This is the eagles 20th year of nesting. They have produced 17 eaglets to date. Assuming they were 6 years of age before their first year of nesting, they are now approximately 26 years of old. The oldest recorded age for eagles in the wild is 30 years.

Hornby Island is a small island on the west coast of British Columbia. It is located at the northern end of the Georgia Strait, a wonderful climatic zone between the 8,000-foot Coast Range Mountains and the 6,000-foot Vancouver Island Range – a trough providing a rain-shadow of lower precipitation. The Island Range also provides protection from Pacific storms.

For more information: www.wildearth.tv/static/wildearth/channels/we_hornby_eagles.html, www.hornbyisland.net/eagles.html, www.facebook.com/pages/Hornby-Eagles/

Xirrou - a robot that paints your walls to suit your mood

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine, winter is over and you are bored with warm look of your lounge or bedroom. It's summer now and you would like something lighter and brighter to suit your mood. You vocalise a few ideas and perhaps show a few photos of what you have in mind to a scanner and from a hidden corner a strange high-tech spider-like creature hums into life and elegantly scuttles slowly across the scampers across the wall.

This is Xirrou, the painting robot, which is the brainchild of Austrian industrial designer, Christian Gumpold.

Xirrou is a 2-part artificial intelligent robotic system. The first component features a stamp on its lower side that measures 16 square-centimeters, allowing it to print artwork to the walls and ceilings. The second component of Xirrou carries 8 ink cartridges on its back and is hooked to the first half via an ink-supplying cable.

Xirrou is envisaged to be either autonomously creative or paint with external input. A choice or idea for a pattern or picture can be uploaded or you can throw caution to the wind and let Xirrou come up with something.

Each of Xirro's two components has 5 feet mounted around the central ring and each foot has 3 servo motor powered joints. Special adaptable plates are attached to each foot that enables climbing on the wall and ceiling (hopefully drip-free).

While Xirrou is just an idea for the present; however, another of Christian Gumpold designs, this one a 18m/58' motor yacht called the Sentori 58R, is actually under construction.

Blending art and technology is central to MB&F so here's hoping that it isn't long before we see Xirrou climbling and decorating walls in teh not too distant future.

For more information, please visit www.motioncodeblue.com

Lamps as Art

Sun, 09 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

It is easy to take the everyday objects we see around us for granted. Familiarity may not bring contempt;but it certainly can imbue an aura of invisibility. And the ubiquitous reading lamp is as familiar as they come - usually noticed more for the light they provide rather than as interesting objects in their own right.

But happily there are artists who have created lamps that express a statement, make us think, and that are interesting in themselves.

Icelandic designer Kristín Birna Bjarnadóttir has created a lamp she calls Illuminant, based on the idea of, "What goes around comes around."

The lampshade is made of reflective material normally used for safety clothing and hangs from the ceiling by fine fishing line. The ethereal threads hanging under the shade are cut from the same reflective material as the shade and give a good impression of a fluorescent jelly fish.

The light source is an LED on the floor with four coloured filters - red, violet, blue, brown - selected according to the mood you wish to convey.

For more information, http://www.kristinbirna.com/

Taking a more industrial approach, David Benatan, who is with the Demo design clinic in Tel Aviv, has designed a series of lamps called KOZO using plumbing parts.

The lamps are made of galvanised iron and are switched on and off using the tap.
The KOZO parts come from around the world and each bares the trademarks of its origin country. The materials are left raw and alive, with little authentic rust at the joints and the marks from hand tools that were used in the assembly process.

The DEMO / design clinic is a cooperation of 5 designers sharing a studio in Tel Aviv. Their ethos is to use ready made materials to and try to reduce manufacturing to zero. DEMO's basic assumption is that there are so many things at hand that everything that you need must have already been made for you, and sometimes it is "built in" another product.

For more information, www.kozo-lamp.com and www.demo-design.com

MB&F presents HM3 Frog

Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

MB&F presents Horological Machine No3 Frog. Haute horlogerie is (usually) a very restrained and serious business; however one of Maximilian Büsser main goals in creating MB&F was to bring a child's sense of awe and sense of playfulness into high-end watchmaking. There is no doubting that with the HM3 Frog, MB&F have certainly achieved that aim . . . and more!

The protruding eyes of the (amphibian) frog enable it to see in many directions without having to turn its head. The bulbous domes of the HM3 Frog have the opposite, but no less important, feature of enabling the time to be easily seen from many angles without having to turn the wrist. The Frog differs substantially from HM3 in that it is the aluminum domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the Frog, whereas it is the hour and minute hands that rotate around their respective stationary cones on HM3.

Rotating domes of this size and shape posed MB&F with a number of technical challenges. The hour and minute domes are machined from solid aluminium - chosen for its optimal strength to weight ratio. The domes weigh in at just over 0.5g. They are milled first from the outside and then the inside to arrive at a paper-thin wall thickness of just 0.28 mm, which reduces their energy requirements to an absolute minimum.

Even the fabrication of the semi-spherical sapphire crystal domes was incredibly demanding and only recently even possible at all. This is due to the fact that any slight imperfection in the sapphire might introduce a disconcerting magnification effect. The sapphire has to be shaped and polished to be perfectly uniform.

The Frog's unusual method of indicating time necessitated the development of a new gear train for the HM3 engine. This was because the aluminum hour dome of the Frog rotates in 12 hours compared to the 24 hour revolution of the HM3 hour hand. And as the oversized date wheel is driven from the hours, the gearing driving the date had to be reworked as well.

The Frog may portray the time in a playful manner, but there is nothing but serious and meticulous attention to detail and care regarding the fine hand-finishing of the high-tuned engine purring within its lightweight high-tech titanium case. A close inspection of the case is rewarded with carefully thought out detailing including a figure 8 engraved around the domes that mirrors the form of the display back(revealing dual ceramic bearings); distinctive clover-head white gold screws; and an engraved arrow discreetly indicating the easy to read over-sized date.

If the viewer's gaze manages to break away from the obiculate indications, it is likely to be arrested by the brightly-coloured 22K gold battle-axe winding rotor or the intricacies of the thoroughbred movement beneath.

The HM3 Frog is available in Grade 5 titanium with blued rotor or a limited edition of 12 featuring mark-resistant black-coated titanium with green rotor.

HM3 Frog: Don't jump to conclusions!

For more information, please download the HM3 Frog press release

International Sand Sculpture Festival

Sun, 02 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Every year 250 tons of sand are transported to Rorschach, by Lake Constance/Bodensee in the north of Switzerland, for an international sand sculpture festival.

Ten international teams of two artists compete against each other and form the sand into impressive, enormous sculptures. The teams are selected from official quailfying competitions held all over the world.

It's seldom that viewers are able to get such an in-depth glimpse into how such works of art are made. After 6 days when the sculptures are finished, a jury makes its decision and awards the prizes.

Only the provided sand and water can be used for the sculptures. No power tools, binding agents or molds/forms/templates.

Depending on the weather, the sculptures remain standing for about 4 weeks after the competition.

The Rules of Sand Sculpting - and yes, there are strict rules

1. SAND: Sculptors are required to spray to protect their sculpture prior to judging. Sculptors are allowed in the plot to spray the finished sculpture at any time. (weather screen will be provided). Materials are sand and water only. No decorative materials or binders may be added. Only sand within the sculptor´s assigned plot may be used.

2. WATER: Water troughs and buckets will be provided. Buckets may be filled prior to the start but must be set outside the plot.

3. PLOT: Sculpture must remain inside the designated plot boundaries. Plots will be assigned to sculptors in advance of the event. All trash must be disposed of and each sculptor is responsible for cleaning up their own site. A minimum public thoroughfare of six feet / two meters must be maintained at all times around your site.

4. FORMS: *ll forms must be removed prior to judging. No sculptured form of any kind may be used. The entire sculpture must be finished 360 degrees in the round . All formed sand must be altered by hand. Forms can be placed and left on the plot prior to start. Forms will be provided by the event.

5. TOOLS: No powered equipment of machinery is allowed in the plot.*Sculptors must provide their own sculpting tools. Shovels and rakes will be provided. (Tampers will be in short supply). Please bring your own shovels and rakes, if possible. No templates or sculptured forms of any kind may be used.

6. HOURS:*Work start and stop times are not flexible. .

7. SIGNAGE: You must display a Title Sign of your piece prior to judging.(It can be prefabricated or carved in sand). Sculptors cannot display advertising, personal marketing, or sponsorship signage. Sculptor team names and nationality signs will be provided. Flag Etiquette is to be followed. The top flag on your tallest pole will be that of your host country.

8. HELPERS: Helpers cannot enter the sculptor´s plot except to assist with placing the forms.

Rorschach International Sand Sculpture Festival 7th - 14th August 2010. Exhibits until approx. mid-September 2010

For more information: www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch www.worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com

Stunning Microscope Photography from Nikon's "Small World" Photo Competition

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Inaugurated in1975, the Nikon International Small World Competition is an annual international photomicrography contest dedicated to offering excellent photography taken through microscopes for ordinary people and heralding in the latest cutting-edge scientific technology.
This image of the male sex organ of a flowering plant took first place in Nikon"s 2009 annual Small World photomicrography competition. Courtesy of Nikon Small World.

Chosen for both its scientific and artistic qualities from among a record 2,000 entries, this image was captured by Estonian scientist Heiti Paves. "As part of my work as a research scientist, I have been taking photographs through the microscope for almost 30 years to observe the processes in living cells," Paves explained.

Winning the 2009 popular vote online out of 137 finalists was the image above of a bundle of fluorescent actin protein filaments captured by Dennis Breitsprecher of the Institute of Biophysical Chemistry at Germany"s Hannover Medical School. Courtesy of Nikon Small World

2008 winner above: Pleurosigma (marine diatoms) (200x), Darkfield and Polarized Light by Michael Stringer, UK. Courtesy of Nikon Small World

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For 35 years, Nikon has rewarded the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science.

For all of the winners over the last 35 years: 35 Years of the World"s Best Microscope Photography

For more information www.nikonsmallworld.com

Message from the Gyre: Powerful and disturbing images from Chris Jorden

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although the phrase "A picture is worth a 1000 words" often used, rarely has been so apt in this series of images by photographer Chris Jordan.

While many of us may now be aware of the the vast problem pollution causes in the oceans, especially plastics, "out of sight, out of mind" is perhaps anothe accurate adage. Chris Jordan brings the issue into sight with these very moving images.

These photographs of albatross chicks were made in September, 2009, on Midway Atoll, a tiny stretch of sand and coral near the middle of the North Pacific. The nesting babies are fed bellies-full of plastic by their parents, who soar out over the vast polluted ocean collecting what looks to them like food to bring back to their young.

On this diet of human trash, every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation, toxicity, and choking.

To document this phenomenon as faithfully as possible, not a single piece of plastic in any of these photographs was moved, placed, manipulated, arranged, or altered in any way. These images depict the actual stomach contents of baby birds in one of the world's most remote marine sanctuaries, more than 3200kms/2000 miles from the nearest continent.

For more information, please vist www.chrisjordan.com

The incredible UK pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Construction of the exterior of the sensational UK pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo has been completed. The Seed Cathedral is the centerpiece, with its 20-meter-high cube-like structure covered by 60 thousand slim, transparent acrylic rods, extending outward and quivering in the breeze.

Each rod contains seeds, symbolizing the UK's contribution to the Expo theme of "Better City, Better Life." Visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says the Expo aims to demonstrate the UK as a creative, innovative and advanced technological nation. After the Expo, all of the seed-encased acrylic poles will be given to China as a symbol of continuing friendship between Britain and China.

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 is due to run from May 1 to Oct 31, with about 70 million visitors expected to attend.

Developed by one of the UK's leading creative talents - Thomas Heatherwick - the UK pavilion provides a dramatic demonstration of creativity and innovation in the UK.

The UK pavilion building is a six storey high object formed from some 60,000 slender transparent rods, which will extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze. During the day, each of these 7.5m long rods will act like fibre optic filaments, drawing on daylight to illuminate the interior, thereby creating a contemplative awe-inspiring space.

At night, light sources at the interior end of each rod will allow the whole structure to glow. The pavilion will sit on a landscape looking like paper that once wrapped the building and that now lies unfolded on the site. The landscape provides an open space for public events and shelter for visitors making their way into the pavilion structure.

The Seed Cathedral is the centerpiece, with its 20-meter-high cube-like structure covered by 60 thousand slim, transparent acrylic rods, extending outward and quivering in the breeze.

Inside the pavilion building is a unique visual representation of the UK's leading role in conservation worldwide - Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership - the largest collection of wild plant seeds in the world. By encasing tens of thousands of seeds into the ends of the transparent rods, visitors will be able to view examples of seeds of plant species that contribute to national and global conservation programmes.

The seeds have been sourced from the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences in China - a partner in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank Project. The seeds being used are taken from stocks that are both plentiful and readily available.

After the Expo, all of the seed-encased acrylic poles will be given to China as a symbol of continuing friendship between Britain and China.

For more information, www.ukshanghaiexpo.com

New Mobile Hospital Concept

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This new concept for a flexible modular mobile hospitals by Monarch Systems has the merits of (relative) simplicity and the ablity to get first class medical car quickly to where its needed.

MONARCH™ (MObileNOmadicARCHitecture), the joint venture formed by SPEVCO (specialist vechicles) and Hord Coplan Macht (archetecture), is offering a finished structure quantum leaps above any previous attempts at modular healthcare. The MONARCH System will, for the first time, produce a fully-specified healthcare facility, able to open its doors with significantly less investment of resources.

In this Monach design, 58 trailers provide a fully operational, fully mobile 48-bed hospital. The trailers include every aspect of a hospital – from waiting gift shops, to surgical suites with 4 O.R.s, pharmacies and labs. The design is the future of how westernized health care will travel abroad. It is a system that effectively transforms health care for entire regions and countries over time, letting the hospital and care come to the patient.

Different trailers cater to different medical needs. For instance, a single unit trailer (or 5-unit suites) would be specifically oriented to some aspect of patient care, such as a Women"s Health Clinic. This 5-unit clinic could be shut down in one location, mobilized, and re-opened in about 2 to 3 days. Thus, it would serve as an outreach model for major health care systems.

Other trailers may be outfitted for an imaging suite (including resources to perform an MRI, Mammography, CT Scan and X-Ray scanning, with a supporting nurse station and waiting area), a mobile health clinic ( for general health care including blood draw stations) and even an emergency suite (complete with 2 trauma bays with 8 urgent care beds and an ambulance bay to expand emergency care services for existing facilities).

Another model is the "flagship hospital", a teaching hospital that is sponsored and supported by a university level teaching hospital, educating the local medical population abroad to provide westernized health care.

The trailer complex has been designed to allow the entire hospital to be disassembled, moved to a new location, and re-opened in a mere 2 weeks.

Her's hoping we see this concept become a reality in teh not too distant future.

Virgin Galactic's VSS Enterprise First "Captive Carry" Flight

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Virgin Galactic brings Space Tourism yet another step closer with the recent successful captive carry flight of the VSS Enterprise.

Virgin Galactic is a company within Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital missions and orbitallaunches of small satellites. Further in the future Virgin Galactic hopes to offer orbital human spaceflights as well.

On Monday 22nd March, 2010, Virgin Galactic announced that VSS Enterprise has completed her inaugural captive carry flight.

This very first captive carry was a huge success and both the mothership and spaceship looked stunning against the blue back drop of the Mojave skies.

Commenting on the historic flight, Burt Rutan (designer of Spaceship One) said: "This is a momentous day for the Scaled and Virgin Teams. The captive carry flight signifies the start of what we believe will be extremely exciting and successful spaceship flight test program."

The VSS Enterprise test flight programme will continue though 2010 and 2011, progressing from captive carry to independent glide and then powered flight, prior to the start of commercial operations.

SpaceShipTwo will fly higher than SpaceShipOne, to a height of 110 km in order to go beyond the defined boundary of space (100 km) and lengthen the experience of weightlessness. The spacecraft will reach around Mach 3 (1000 m/s), which is faster than current fighter jets are capable of attaining; however, the spacecraft will not be able to sustain that speed for long periods of time. It has double the crew (2) and can carry triple the passengers (6) of its predecessor.

In honour of the science fiction series "Star Trek", the first two ships are named in honour of the fictional starships "Enterprise" and "Voyager". To re-enter the atmosphere SpaceShipTwo folds its wings up, and then returns them to their original position for a smooth and gentle glide back onto the runway.

The craft has a very limited cross-range capability and until other planned spaceports are built worldwide has to land in the area where it started. Further "Spaceports" are planned in Dubai and elsewhere, with the intention that the spaceline will have a world-wide availability and commodity in the future.

Interested? Tickets start at $200,000 with refundable deposits from $20,000. Make sure you get a window seat!

For more information, www.virgingalactic.com

MB&F at Baselworld 2010

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Baselworld - in Basel, Switzerland - is the world's largest watch and jewellry fair and runs from the 18th of March to the 25th of March 2010 (that's right, it is on now).

MB&F is please to be presenting at Baselworldat the Palace hall in "The Dream Factory", with URWERK, Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret.

The full collection is on display, including HM2 SV and . . .

. . . the movement of HM4 is there also.

The team at MB&F hope to see you at Baselworld.

You know it's cold when Niagara Falls freezes

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is how Niagara Falls looks on a clear sunny evening; however when the temperature drops way below freezing, the cold can even stop - in a fashion - this thunderous flow in its tracks.

These images were taken in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

As you can just see, the river isn't frozen solid. What happens is that a crust of ice forms over parts of the falls, and the spray freezes into fantasic natural sculptures.

And the freezing of Niagara is not just an historical event: this photos was take in 2008!

Bring on Springtime!

MB&F is proud to present the Engine of the HM4.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At MB&F we have always considered our movements to be much more than simply out-of-sight-out-of-mind mechanisms to be hidden away inside a case.

Our movements are the high-performance Engines that power our three-dimensional Horological Machines and as such deserve their own place under the spotlight.

It is for that reason that we offer for your appreciation the latest Engine to come out of the MB&F garage, that for Horological Machine No. 4.

A lifetime of experience; three years of development; and untold blood, sweat & tears; however, we think that the results speak for themselves. Ladies & Gentlemen we give you the Engine of HM4.

Live Long & Prosper!

"Women are Heroes" exhibition in Paris

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Women in Paris 3 October – 2 November 2009

Having presented his portraits of women in Brazil, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, India, Belgium, Britain and other countries, young French artist, JR, is showing the whole of his «Women» exhibition for the first time.

The exhibition has been conceived as a journey through Paris in the open air. Visitors can see it on foot, on bicycle or by riverboat.

After «Portraits of a Generation», inspired by events in the suburbs of Paris, and «Face 2Face» (featured on A Parallel World), which was displayed in the Middle East, «Women» is the third phase of the 28 Millimetre project, taking its name from the wide-angle lens that requires the photographer to be only centimetres from the model in order to take the portrait.

WOMEN grew out of many pictures and few words. JR"s words were necessary, of course, to convince more than 70 women around the world to take part in the project. JR went to meet those living in the shadows, the real pillars of their societies despite daily violence, wars or simply discrimination. His desire to shift certain limits by using unusual places allows him to deal with subjects in the news in an innovative way. From 3 October to 2 November, through thiis exhibition and a book, people will learn all about this adventure that took JR to ten countries on four continents.

Trailer for the film, "Women are heroes"

For more information, please visit www.womenareheroes-paris.net

Standard Time - A very unusual way of displaying time.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At MB&F we love "Time" in all it's forms and we especially enjoy genuinely innovative ways to indicate time - after all that is what we do! But while we have seen time displayed using everything from the shadows cast by the sun to hands, cones and even satellites on watches and clocks, we have never heard of time displayed by men using planks of wood . . . until now that is.

Standard Time is an video artwork concept of Mark Formanek, realized by Datenstrudel.

"Standard Time is a performance lasting exactly 24 hours and recorded on film. However, this film is much more than just the recording of an action, the recording of something that has taken place in the past; it is also a clock. A clock for use right now and in the future which, as each day goes by, extends further into the past, but is still up-to-date and punctual". Mark Formanek

70 workers are building a wooden 4 x 12 m "digital" time display in real time: a work that involves 1611 changes within 24 hour period. The action was seamlessly documented and shot on HD video and a 24 hour movie or clock of the project was created.

The spectator looking at Standard Time does not only see the time, but also people constructing it. People who, with a stoic sense of duty, are wasting time on an apparently useless activity that fulfills only one function: to display time. Even though the workers are trying hard to construct every single minute, they are constantly on the verge of failing.

For more information www.standard-time.com

MB&F February 2010 Newsletter

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends,

2010 is already in full swing and is shaping up to be a seminal year for MB&F. January began strongly with the launch of the amazing HM2-SV at our Geneva exhibition and we are busy preparing for our exhibition at Baselworld 2010 in March. In this newsletter we are very pleased to welcome Lussori as our 14th retail partner and Friend of MB&F; we introduce Horolobot, our new mascot; and our Blog - A Parallel World - features the incredible NASA Puffin.

Click to read the full newsletter

HM2-SV
During the Geneva Watch Fair we unveiled the incredible HM2-SV ! SV for Sapphire Vision. HM2-SV is a very limited edition of just 25 pieces, with a transparent sapphire case that allows the owner to discover the intricacies and subtleties of the hand-finished movement and the construction of the titanium case. Honestly, when you have the piece in your hand it is simply astounding. Revealed in its naked three dimensionality, the movement looks just like a futuristic city suspended in space.

Why did we take so long to develop HM2-SV, and why only 25 pieces? Well the major difficulty lay in creating the 3.6mm thick sapphire top plate. This was a true technical achievement and only one sapphire manufacturer, Stettler in Lyss (Switzerland), was brave enough to attempt the challenge … and actually managed to do it! Each sapphire base plate takes at least 55 hours to machine and polish . . . even then, three out of four pieces break during the process! The rejects are mainly due to the drilling of the holes for the screws (near the edge) which induces tension and cracks.

The bright blue water resistance gaskets were developed specifically for the HM2-SV and match the hue of the blue disks and the 22k winding rotor on the back.

New Retail Partner, Lussori

It is our great pleasure to have Lawrence Kosick and his store, Lussori, as Friends of MB&F. Our Horological Machines are currently available at their beautiful location on the main street of Carmel, California, and soon to be at their new store opening in Los Altos, Silicon Valley.

Horolobot

Might 2010 see the Rise of the Machines? At MB&F the answer is a resounding yes! Alban Thomas from GVA Studio in Geneva surprised us with this amazing Robot created with our first three Horological Machines. He immediately became our official mascot and was named HoroloBot! You can download him (yes he is a him) in high-resolution or as a wallpaper.

MB&F on Facebook and Twitter

To stay up-to-date with everything happening in the world of MB&F, we invite you to join our nearly 4,000 friends and become a Fan of MB&F on Facebook and you can also follow us on Twitter.

MB&F is pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at Baselworld 2010 March 18-25 with 'The Dream Factory' - a collaboration of MB&F, URWERK, Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret - at the Baselworld Palace (opposite the Ramada hotel). To arrange an appointment please contact Estelle Tonelli.

We hinted in the last newsletter that 2010 would be the most creatively exhilarating year to date. So please stay tuned as we will be unveiling one amazing project after the other.

Thank you so much for following us and till next time, all the very best,

With our warmest regards,

The NASA Puffin - Will rotors replace our dreams of jet packs?

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The NASA Puffin is a one-man (or woman) tilt-rotor electric aircraft imagined by aerospace engineer Mark Moore. Moore came up with the design for the electric powered, 3.7m/12' long, 4.4m/14' wingspan personal air vehicle as part of the coursework for his doctoral degree.

It all started with an email from a reporter who was pursuing a story on electric aircraft propulsion for "a couple of websites associated with space.com." As the former manager of the former Vehicle System program's Personal Air Vehicle sector. Moore is a nationally recognized expert on that and other small aircraft systems.

"We're not trying to replace the car or the airplane," Moore said. "Cars are great at what they do, which is go a couple of miles at relatively slow speeds. Commercial air carriers are great at going long distances at faster speeds. But what happens when we want to go 100 or 200 or 300 miles? We have to take this very long drive."

If the Puffin gets off the ground, and it has to be admitted that is still a big IF, the theoretical technical details are very interesting.The Puffin would be small and very lightweight -- about 136kg/300 pounds empty weight, plus another 45kgs/100 pounds of battery and 91kgs/200pounds for the pilot or payload. The design would be powered by a total of 60 horsepower through electric motors, which are designed to be able to fail any two powertrain components on either side and still produce the required power to hover. It has a cruising speed of 241kms/hr or 150 mph, but cruises more efficiently at lower speeds The range with current battery technology would be about 80kms/50 miles.

"There is a huge gaping hole in our transportation system," Moore added. "We're trying to come up with another alternative."

NASA has spent about $500,000 on the Puffin, which was developed in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the National Institute of Aerospace and M-DOT Aerospace.

While there are no plans yet for the Puffin's first manned flight, NASA expects to finish a one-third size demonstrator by March and see how well it transitions from cruising to hovering.

"The intent is not to be a viable product. NASA doesn't develop products; we develop new technologies that can provide industry with the ability to generate new products," Moore said.

For more informatiuon, please visit www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/puffin

Flying Boat Mirabaud LX designed by Thomas Jundt

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As the 33rd America's Cup is currently underway in Valencia between the giant multihulls of the Swiss defender Alinghi and their American challenger, BMW Oracle Racing, we thought it may be a good time to introduce another revolutionary high-speed boat from Switzerland, the Mirabaud LX.

The flying boat Mirabaud LX foiler was designed by Swiss engineer Thomas Jundt. The boat start to fly on the foils with 9 knots and has sailed faster than 23 knots.

Conceived around a structure of carbon fiber tubes, this boat is a concentrate of high technology. Every single element has been optimized in order to reduce the overall weight and allow it to fly on its foils as quickly as possible. As of today, it is the only "hull less" boat on earth. While marginal floatability remains, it is only to prevent the boat from sinking until it reaches flying speeds at approximately 8 knots.

The boat has been described as having 'no hull', but more precisely, it has no need for a traditional floating hull in the right conditions: a claim given solid credibility when the boat was sailied on its hydrofoils with no buoyancy - no hull - at all.

Jundt's concept was further proven when Mirabaud LX won the classic 2009 Geneva-Rolle race on Lake Geneva in a record breaking time and in front of a very competitive fleet of high-tech sailing boats.

Mirabaud LX"s crew comprises Antoine Ravonel, helmsman and boat captain, Thomas Jundt, project manager and crew member, and Eric Gobet, no1. Other members of the project include the coach and former Olympic sailor Jean-Pierre Ziegert, sail designer Jean-Marc Monnard, boat designer Sébastien Schmidt and French engineer Hugues De Turkheim, consultant for the foils.

Sportdome architecture by Willem Van der Sluis

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

How does one design a space for a user who does not really want to be there?

The mission Dutch prison architect Willem Van der Sluis was tasked with was to create an outdoor excerise/sport space for the prisoners at the prison boats in Zaandam.

The decision to use geodesic domes was a solution to the balance between the demands of justice, i.e. not allowing anybody to escape, and delivering the maximum regarding the needs of the prisoners.

The space had to be easily built and easily dismantle; prisoners had to be able to see the outside world, but outsiders should not immediately recognize the structure as a prison.

The conjoined geodesic domes do not look like cages at all. But, these spaces, designed for playing sports, prevent inmate soccer or basketball players from escaping.

Van der Sluis' major contribution is the view afforded to teh inmates. Instead of regular prison yards with walls that only afford a view upwards, the domes allow prisoners to see and experience much more of the outside world.

Pierced with smaller holes at the base creating a contrast not unlike Venetian blinds, the advantage is that from within the prisoners can look outside, but do not have to worry about being viewed by passersby.

Higher up the holes get bigger, allowing more daylight in. "I tried to give it the feel of light falling through trees in a forest," Van der Sluis explains.

The structure consists of just 15 triangles that are replicated form the whole dome. It is a design that can as easily be constructed as dismantled. If the boats the structures are on are relocated, the domes will move with them.

The domes are an innovate solution to a potentially difficult problem.

Pavegen: Energy Generating Pavement

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A UK company called Pavegen has developed a system to generate renewable energy by harnessing the footsteps of people in busy pedestrian areas.

They have developed a new concrete slab to be placed in areas that see heavy foot traffic and every time someone steps on the slab it generates a small amount of kinetic energy that is captured and stored. In a busy area that means regular energy generation every few minutes or seconds. Many slabs in busy locations could generate a significant amount of energy.

The high traffic areas in subway systems are an idea location for the slabs

The pavegen slab moves about 5mm (1/4") from each footstep. The kinetic energy of that movement is converted into electricity via a patented Piezo electronic systems, and that electricity is stored in the slab to power a variety of applications.

The design of the slab makes it quite versatile and pleasant to step on. The upper layer is a 5mm soft, flexible material, and inside the slab a battery can be used to store the energy. Alternatively they can be connected to devices to directly use the energy, for example, street lights.

The slabs can be located anywhere there is space to lay one; so locations where you can guarantee regular foot falls, such as entrance stalls at a subway station or the entrance of a shopping mall, could guarantee a reliable source of power. In terms of how much energy is generated Pavegen rate a single slab at 2.1 watts per hour in a busy area.

For more information, please visit www.pavegen.com

Ultra Modern Homes

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

dornob.com is an excellent Blog featuring art, design, architecture and more. Here are a few ultra modern houses that they recently posted which which caught our eye.

Rabtilla Residence by Michael Rantilla

As is often the case, difficult terrain and space restrictions can be a powerful catalyst for innovative design and that's certainly true here with the building lifted out over the ground around it. As this was the architech's own home, creativity was at the fore.

A vertical concrete mass in the center allows for the three flooors to be cantilevered over space, which creates sheltered open spaces below. On the inside, it appears that the rooms grow out into the forest, creating a connection with nature. The central core allows easy circulation and access.

http://dornob.com/ultramodern-cabin-creative-modernist-forest-home/

Shell Villa by ARTechnic

Lying stark white amoung the surrounding vegitation, this curvy tubular villa looks to have been dropped from space. But while it contrasts sharply with its surroundings, the stunning structure sensually weaves itself into its environment in an elegent way.

Each room and space flows into the next. The two predominant colours are white (for the exterior and some furniture) and wood for virtually everything else and these ensure that the design works as a whole.
http://dornob.com/shell-house-design-spectacularly-curved-architecture/

Hilltop home in Malaysia by the TYL Design Group

This massive home in Malaysia took five long years to design and build and drawfs the more modest scale of the surrounding residential neighborhood. Not surprisingly, the owners are real estate professional who have shaped city skylines, and it appears they have taken the same approach to shaping their neighbourhood.

The impressive architectural curves and generous size are fully translated from the exterior to the interior design, as do the curvilinear forms and other distinctive features of the outer facade. High ceilings, large windows and a mixture of warm and cool tones are seen throughout.
http://dornob.com/huge-private-home-dominates-small-residential-landscape/

For the latest and most interesting trends in design, please visit dornob.com

MB&F presents HM2-SV (Sapphire Vision)

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Horological Machine No.2-SV features a room-with-a-view crystal-clear sapphire case with titanium back. With its totally transparent case, HM2-SV offers unprecedented visual access to the painstakingly hand-finished, 349-component engine powering the indications on its iconic twin dials.

Sapphire's hardness is second only to diamond, which makes the whole top half of the case (the most exposed half) extremely scratch-resistant. This is a timepiece that will keep its good looks for a very, very long time.

While wristwatches have long featured synthetic sapphire crystals, its use in watchcases has been much more limited, and with good reason. Sapphire retains its strength at high temperatures, has zero porosity and only reacts with acids above 300°C. However, the very properties that make it so attractive as a potential case material also make it immensely difficult to work, requiring sophisticated diamond tools to machine, and then it needs to be very carefully polished to turn the naturally opaque surface transparent.

The process would have been very difficult for even a plain plate of this size, but the complex, three-dimensional form required for HM2-SV, with its bevels, mounting holes, crystal cut-outs and gasket track, pushed the extreme limits of sapphire crystal technology way beyond what was thought possible.

Surprisingly, because it is largely unseen, the sapphire is a substantial 3.6mm thick. Thanks to anti-reflective treatment on both sides - in itself no small technological feat to uniformly apply - the case becomes virtually invisible and allows for full appreciation as the eye is drawn into appreciating a myriad of sublime nuances that are revealed in the intricate movement. Eight mounting bolts, traversing the sapphire plate like pillars and passing through the bright blue gasket sealing the two case halves adds to the architectural nature of the three-dimensional case. The eye-catching blue of the gasket is echoed in the hour disk and moon phase, and also the blued 22k gold Battle-axe automatic winding rotor is arrestingly visible through the display back.

To ensure maximum light and visibility through to the movement, the two dials - minutes and date - are also in sapphire, sapphire disks lightly brushed to a perfect translucency ensuring full legibility of the polished silvered numbers while allowing maximum light through to the engine beneath.

The engine, developed by award-winning master watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, features the world's first mechanical movement offering: Instantaneous Jump Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase and Automatic Winding. One highlight (of many) of the HM2 complication is the highly energy-efficient Jump Hour/Retrograde mechanism developed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, which uses his exclusive (and patented) asymmetrical-tooth gear wheels to ensure high precision and play-free functionality.

While Horological Machine No2-SV is a highly engineered 21st century timepiece in every sense, the quality and execution of the hand finishing showcases the very best in traditional craftsmanship. It is craftsmanship that is brought to the fore as the sapphire case allows uninterrupted light to enter, bounce and scintillate off the highly polished surfaces and perfectly hand-bevelled edges, bringing vivacity to the rich combination of colours, materials, shapes and textures.

Horological Machine No.2-SV is a limited edition of 25 pieces only

The Mission One 240 km/hr Superbike

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The three men behind the Mission One superbike are Forrest North, Edward West and Mason Cabot

Forrest North first dreamed of building an electric motorcycle when leading the Stanford University Solar Car Team in 1998. Seven years later, he joined Tesla Motors working with many of his old Solar Car teammates to build the world's first performance electric sports car.

Edward West first met Forrest while working on the Yale University Solar Car. Later, the pair worked together building laboratory robotics for a small bay area startup, before Edward left to earn his MBA in sustainable management from the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

Mason Cabot was an electronics guru with 10 years of experience at Intel. Forrest introduced Mason to motorcycling, and within a few months, Mason was hooked. It wasn"t long before he gave up owning a car completely.

The three founders set up offices in Mason's garage, blocks from the historic Mission Street in San Francisco. In July 2007, they bought the company"s first motorcycle, a 1994 Ducati 900 and began stripping out the engine and converting it to electric drive.

Two months later, the three founders had turned that classic Ducati into one of the highest performing street legal electric motorcycles in the world.

The prototype proved the team's claims. Every rider who got on the bike was enthusiastic, saying it was unlike anything they had ever ridden before. Armed with their first business plan and the prototype, the team placed 2nd in the Cleantech Open.

The Mission One creates a whole new level of rider control. With a fully equipped data acquisition system and wireless communication capability, riders can capture and analyze real time ride data. Riders have the power to adjust throttle maps, tune regenerative braking, and create multiple ride settings, all from their laptop computer.

World renown Swiss designer Yves Behar and his team were responsible for the iconic design in which they tried to convey in esthetics the feeling of 'riding the wind'. Designed to express speed and efficiency in its overall sharp lines, the Mission One also is highly detailed with special attention to a rider's needs, bringing a high level of product design and ergonomics to a new generation of performance transportation.

The Mission One represents a revolution in motorcycle and electric vehicle performance. Mission Motors" advanced electric powertrain makes the Mission One the first electric sportbike to power wheelie at 110 km/hr and powers the Mission One to a top speed of 240 kms/hr.

The Mission One integrates a custom-built chassis with suspension elements selected for race level handling and performance. The 2010 model Mission One comes equipped with: Ohlins inverted front forks, Ohlins fully adjustable shock, Brembo 4 piston monobloc calipers, Marchesini wheels, and race compound tires.

On September 1, 2009, the Mission One claimed the national AMA top speed record for an electric motorcycle, with an unprecedented 240 km/hr (150.059 mph) two-pass average run sustained for one mile at the Bonneville Speedway. Lead up runs saw one-way speeds across the mile stretch at 260 kms/hr (161mph).

For more information, please visit www.ridemission.com

Spoof Hyundai Assurance advert

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The last year has been a difficult one for car brands in the USA (and elsewhere), as many of their potential clients worry about taking on a car loan when they do not feel secure in their jobs.

Hyundai implemented an innovative scheme that has proved to be very popular, whereby the brand promises to let buyers return their vehicles, at no cost in most cases and with no penalty to their credit rating, if they lose their job or income within a year.

in the month it was launched, the guarantee led to sales of Hyundai's full-size sedan jumping 85%.

But what if they offered even more?

Warning, strong language at the end. Don't watch if you think you may be offended.

A very Happy New Year to all of our Friends from MB&F

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2009 was a turning point in many people"s lives and for many companies. It was a defining year due to the global economic uncertainty and difficulties; a year that helped us better understand what is important for each of us and on whom we could count.

Clearly it is in tough times that you recognize your real friends and for a company that incorporates the word "Friends" in its name that was very important.

I learned last month in South East Asia that MB&F was often referred to as "My Brothers and Friends", which truly conveyed the spirit.
Indeed, we all worked much harder, we stuck together, we battled side by side, and because of that we finished the year stronger and more serene. 2010 sees MB&F prepared to launch the most exhilarating creative year of our existence.

We wish you all a 2010 filled with a festival of amazement, smiling complicities, strong brotherhood and crazy dreams coming true !

With our warmest regards, Max Büsser

Kinetic Art using Balls on Strings

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The German company ART+COM specializes in developing interactive media and their projects are to be found on the internet, in museums, showrooms, visitor and science centres as well as trade fairs and events.

What sets ART+CO's exhibitions apart is that they attract the eye and make the viewer think.

The project featured here was one of many developed by Art + Com for the BMW museum in Munich and shows what can be achieved with a fertile imagination coupled with some farly sophisticated technology.

The concept behind this mechatronic installation is a spatial representation of the form-finding process in art and design.

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas with an unusual version on Jingle Bells

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.

Stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
as the microwaves' thrum
was filling the air.

The above video was made by the digital idea company, AKQA using 49 pre-selected for 'bing' microwave ovens with their timers set so that they play Jingle Bells

Wishing all of our Friends a very Happy Christmas.

Swimming in the Devil's Pool at Victoria Falls, Zambia

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nothing says 'Location, location, location.' better than the Devil's Pool, a natural water hole precipitously perched on the very edge of the Victoria Falls.

This ultimate infinity pool is created each year when the dry season reduces water levels sufficient for the underwater ledge to offer protection against being swept over.

Hundreds of thrill-seekers descend on the falls, on Zambia's border with Zimbabwe, clambering across rocks and wading through shallows across the precipice to reach the pool.

Although it's not for faint hearted, swimming in the Devil's Pool isn't as dangerous as it appears in the photographs. A natural rock ledge reduces the current and stops swimmers from being swept over the edge. However, the pool is only safe to use at times of the year when water levels are comparatively low. When the water level rises, the ledge does not offer enough protection for swimmers.

MB&F's December 2009 Newsletter

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends,

With a generally difficult 2009 drawing quickly to a close it"s time for us to reflect on how fortunate we are to have developed such a strong network of friends and partners. You have all enabled MB&F to not only survive, but to power from strength to strength. In this, our last newsletter for the year, we feature our latest creation, the HM2.2 "Black Box". I have just come back from a two-week tour in Asia presenting it with my friend Alain Silberstein and the looks of wonder and the smiles generated by this creation were heart-warming.

We welcome Marcus in London as the latest retail Friend of MB&F and this Newsletter also features Laurent Picciotto wearing his HM3 with panache; MB&F"s Concept Lab on Facebook (3000+ fans!); and what can be done with imagination, a few friends... and a herd of sheep!

You can read it all this and more by clicking MB&F December 2009 Newsletter

The three-dimensional printed buildings of Enrico Dini

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Enrico Dini dreamt of buildings, construction and impossible shapes and was particularly inspired by Gaudi's architecture. He became a Civil engineer and later branched out into making machines, but all the while dreaming of creating impossible shapes.

Traditional building methods tend to reel in dreamers outlandish dreams because building with concrete and brick requires scaffolding and a lot of manpower, which creates constraints that limit the way in which buildings can be constructed and limit the shapes and forms that architects can use.

His D_shape technology makes it possible to 3D print 6m x 1m sections at a time.

Rather than accept these constraints, Enrico decided to completely remove them and in 2004 he invented and patented a full scale 3D printing method that uses epoxy to bind sand. This process enables him to print buildings in practically any form he can imagine.

The d_shape system works with a rigging that is suspended over the buildable part. The system deposits the sand and then the inorganic binding ink. No water is necessary. Because the two components meet outside the nozzle, the machine does not clog up and can keep up its accuracy of 25 DPI. Enrico and d_shape are currently talking to lots of construction & engineering companies and architects about their technology.

A rendering of a 3D roundabout sculpture in Pisa Italy that Enrico is working on.

The d_shape technology allows a level of precision and freedom of design unheard of in the past. The human limitations of master builders and bricklayers will no longer hamper architects" visions.

d_shape has been designed to make the Construction Industry more environmentally friendly as well as providing low-cost access to building for people in need around the world. The system uses environmentally friendly materials and very low levels of energy.For more information please visit www.D-Shape.com

A flock of sheep, a few good men, innumeral LEDs and lots of imagination.

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To promote its new range of TVs, Samsung recruited Welsh national sheep herding champion Gerry Lewis and a team of Welsh sheep herders to guide flocks of in imaginitive ways.

Over a millon viewers watched this video within four days of it going online.

Matt Smith, the co-founder of ad agency The Viral Factory said: The people on camera are real farmers and they were really controlling the sheepdogs. Rather than trying to fake it all we did it for real. The sheep herding bit is straight up – no trickery but there is a fair amount of computer trickery and post production work. We thought the Mona Lisa was the big wink to people – once they saw that we thought they would realise it was not all real. But we have been quite surprised that there is still a debate about whether it is all real and people have been coming up with various theories.

Follow the action as they play a game of Pong, create sheep fireworks and the Mona Lisa.

The main problem on the shoot was not herding the sheep, but getting enough of them because it was lambing season and they could not disturb or stress the sheep that were lambing.

Different sheep were used over the two day shoot so the sheep were not tired out.

Photographer Paul Nicklen befriended by enormous leopard seal in Antarctia

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen (who we first featured on APW in 2007) traveled to Antarctica to take underwater photographs of leopard seals. When he arrived, he and his guide were greeted by the largest leopard seal (4 metres long) either of them had ever seen.

Photograph by Paul Nicklen

Leopard seals are the only known seals to regularly hunt warm-blooded prey

When he entered the water, the savage seal immediately took Paul's camera and entire head into her mouth . . . but then something changed. The video below tells the fascinating story.

For more information on stunning images of Paul Nicklen's encounters in Antarctia, plase visit ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/11/leopard-seals/nicklen-photography

The Patrouille de France pays homage to the world's most famous Gaul

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On the occassion of the 50th annivesary of Asterix, which was created in October 1959 - written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo - one of the world's premier precision air- acrobatic teams, the Patrouille de France, paid homage to Gaul's most famous sun by making a short film.

Asterix's adventures have had him touring France, visiting Britain, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Egypt, the Near East (looking for oil), Greece, Corsica, Rome, America (unwittingly) and even India, so it is only fitting that he finally gets himself some fast transport.

While the video is in French, we hope you will agree with is in that the visuals speak all languages.

The Patrouille de France is only a few years older that Asterix, having celebrated their own 50th annivesary in 2003.

For more information, please visit wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix and www.patrouilledefrance.com

Imagine that a building could dream?

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"How it would be, if a house was dreaming?" Well Urbanscreen, a company specializing in putting architecture on stage did just that. Urbanscreen projects large scale images and video onto urban surfaces and the results can be spectacular.

The project above derives from its underlying architecture - the theoretic conception and visual pattern of the Kunsthalle in Hamburg .

The basic idea of narration was to dissolve and break through the strict architecture of O. M. Ungers "Galerie der Gegenwart" to uncover different interpretations of conception, geometry and aesthetics, which are expressed through graphics and movement.

For more information, please visit www.urbanscreen.com

Why: A Wally Hermès Yacht with a difference.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

WHY yachts is a combination of Wally yachts - known for their ultra-modern minimalism - Hermès- standing for understated classical elegance. One might be forgiven for thinking that those two worlds are more likely to collide than blend; however, Why loos to be the very best of both.

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Artistic Director of Hermès says : "When we met, in autumn 2007, Luca Bassani Antivari, President of Wally had thought about asking Hermès to accessorise the interior of one of his boats. I was impressed by the daring of his projects. My instinct was to get on board with him and go and seek out new territories in yacht design, but I had no interest in speed."

Luca Bassani Antivari explains: "What I"ve always liked about Hermès, aside from its intrinsic quality, is its audacity and radicalism; its desire to go beyond trends, to make no compromises and to maintain the authenticity of the house. Wally shares the same values, "Hermès-on-Land", "Wally-on-Sea": inevitably our paths had to cross."

Why settle for oceanfront estate when you can have a mobile multiple-oceanfront estate?

While most yachts, whether racing, crusing or luxury are long and thin, Why is 58 metres long by a massive 38 metres wide. But Why's USP isn't its stunning looks or 25 metre pool, it is its eco-friendliness.

Thanks to its specific hull, Why 58x38 requires less power at cruising speed than a boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is the most efficient motorisation today, and the surface of the photovoltaic panels, almost 900 square metres, covers most of the boat"s auxiliary system needs.

"We are very interested in creating a yacht that will have a low environmental impact", says Pierre-Alexis Dumas. "Its relationship with the sea must be respectful and easy. Why intends to offer a new way of moving over water by creating an innovative way of managing and recycling its sources and uses of energy." "If you want to go totally ecological, the only solution is sailing. The reality is that today, 90 % of the market is powerboats, echoes Luca Bassani Antivari. Our aim is to reduce diesel consumption per year and per yacht: 20 to 30 % for propulsion and 40 to 50 % for generation."

For more information, please visit www.why-yachts.com

Swedish photographer Erik Johansson creates images that that make you think

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Go your own road

Erik Johansson is a photographer based in Gothenburg, Sweden who manipulates his images to create entirely new - and often mind-boggling - art.

Roadworker's coffee break

Eric's goal is to make his pictures as realistic as possible, but at the same time impossible. He often uses humour to convey a message, but usely he wants the viewer to interpret the photos themselves.

Ironing out some kinks in the character – Stryktalig (2008)

Erik draws inspiration from artists including M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte, as well as photos and drawings he sees on the Internet. "I think the most important thing is to make a note of every idea, otherwise it might be gone in a few seconds."

For more photos and information, please visit www.alltelleringet.com

eniCycle: a fun electric unicycle (or one-wheeled Sedgway)

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The eniCycle is one-wheel self-stabilizing unicycle, created by Slovenian inventor Aleksander Polutnik.

This unlikely looking form of personal transloprt is powered by a electric motor and features a self-balancing gyroscope system. The speed of eniCycle is controlled by leaning forwards/backwards like the Segway.

To ride the eniCycle, you sit on the seat and place your feet on foot rests on the both sides of the wheel.

Electronic gyroscope measures vertical angle of eniCycle. If you lean forwards, this is detected by gyroscope and the electronic accelerates the speed of the motor to put the eniCycle back in balance. In case you lean back, the speed is decelerated.

To turn left, you simply press the left foot rest. The wheel leans to the left and eniCycle turns left. To turn right you press the right foot rest.

Enicycle tested on The Gadget Slow. Think you can get the hang of it in 10 minutes?

For more information, please visit www.enicycle.com

Soliloquy, a supergreen superyacht

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Alastair Callender, a 24 year old British graduate, has designed the world"s greenest superyacht. It is so energy efficient that it can create surplus power that can be sold to the nation power grid (or a neighbouring power hungry boat)

Soliloquy is a conceptual collaboration between a prize-winning British marine designer, Alastair Callender, and Solar Sailor, an Australian company that specializes in integrated sun- and wind-energy systems for ships

Callender designed Soliloquy for his final-year project at Coventry University and - following this year"s Monaco boat show where a small-scale prototype of the Soliloquy (selling for up to £40m when built) attracted the attention of several potential buyers - he is now in talks to build Soliloquy for a client looking to exchange his conventional boat for a greener vessel.

Photovoltaic cells on the 219 square-meter, or 2,360 square-foot, sail surface are designed to drive the yacht at speeds of up to eight knots. Under wind alone, it can clip along at up to 10 knots, while a back-up hybrid electric-diesel motor will be able to generate speeds of up to 18 knots.

The sails, developed by the Australian company Solar Sailor, which sponsored Callender"s project, can rotate 360 degrees to face the sun or wind, and fold away like the blades of a penknife when not in use.

Eco-features will include a cold-molded hull built with wood from sustainably managed forests, and an on-board gym with treadmills that will help charge the main batteries. "Yacht design and helping the planet are things I"m very passionate about," Mr. Callender said.

It is emission-free at up to 10 knots but can reach 18 knots with the help of a diesel-electric motor. It can also store energy for when there is no wind blowing.

For more information, please visit www.callenderdesigns.co.uk

The Only Watch HM2 has found a home in Hong Kong

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends,

On Thursday September 24th evening, after a pretty Homeric but swift battle between a Hong Kong and a Thai collector on the Net, and an American collector on the phone, our HM2 piece unique created with artist Sage Vaughn went for 85'240 USD at the Monaco Only Watch auction ! It's new home is now Hong Kong !

The Only Watch charity auction, which has been created to fund research against muscular dystrophy, collected over 2,3 million Euros during this exceptional sale !

The Piece Unique HM2 created with Sage Vaughn featured a bright blue butterfly trapped in a movement surrounded by barbed wire. The timepiece also features the full gamut of HM2's indications: Instantaneous Jumping Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon-Phase plus Automatic Winding.

This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of Horological Machine N°2, was signed by famed American artist Sage Vaughn. I wanted to work with Sage on this project because his paintings of gaily dressed children and bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that I thought important and wanted to convey. Sage, a young artist whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. Sage not only immediately agreed to work with us on this project; his enthusiasm and dedication were a driving power to its completion.

We owe a big thank you to Sage for having contributed his precious time, energy and creativity to this amazing project. And of course special thanks to all the Friends of MB&F who made the crafting of this special piece possible.

The MB&F adventure continues, so get ready for many more surprises to come !

With our very best regards,

The Philips Interactive Cinema Experience

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This internet video for Philips, called 'Carousel', took a top prize at the Cannes film festival in a category that is traditionally awarded to a TV advertisement. The video Cinema 21:9 introduced the "world's first cinema proportion TV." Viewers can click hot-spots to make it feel as if they control the film about a botched armed robbery at a hospital. The website www.philips.com/cinema has already had more than 1 million unique visitors.

"It has a lot of different elements," said David Lubars, chairman, chief creative officer, BBDO, North America and the jury president for film. "It's an example of showing the way forward."

The video runs for two minutes and 19 seconds, an intentional length in order to promote the set's 21:9 display proportion. People can toggle between the aspect ratios and activate the set's signature Ambilight feature, backlighting on the set that makes it feel more like a movie theater.

"We wanted people to experience the difference between 16.9 and 21.9 TV and we wanted them to experience between having Ambilight on and Ambilight off," says Gary Raucher, head of integrated marketing communications for Philips consumer lifeystle.

The production agency wanted to created something memorable and used a dark setting, eerie music and dead robbers in clown suits to demonstrate the product.

"We wanted to create something cinematic, action packed and heart-stopping that would get the audiences attention," said Chris Baylis, executive creative director, Tribal DDB Amsterdam. We were still discussing the masks two days before the shoot. The crazy evil clown masks are the ones we went for because it made Ambilight look great. "

If you have a fast broadband connection, I highly recommend downloading the ultra high definition version for maximum experience. www.cinema.philips.com

Easyglider: a fun new way to skate/ride/drive

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Made in Switzerland, Easy-Glider is basically an electric motor attached to a wheel attached to a handlebar. It is a fun new method of transport, a cross between a motorbike (the controls are similar) and a skateboard or chariot.

Easy-Glider feels safer than a skateboard or roller skates because you have three 'legs', not two.

Easy-glider has a top speed of 20 km/hr and, under normal conditions, fully charged batteries should last up to an hour.

In Switzerland, Easy-Glider can be registered for the road and driven with a moped licience.

Is Easy-Glider Switzerland's answer to the Sedgway? For more information, please visit www.easy-glider.com

Walking BigDog robot by Boston Dynamics

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Boston Dynamics robots feature remarkable mobility, agility, dexterity and speed. They use sophisticated sensor-based controls and computation to unlock the capabilities of complex mechanisms.

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics robots. It is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads.

BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal"s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next.

In tests BigDog runs at 7km (4 mph), climbs slopes up to 35 degrees, walks across rubble, climbs a muddy hiking trail, walks in snow and water, and carries a 150kgs (340 lb) load. BigDog set a world's record for legged vehicles by traveling 12.8 miles without stopping or refueling.

LittleDog is a quadruped robot designed for research on learning locomotion. Scientists at leading institutions use LittleDog to probe the fundamental relationships among motor learning, dynamic control, perception of the environment, and rough-terrain locomotion.

For more information, please visit www.Boston Dynamics.com

The Only Watch HM2: A Piece Unique to Support a Cause

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

To view this Newslatter full size, please click Only Watch HM2

Dear Friends,

There are times in life when we must cease to look only for ourselves and find the time to help others. And there is perhaps no better cause than alleviating the suffering of children. With that in mind, over the last 16 months MB&F has been creating, developing and crafting an amazing piece unique to help combat muscular dystrophy.

There is a butterfly trapped in the movement of this very special Horological Machine. It has no hope of escaping and its plight is intensified by the barbed wire enmeshing the complicated movement. This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of Horological Machine No2, is signed by its designer, the famed American artist Sage Vaughn.

It will be auctioned at Only Watch, the charity auction to benefit research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, to be held in Monaco on 24 September 2009 under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.

Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder affecting boys. It causes a progressive weakening of the muscles that becomes fatal as the child gets older. The Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM) is a leading force in the drive to find a cure.

I was determined to work with Sage Vaughn for this special project. His paintings of gaily dressed children and bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that I thought important and wanted to convey. Sage, a young artist whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. Sage not only immediately agreed to work with us on this project; his enthusiasm and dedication were a driving power to its completion.

Please visit the dedicated Only Watch section on our website, and if you are interested in helping research into finding a cure for this debilitating desease, by bidding for this amazing piece, you are invited to register at www.patrizziauction.com

The MB&F piece unique will be one of 32 timepieces by other renown brands including Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin and you can learn more at the Patrizzi & Co website. We owe Osvaldo Patrizzi a debt of thanks for dedicating his time and resources to orchestrate this unique charity auction.

Beautiful horology is very worthwhile but a child's smile is priceless.

With our very best regards,

Deadline- amazing Stop Motion video using Post-It notes.

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The following video was produced by Bang-yao Liu as a senior project for his degree at Savannah"s College of Art and Design.

Deadline is a 2 minute video stop motion video featuring Bang-yao"s thought process as he is busy meeting his various work deadlines.

I feel that I am not fighting with my workload, I am fighting with those post-it notes and my deadline. By manipulating the post-it notes to do pixel-like stop motion, I have managed to create interactions between the person and the post-its.

Deadline

3 months planning, 4 days shooting, 6000+ post-it notes.

The making of DeadlineWatching how much work was involved gives a real appreciation for the final result.

When it comes to art, the canvas is only limited by the artist's imagination.

Mesmerizing high-definition slow motion from the SprintCam v3

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It is all to easy to forget when watching films or TV that the motion we are seeing is, in reality, a series of still photographs.

The number of images per second, or frame rate, of standard TV and film varies between 24 and 60 images per second. And that is fine in most cases, but in sports, the fast motion of the subject can result is a noticeable jump between their position from one frame to the next and this is especially noticeable when the action is slowed down and we are seeing much fewer frames per second.

As a result, slow motion photography is shot with high-speed (high frame rate) cameras and the present king of high-speed cameras is the I-Movix SprintCam V3 HD, which can shoot at an incredible 2,500 frames/second in HD. (I-Movix also has an 8000 frames/second model used in the Olympics).

The above video is the first SprintCam v3 showreel, which was made for the NAB 2009 exhibition. It was shot mainly at 1000 frames per second (FPS) at a rubgy competition in the Stade de France, Paris. Click to view in full high-definition.

The SprintCam system has been instrumental in providing some of the most arresting slow-motion footage from recent broadcasting events, including the Beijing Summer Games in 2008, at which SprintCam was the official ultra-slow-motion solution. SprintCam V3 HD features a combination of exceptional image quality and light sensitivity, instant replay, broadcast integration and out-of-the-box operation with no requirement for special training.

Bouncing jelly has never looked so good!

Take a model car, a mobile phone, a F1 car and . . . .

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Imagine: a couple of tech-savvy young guys, let's call them Simon and Steve, decide to program their mobile phone to control their radio-controlled model cars.

They then upload a video of themselves playing to YouTube, where it was seen by somebody at the McClaren F1 team, who asked them to get in touch.

Our boys are then invited by McClaren to a race test track in Portugal ,where Lewis Hamilton proceeded to drive a McClaren F1 car by remote control using a similar phone.

Watch the video above to see how it all panned out.

Wow, what a story! If only it was true . . . and this one isn't.

It is actually a guerrilla marketing campaign by Vodafone for the BlackBerry Storm. A very successful marketing campaign in terms of viewer numbers, but it must have been frustrating that many viewers thought it was an iPhone!

Guerrilla Marketing: thought provoking posters

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Guerrilla marketing is the art of catching and grabbing the viewer's attention by placing the unexpected in common places. The unconventional can deliver a powerful message as the following images show.

These disturbing images placed in the bottom of shopping carts by Feed SA, a South African charity dedicated to feeding disadvantaged people, resulted in both a large increase in donations plus a big boost in website traffic from people wanting to learn more.

Tired of people spray-painting graffiti on their buses and trains, the Australian Public Transport Authority targeted the "graffidiots" with this ad campaign reminding would-be vandals what the consequences of their actions could be.

A blank set of elevator doors features two sets of fingers peeking out from the seam, as if someone inside is trying to escape. Inside the elevator the owner of those fingers: a man in a prison jumpsuit and leg-cuffs. Witness Against Torture, a human rights group, used this ad to campaign for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

With creativity, powerful emotions can be created with teh most simple of tools.

Thanks to WebUrbanist.com

Elephants in the lobby at the luxury Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

For most of the year there is little to distinguish Mfuwe Lodge in Zambia from similar luxurious game park accommodation in the region, but every November that changes . . . it changes BIG time!

When the lodge was constructed, nobody realized that it the nearby patch of mango trees was visited in November each year (when the fruit was ripe) by a family of elephants.

The open plan construction was built directly on the elephants habitual path and, as they were there first, they saw no reason to make a detour. Every November they walk straight through the lobby up to four times a day.

The matriarchal of the herd is 'Wonky Tusk', and she brings the nine others through to the mangos. They then come and go as they please for four to six weeks.

Guests are kept at a safe distance, but still more than close enough to see what is going. The elephants are completeéy wild and have not been tamed but there have been no problems.

For more information, please visit www.mfuwelodge.com

Shhhh! Switzerland's Top Secret Drum Corps

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In celebration of the 1st of August Swiss national Day, I would like to let you in on a secret, a top secret.

The Top Secret Drum Corps is a precision drum corps based in Basel, Switzerland. With 25 drummers and colourguard members, the corps became famous for its demanding six-minute routine performed at the Edinburgh Tattoo in 2003. With its invitation to Edinburgh, Top Secret became one of the first non-military, non-British Commonwealth acts to perform on the Esplanade at Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh 2006

Since its success in 2003, Top Secret was invited to return to Edinburgh in 2006 with a new and improved routine. 2009 they have been invited a third time. Under the leadership of Erik Julliard, the band is also responsible for the founding of the military tattoo show similar to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, now held annually in Basel.

Edinburgh 2003

Top Secret has its roots in the rich drumming traditions of the band's home city, Basel, Switzerland, which is known for its annual carnival called Fasnacht. The city is said to have over 3,000 active drummers at any one time. These drummers perform at traditional events such as Fasnacht, the Vogel Gryff, Charivari, and various parades associated with the city's guilds. A Trommelkonig (Drummer King) competition is also held every year by the city's Fasnacht Committee.

To learn more, please visit Top_Secret_Drum_Corps and www.topsecretbasel.ch,  but please keep it to yourself, afterall, it's a secret.

The incredible mechanical animals of photographer/designer Andrew Chase

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Photographer, sculptutor, designer and artist Andrew Chase has crafted the most incredible realistically articulated animal from the most mundane of components.

And he has also created his own imaginary world where the cheetahs are the couriers of small objects and run treadmills to generate power. Along with the Cheetah, Chase's world also includes the Giraffe and the Elephant.

Chase's primary artstic medium is photography and he has constructed these animals to be able to take photos of them for a book project.

The Cheetah measures 61cm (24") high and 127cm (50") nose to tail and is crafted from Chase's favourite materials of electrical conduit, transmission parts and 20 gauge steel.

The lifelike motion of Andrew Chase's Cheetah

This incredible Elephant was crafted from transmission parts, electrical conduits, plumbing pipes and 20 gauge cold rolled steel. It is 36" X 36" X 18" and weights about 85 lbs. All the joints move and lock in place, turning a gear on the elephant's side winds a cable around a shaft which raises and lowers the trunk and the ears move back and forth and can fan out. For more images.

Chase's Giraffe is crafted from transmission parts, electrical conduit, and plumbing pipe. All the joints rotate and lock. Turning a removable crank on the Giraffe's side raises the neck. Lifting the tail releases a catch and lowers the neck. It's about 2m (6') tall. For more images.

And Andrew Chase is making a 50-page picture book (extract above) about the Robot TME - short for "Trionic Morphatractable Engineer".

For more information, please visit www.andrewchase.com

Igarashi Design's incredible single seat helicopter

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By day, Yutaka Igarashi reportedly works in a Japanese sawmill. By night, he creates remarkable designs using 3D modelling software.

Igarashi Design has introduced a single seat helicopter with truly amazing looks.

While the helicopter is (theoretically) equipped with everything required to give the machine high reliability, the single seat means that the pilot had better be very qualified before starting it up, because there will be no instructor holding his/her hand on their first flight.

Imagine how much easier and more fun the daily commute would be in this little baby!

And Igarashi's talent and imagination is not just limited to avant-garde helicopters.

V-Twin motorcycle

Chopper-style bicycle

Turbine-powered snowmobile

Robot contolled GP racing motorbike.

We can only hope that somebody puts some of these incredible designs into production.

For more information, please visit IgarashiDesign

Movbox reinterprets the mobile restaurant

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Located in Montreal"s Old Port, Müvbox offers a variety of dishes featuring lobster from Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Created from an old shipping container powered by solar energy, this concept is a modern-day reinvention of the old-fashioned canteen which creates an experience that"s environmentally-friendly, ethical and affordable.

Every night, Müvbox vanishes back into its cube, redeploying early the next morning in less than two minutes, at the touch of a button! Whether you are an Old Port regular or simply passing through, stop by and grab a bite in a modern, refined setting in a box that has been all over the world.

Over 25 years ago, founder and owner of the Pizzaiolle restaurants Daniel Noiseux brought the first wood stove pizza to Montreal. He is now breaking new ground with Müvbox. Passionate about all things extraordinary, this business man/restaurateur takes pride in bringing his wildest ideas to life for the greater dining pleasure of food lovers.

But to be honest, the best thing about Müvbox for thoses not living near Montreal is their excellent video!

Technical details:
Deployment: 1.5 minutes
Complete installation: 15 minutes
28 places, 14 of which are seated
3-4 employees when in use
Up to 40% energy self-sufficient, due to two solar panels

For more information, please visit www.movbox.com

The Oympus PEN story

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is the Oympus PEN Story in stop motion video.

60.000 pictures; 9.600 prints and over 1.800 pictures reshot.

No post production! This is one of the most detailed stop motion video ever seen.

Olympus' new E-P1 "Pen" camera sports a 12.3 megapixel resolution, handles micro four-thirds lenses, and shoots high-definition video. It's not exactly a DSLR, but you can change lenses.

The PEN story" is dedicated to the comeback and the 50th anniversary of the Olympus PEN. It starts in 1959 where the first PEN was released and ends with the new digital Olympus PEN.

The PEN E-P1 isn't featured here because if features a 12.3 megapixel resolution, 3-inch LCD viewscreen, in-body image stabilization, dust reduction system, and Olympus's new TruePic V image processor . . .

It is on A Parallel World because the video uses art to convey emotion very, very effectively and we salute all those who push the envelope.

Thank you to Peter Chong for bring this to our attention on Facebook.

For more information on the camera, please check out the comprehensive review at http://www.dpreview.com/previews/olympusep1/

Microsoft Imagines Technology in 2019

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When Microsoft images technology of the future, they have a head start on the rest of us in that they are very likely to be working on much of it right here in the present.

In the cinema quality video below, Microsoft's Office Labs has produced their vision of what we may be doing in 2019.

Some of the new technologies demoed including a "transparent wall" between two classrooms around the world, animated drawings, realtime conversation translations, surface displays, electronic boarding cards, transparent displays, mini projectors, electronic newspapers among many others.

As long as its all not running on Vista!

For more information and insights into the future, please visit www.officelabs.com.

Manned Cloud by Jean-Marie Massaud

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Manned Cloud is a flying hotel proposed by French designer Jean-Marie Massaud, who has been working on the project since 2005.

Manned Cloud is an alternative project around leisure and travelling in all its form, economic and experimental, still with the idea of lightness, human experience and life scenarios as the guiding principles. The spiral of Archimedes is the driving force of this airship in the form of a whale that glides through the air.

The airship, developed with French national aerospace research body ONERA, will be able to accommodate 40 guests and have a range of 5,000 km. Cruising speed is anticipated to be 130 km/h with a top speed of 170 km/h. The two-deck cabin will contain amenities including a restaurant, a library, a fitness suite and a spa. There will also be a sun deck on top of the double helium-filled envelopes.

The scientific partner of the project, ONERA, has begun research and analysis into the feasibility of the project.

We hope that this graceful and enviromentally friendly alternative form of transport will be floating quitely in our skies in the not too distant future.

Massaud was voted 'Designer of the year 2009' by Now! Design à vivre.

For more information please visit www.massaud.com

Amazing Barreleye fish with transparent head

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

OK you may think, a deep-sea fish with a transparent head is unusual, but then many, if not most, deep-sea fish are unusual.

But look closely at the barreleye's eyes and there is a good chance you are looking at its nose. What appear to be eyes, those small round objects just above his mouth, are actually olfactory organs. They are basically fish nostrils.

The eyes are actually those green demi-spheres inside the top of its head. Its eyes are shaped like barrels and thus its name. Spherical eyes are not as well adapted for the dark deeps in which it the barrel fish lives and its eye can swivel inside its head to look up, forward, or and even to backwards through the top rear of its cranium to see if there is anything coming from behind and above.

The name 'barreleye' drives from the fact that because their eyes are tubular in shape. Barreleyes typically live near the depth where sunlight from the surface fades to complete blackness. They use their ultra-sensitive tubular eyes to search for the faint silhouettes of prey overhead.

Although such tubular eyes are very good at collecting light, they have a very narrow field of view. Furthermore, until now, most marine biologists believed that the barreleye's eyes were fixed in their heads, which would allow them to only look upward. This would make it impossible for the fishes to see what was directly in front of them, and very difficult for them to capture prey with their small, pointed mouths.

The barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) is 15cms long (6"), lives at depths of more than 600 meters (2000') and, although it was first discovered in 1939, the transparent nature of its head wasn"t known as the only specimins examined were caught in nets and dead, and when dead the transparent nature of its skull disappears so it was thought that the fish could not see forwards.

It was not until recently that a team from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insitute sent remotely operated vehicles to the ocean floor to study the Barreleyeand make the remarkable discovery that the fish had a transparent skull and could rotate its eyes through many angles. They also managed to capture a live specimen, and over several hours observed the fish rotating its eyes.

There are more things in heaven and earth (and underwater), Horatio, . . . .

For more information, please visit news_releases/2009/barreleye/barreleye.html

MB&F's Only Watch HM2 piece unique by artist Sage Vaughn

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There is a butterfly trapped in the movement of the latest watch to emerge from MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends). And it has no hope of escaping, because the complicated movement is wrapped in barbed wire.
This emotionally charged piece, a one-of-a-kind interpretation of MB&F"s Horological Machine N°2, is signed by the American artist Sage Vaughn.

It will be auctioned at Only Watch, the charity auction to benefit research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to be held in Monaco on 24 September 2009 under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.

Sage Vaughn was born in Jackson, Oregon and now lives and works in Los Angeles.

As a child he developed his talent for art in the company of his father, the artist Richard Smitty Vaughn Junior. His hippie parents had little money for toys, but they encouraged him to draw and to develop his own style. Later, he became an avid participant in the graffiti culture.

Today he favours painting, but the city of his graffiti days is ever present in his work.

"I try to utilise animals in the same way that Aesop did in his fables"say Vaughn

Sage Vaughn"s paintings question the human condition and the difficulty of living in a contemporary environment. The bright birds and insects serve as an affirmation of life, but they also remind us of our strategies for survival in a modern society.

Maximilian Büsser said that he and his team were "shocked into" participating and were determined to work with Sage Vaughn. His paintings of gaily dressed children or bright birds or butterflies against bleak urban backgrounds had the tension between affirmation of life and a sense of desperation that they were seeking.

Vaughn, whose solo shows have won widespread critical acclaim, has fought and conquered his own demon – a seven-year heroin addiction – and the pain of that struggle is felt in the emotional power of his work. He immediately agreed to contribute his time and talent.

You can see parallels between Vaughn's 'State Penn' painting above and the HM2 only Watch.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder affecting boys. It causes a progressive weakening of the muscles that becomes fatal as the child gets older.

The Monegasque Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (AMM) is a leading force in the drive to find a cure.

The barbed wire is handcrafted in blackened gold, the butterfly in blued gold and the scene has all the emotional impact of the first rough by the artist.

For more information and images, please check out the dedicated Only Watch section on www.MB&F.com

Wearable Motorcycle Concept by Jake loniak

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Jake Loniak designed Deus Ex Machina while studying for a Transportation Design degree at the Art Center College of Design. It would use nano phosphate batteries and artificial muscles to give a theoretical limited top speed of 129 kms/hr (75mph).

"I never envisioned this as a commuter," says Loniak. "This is a sport bike."

It would stand vertically when parked, so that the rider can step in and strap the bike on like a full-body suit. A computer would interpret the rider"s body movements, translate those into directional commands for the motorcycle, and steer the bike using 36 pneumatic muscles (artificial muscles made by the German company Festo that inflate or deflate to change the direction).

Deus exists only as computer illustrations and animations, but Loniak is confident that it can be built. "I believe a working prototype could be made, but it would take a great deal of time and engineering," he says. The basic technology already exists; the Watertown, Massachusetts, start-up A123 is already selling the lithium-ion batteries Loniak wants to use, and a number of companies are developing ultracapacitors for electric cars and hybrids. "This isn"t fantasy," he says. "It"s a green vehicle, and all of the numbers are based in the real world."

Bring it on!

Adam Grosser and his sustainable fridge

Sun, 24 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

By applying modern science and technology to an old idea, Adam Grosser has developed an efficient refrigeration system powered by fire or heat that has the potential to revolutionise food (and medicine) storage in the third world.

For more 'Ideas worth spreading' videos featuring riveting talks by remarkable people, please visit www.ted.com

Susan Boyle and Paul Potts: Unlikely stars with immense talent.

Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There cannot be many now with an internet connection who have not heard of Susan Boyle. Her performance on Britain"s Got Talent TV show has attracted over 11 million views (and growing) on just one clip on YouTube . . . and there are many!

If you have not seen Susan Boyle"s performance click on the image above, and if you have it is well worth another look as much to see the surprise on Simon Cowell"s sceptical face as it is to hear her amazing voice.

This is how Minette Marrin describeb Boyle"s performance in an article in The Times.

"An unsympathetic person, by contrast, might have sneered slightly, but the derision and jeering contempt that actually met this poor woman, seconds later, when she appeared on stage was quite shockingly brutal, especially for these sentimental times. She might as well have been a martyr in a Roman arena. As she clumsily answered a few questions, and said she wanted to be like Elaine Paige, TV cameras filmed open contempt on the faces of the young audience and there were audible boos and jeers. Worse still, the judges were also laughing at her, Simon Cowell rolling his eyes in affected disbelief and Piers Morgan openly sneering. All this because a plain and middle-aged lady, the living antithesis of youth and cool, had the effrontery to enter a talent contest.

Yet Miss Boyle, with her strange serenity, seemed oddly untroubled. . .

As a nation, as individuals, we don"t sing enough. We should be inspired by the surprising Susan Boyle."

You can learn more about the sensational Susan Boyle on wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Boyle

Paul Potts stunned the judges and audiences in a similar fashion on the same show. Paul was a manager at a Carphone Warehouse store who went on to win Britain's got Talent in 2007 and released a No.1 in the classical charts.

Potts also said in a recent interview that he would like to sing a duet with Susan Boyle.

For more information on Paul Potts wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Potts

It just goes to show, you really can't judge a book by its cover.

MB&F launches new HM2s on Facebook

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MB&F is not only a Horological Laboratory, it is also a community of friends and passionate fans, so it was only natural to enter the digital social networking revolution.

MB&F is therefore pleased to offer you a warm welcome to the new MB&F page on Facebook.

And in what may be the first new watch model ever launched on Facebook, MB&F presented a new version of HM2 in red gold/titanium or white gold/titanium, featuring black dials and metallised moonphase and hour rings on the sapphire glasses.

HM2 in red gold/titanium with black dials and metalized moonphase and hour rings

HM2 in white gold/titanium with black dials and metalized moonphase and hour rings

You can also follow the MB&F Parallel World Blog from the Facebook page as it is mirrored under Notes.

We are looking forward to seeing you on Facebook and you can receive the latest MB&F news and updates by following MBandF on Twitter.

MB&F April 2009 Newsletter

Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 2009 Basel Fair finished three weeks ago and we are still reeling from the incredible enthusiasm generated by our presence in The Watch Factory (a group of 12 independent horological creators exhibiting together, many presenting for the first time).

Now that the hectic period that is Baselworld is past MB&F has just published their April 2009 newsletter to keep all of their Friends up to date with the latest news.

Max Büsser reported that in 18 years of exhibiting at the Basel Fairs he had never seen and experienced such positive energy and drive. MB&F exhibited their range at Baselworld and the "Final Editions" of Horological Machine N°1.

In the Newletter there are details on downloading an excellent 16 page feature on MB&F by GMT magazine for those that really want to print off a

Recap of the fascinating HM1 Engine.

To view the full newsletter, please click MB&F April 2009 Newsletter

GM and Segway launch the PUMA

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The new PUMA - Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility - from GM and Segway shows one way that auto companies could shift over to being transportation companies (if they wanted to).

Segway market it as, ' A digital solution to an analog problem.' The PUMA values less over more; taking up less space, using less energy, produced more efficiently with fewer parts, creating fewer emissions during production and operation, all while offering more enjoyment, productivity and connectivity.

The battery-powered PUMA is functional. Jim Norrod, CEO of Segway Inc. said that with two wheels, you get "unparralled" maneuverability.

The zero-emissions vehicle is powered by a lithium-ion battery and dual electric wheel motors. It features all-electronic acceleration, steering, and braking; vehicle-to-vehicle communications; digital smart energy management; two-wheel balancing; and a dockable user interface that allows off-board connectivity.

With a top speed of 60 km/hr (35 mph), a 60km (35-mile) range, and the ability to recharge for 35 cents (so GM says), there's got to be a market for city dwellers who think bikes are a good idea, but just too sweaty.

Now if only they could make it look good!

For more information, please visit www.segway.com/puma

My Baselworld Highlight: La Machine à Ecrire le Temps

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Baselworld 2009 has just finished and, amongst the flurry of new horological creations, the timepiece that really impressed and amazed me wasn't a wristwatch at all, but an incredible horological machine in its own right.

Jaquet Droz's 'La Machine à Ecrire le Temps' - The Machine that Writes the Time.

Manuel Emch, president and head of artistic creation at Montres Jaquet Droz, has done a superb job in reinventing the brand over the last 8 years.

18th century automates from Jaquet Droz: the Draftsman, the Musician and the Writer

Jaquet Droz was one of the most celebrated creators of automatons in the past and in developing this modern time writing machine, they have created one of the most amazing "horological sculptures" to date, as well as added to the brand's rich heritage.

The project was the brainchild of Manuel Emch who had, amongst other objectives, the idea to create an automaton that relates to the 21st century. The result is as impressive as it is poetic. La Machine à Ecrire le Temps is an incredible blend of tradition, kinetic art, high-tech horology . . . and magic.

The development and construction of La Machine à Ecrire le Temps took the best part of a decade. It contains more than 1,200 components, including 84 ball bearings, 50 cams and 9 belts, and took thousands of hours to construct and regulate.

The masterpiece is housed in an unusual cage, whose aluminium frame is fitted with a liquid crystal glass, allowing the owner to mask or unveil the whole movement at will. A light touch activates the mechanism and a stylus writes the time in hours and minutes.

Contemporary horology as we love it !

Karl Lagerfeld redefines paper as pure luxury.

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At Chanel's Spring 2009 Couture Collection, Karl Lagerfeld showed the world that you could still have pure luxury without ostentatious displays of wealth.

His inspiration for the collection was very simple: "The idea was a white page," Lagerfeld revealed. The paper theme was seen everywhere from the set design to the clothing and accessories, and they drove home the message that true luxury is in the details, in the materials and in the thoughts and ideas behind it all.

The beautiful pieces were also made from paper by Katsuya Kamo, the Japanese hair stylist, and their detail is incredible. Kamo created these works of art using just plain paper (and a team of nimble fingered asssistants). Now working as a hair and makeup artist Kamo originally thought his career would be in fashion design (isn't it still?).

Kamo's creations, designed with Lagerfeld, were reminisient of whipped confections and birds in flight, reflecting his love of creating ambitious and breathtaking feathered pieces.

In fact, with their intricate details demanding so much attention, the headwear and ambitious set almost eclipsed the clothing itself.

Karl Lagerfeld talking about the economic crisis and the Chanel collection.

Dance Mania Marketing

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Saatchi & Saatchi injected a burst of high-energy entertainment into the daily commute at Liverpool Street Station when 350 dancers broke into a spontaneous routine to launch T-Mobile's "Life's for Sharing' campaign.

Saatchi & Saatchi planted hundreds of dancers and ten hidden cameras throughout the station's rush hour crowds to film the dance spectacular.

In a style reminiscent of "flash mob' events, music pumped through the loudspeakers at Liverpool Street Station as a single commuter began to dance. As the music changed, the dancing quickly spread through the morning travellers until hundreds of people were seen moving in unison. Then, as quickly as it began, the performance ended and the dancers dispersed into the crowd. The event, choreographed by one of Britain's leading choreographers, Ashley Wallen, left commuters stunned, surprised and delighted.

Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Partner Paul Silburn said: "The idea was to create a feeling of spontaneity - an event so memorable that people can't help but join in and share it."

Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Partner Kate Stanners said: "Across the whole campaign we've looked for ways to really engage with people through the notion of "Life's for Sharing'. We hope that "Dance' will connect with people in a bold and dynamic way, inspiring them to create and share their own memorable moments."

The event followed months of preparation including auditioning T-Mobile staff to join the dance corps, secret midnight rehearsals in freezing conditions, numerous meetings with Network Rail and negotiating the rights for eight classic music tracks.

It just goes to show that with imagination, marketing can be interesting, fun and very effective.

Branding the hairy-nosed wombat

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

'Branding the hairy-nosed wombat', now that's a headline you will not see very often!

A native of Australia, the hairy-nosed wombat resembles a cross between a dog, a bear and a koala and while they are popular good looking little creatures, they are an endangered species facing extinction.

But Swiss mining company Xstrata - wombats dig too- - has come to the rescue with an innovative branding partnership. In return for millons of $$$ of conservation funding for the wombat,company's name will appear on everything related to wombats: websites, educational DVDs, wildlife workers' shirts.

Xstrata top management will also star in documentaries about the animals and speak at media events. By standing up for the little marsupials, Xstrata hopes to enhance its "green" image.

You can learn more by reading the Time magazine article, Branding for Wombats

Festo - lifelike robotics

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Festo is a German-based family company that has become a worldwide leading supplier of pneumatic and electrical automation technology.

And they have quietly gone about their business generally unknown to to the wider world . . . and that all changed when they developed the gracefully ethereal Airjelly.

The question Festo asked themselves was, 'Can the jellyfish"s motion through water serve as a propulsion principle for an airborne object? Is it possible to glide through the air as a jellyfish swims through water?'

Propulsion of a ballonett by means of peristaltic motion is as yet unknown in the history of aviation. AirJelly is thus the first indoor flight object with peristaltic drive. Observation of models from nature gave rise to this new propulsion concept for the airborne
jellyfish.

AirJelly is a remote radio-controlled airborne jellyfish with a central electric drive unit and an intelligent adaptive mechanism. It consists of a helium-filled ballonett with a diameter of 1.35 meters, yielding a filling volume of 1.3 cubic meters of helium.

One cubic meter of helium provides buoyancy to lift approximately one kilogram so the total weight of AirJelly could be no more than a feather light 1.3 kilograms.

Controlling AirJelly"s motion in three-dimensional space is effected by weight displacement. For this purpose, a pendulum is set in motion by two actuators in the X and Y directions.

Technical data
Diameter: 1.35 m
Height: 2.20 m
Total weight: 1.3 kg
Propulsion: coreless motor, 3 V
Reduction ratio: 262:1
Power supply: lithium-ion polymer accumulator
batteries; 8 V and 400 mA

And Festo do more than graceful giant jellyfish, their robotic arms also do some fairly wild DJing!

And in a not to distant Humanoid future ....

For more information, please check out www.festo.com

The (Flying) Car of the Future?

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

City-to-city, door-to-door travel takes a step closer, with the Terrafugia Transition flying car.

And while functionality appears to have dominated the styling, hopefully it will hopefully look less like an ugly duckling and more like a swan when it spreads its wings and soars.

Terrafugia was founded in 2006 by award-winning MIT-trained aeronautical engineers and MBA's – who also happen to be passionate private pilots. The company"s mission is to provide innovative solutions to the challenges facing personal aviation.

The Terrafugia Transition uses normal unleaded fuel, will fit into a garage and can transform itself from a two-seater road car to a plane in 15 seconds.

The Transition is powered by the same 100bhp engine on the ground and in the air.

Terrafugia claims it will be able to fly up to 800 kms on a single tank of petrol at a cruising speed of 190 km/hr. Up to now, however, it has been tested only on roads at up to 145 km/hr.

There are still one or two hickups to overcome: getting insurance may be a little difficult and finding somewhere to take off may not be straightforward as the the only place in the USA in which it is legal to take off from a road is Alaska.

Performance

Cruise: 100 kts (115 mph)
Rotate: 70 kts (80 mph)
Stall: 45 kts (51 mph)
Range: 400nm (460 mi)
Takeoff over 50' obstacle: 1700'

Fuel burn: 5 gph
Fuel tank: 20 gallons
Useful Load: 430 lbs
On road: 30 mpg, 65 mph
Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)

Convenience
Front wheel drive on the ground
Automotive-style entry and exit
Two place, side by side
Automated electromechanical folding wing
No trailer or hangar needed
Cargo area holds skis, fishing poles or golf clubs

Safety
Drive in case of inclement weather
Proven 100 hp Rotax 912S engine
Full vehicle parachute available
Modern glass avionics
Automotive crash safety features

The Terrafugia Transition is expected to land be commercially available mid-2010.

For more information please visit www.www.terrafugia.com

'The Watch Factory' at Baselworld 2009 - 12 cutting-edge horological creators.

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MB&F is very pleased to announce that this year they will be exhibiting at Baselworld for the very first time.

MB&F will be presenting as a member of the nascient 'The Watch Factory' (TWF). TWF is a group of 12 creative and passionate watchmaking brands (including two manufacturers), who will be presenting together at the 'Palace' Hall (opposite teh Ramada hotel) at Baselworld 2009 at the express invitation of Baselworld.

The TWF brands are: Alain Silberstein, Beat Haldimann, Cabestan, Fabrication de Montres Normandes, Les Artisans Horlogers, MB&F, MCT, Rudis Sylva, Speake-Marin, Steinway & Sons Watches and URWERK.

Baselworld 2009 is just the first of many exhibitions by The Watch Factory so watch this space!

The JETLEV-FLYER.

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The JETLEV-FLYER employs a powerful 4-stroke engine and water nozzle reaction force to achieve stable, controlled flight. The unique design helps to make flight controls very simple, light and intuitive. It can accommodate pilots of 1,50 - 2,00 m in height and 40 - 120 kg in weight.

Depending on pilot weight, a standard JETLEV-FLYER could reach an altitude of 10 m, top speeds of 65 km/h and has a cruising duration of 1 - 2 hours.
For special applications, future designs could achieve higher altitudes and top speeds, extended range of up to 300 km and even travel both above and below the water´s surface.

Unlike conventional aircrafts and jetpacks, the innovative Jetlev concept greatly improves thrust-to-weight ratio by locating the propulsion engine, fuel and related systems on a separate vessel tethered behind the jetpack, and uses water as the jet propulsion medium because its high density can carry vast amounts of power at much lower velocities, and generate nozzle reaction forces much more effectively, than gases.

Traditional designs of airplanes suffer from low thrust-to-weight ratios which limit their performance and agility. Even F/A-18 E/F fighter jets can barely overcome the force of gravity. To achieve a dramatic improvement in this ratio, we decided to locate the propulsion source on a separate boat-like unit, and transmit low pressure, high flow water to the jetpack through a supply hose and generate thrusts by nozzle reaction force.

Besides the obvious recreational and entertainment applications, there are many potential practical applications of Jetlev technology including beach patrol, search-and-rescue, offshore services, marine/bridge inspection and maintenance, maritime safety, harbor security, anti-piracy missions, and the military.

And you thought jetskis were a nuisance! JETLEV-FLYER, coming to a lake or river near you.

For more information, please visit www.jetlev-flyer.com/

Extreme Wingsuit BASE jumping

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As if BASE jumping - freefalling off stationary objects rather than a plane - was not exciting enough, these thrill skeers have pushed it to a whole new level.

When the earth isn't close enough, even at high speed, get closer!

This is truely amazing flying. Please click here to view larger higher quality video.

For more adrenalin rushes without the danger, please check out the following videos as well.

Some thrills are best appreciated vicariously!

Interesting furniture designs- Part 2

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we reported last week in Part 1, design Blog Mocoloco is one of our favourites and is always up to date with the latest in the world of design.

In this post we share a few more of their recent selections.

Above and below: Textile designer Hanna Nyman has the interior design industry"s attention with her intricately-designed wallpapers. Hanna works mostly with patterns that change shape, as she enjoys the tension when something beautiful transforms into something new or acquires an unexpected function.

Floral patterns emerge from the paper's surface and her wallpapers become three-dimensional. Even better, the wallpaper is designed so that each user peels back a select section of the wall allowing customization of the the pattern and giving each wall its own identity.

Hanna also designs origami sculptures and lights to enhance texture and interactivity within a space. For more images and information, please check out www.coolhunting.com/archives/2008/09/hanna_nyman.php and www.hannanyman.se/

Atlason, a new design studio based in New York, has introduced the Victoria Butler coat rack (above). The rach is a seemingly random arrangement of dowels, but in effect put together in perfect order and is as glossy as a grand piano.

They have also responsible for the slipcast porcelain Bomb Vase (below), which it looks like like something from a cartoon!

The new Ripple table (above) from Jason Phillips Design is a smooth and inviting design that is bound to be a conversational centrepiece. For more images to see how the table works, please visit www.behance.net/Gallery/Ripple/

UrBonfire (above and below), by Michael Hilgers for for Rephorm, is a campfire for the apartment - a bio-ethanol fire in a framework of borosilicate and stainless steel.

London textile designer Kathy Schicker's light-reactive woven textiles appear to be beautiful white jacquard fabrics, but when they are exposed to sunlight, the light brings out colour and pattern. At the same time, the sunlight charges the fabric, causing it to glow in the dark. The effect is usually quite subtle, but will vary depending on the time of day and season.

And to stay up with the latest from the world of cutting edge design, please visit www.mocoloco.com/

Interesting furniture designs- Part 1

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Design Blog Mocoloco is one of our favourites and is always up to date with the latest in the world of design.

We looked at some of their architectural picks earlier in the year and now we would like to share with you a few of their selection from the wild world of contemporary furniture design.

The Liquid Lamp (above) comes from designer Kouichi Okamotoat Kyouei He creates playful twists to ordinary objects. Each of his Liquid Bookmarks (below) is a hand made one-off by the designer himself.

Catwalk (above) from Minim is a modular, LED-illuminated outdoor & indoor walkway system, providing "A more dramatic alternative to your standard brick walkway to the front door".

In daylight the modular steel and white polycarbonate structure has a clean rectilinear profile and resembles raised stepping stones over water, while at night the catwalk is self-illuminated by low power-sipping LED lights creating a ribbon of light with a subtle interplay of focused and diffused points of light.

Pool Table from FreshWest has a serene and calming quality. The coffee table is from 50mm acrylic with a miniature diving board and reflects and refracts light in such a way that it resembles a small, but real, swimming pool.

Zaza's Kitchen by Francis Rollin illustrates the breadth of his talent. A mix of wooden cabinets is carefully crafted to preserve and highlight the unique wood grain and features a solid metal "track" lighting system, stone counter tops and custom molded drawer fronts that indicate what's lurking inside.

For more on the latest in funiture design, please visit Mocoloco Funiture

Wing-in -Ground Effect Wingships

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There has been more and more interest in personal aviation over the last few years, and that is likely to continue as prices come down and the quality and quantity of flying machines on offer increases.

One of the more interesting concepts, all the more so in the present economic climate as it is cost efficient, is ground effect technology.

Ground effect wingships are particularly suited to remote regions (like Alaska), where there are few roads and much water, which limits transport option to air travel (fast, but expensive) or water travel (slow, cheaper, can be uncomfortable). Ground effect wingships can offer fast and comfortable transport at a more reasonable price than air travel.

Ground Effect is the name given to the dramatically improved aerodynamic performance of a wing when it operates close to a ground plane.

Video: The principles of Wing in Ground Effect

Wing in Ground Effect (WIG) is the official term adopted by the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for a marine craft using ground effect as a means of lift.

Ever since the beginning of manned flight pilots have experienced something strange when landing an aircraft. Just before touchdown it suddenly feels like the aircraft just doesn't want to go lower. It just wants to go on and on due to the air that is trapped between the wing and the runway, forming an air cushion. The air cushion is best felt in low wing aircraft with large wing areas. This phenomenon is called (aerodynamic) ground effect. The Wright brothers probably had not even flown out of ground effect in their early flights, they benefited from ground effect without even knowing it existed.

One of the most well known WIG planes was the mighty Russian 'Ekranoplan'

In the Second World War pilots knew that when they lost an engine on the way back from the enemy that they could reach home by flying just a few meters above the sea, thus needing less power. The very well known Spruce Goose, the largest aircraft ever, never even left ground effect in its only 90 second flight! When an aerodynamic wing is close to a ground plane, such as water, lift is increased by as much as 45% and induced drag decreased by up to 70%.

This is vastly different to normal operation of an aircraft wing in free flight away from the ground. The main benefits when a craft is operating within ground effect are that speed, payload and fuel economies are considerably more efficient than with traditional boat, plane and helicopter transport.

Ground Effect Sea Eagle

For more information about Wing in Ground Effect principles and craft:
The WIG Page
www.Seacraft.com
wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle
Bentley Yachts- The Future of Yachting

MB&F's HM2 awarded the 2008 'Unique Design' prize in Japan

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MB&F is honoured to announce that the prestigious Japanese horological magazine, World Wristwatch Time Spec, has awarded their 2008 prize for most 'Unique Design' to MB&F's Horological Machine No.2.

MB&F's mechanical sculptures are as much works of art as a testimony to incredible craftsmanship.

Design is an intrinsic part of the MB&F creative process, where every element from case to engine is designed as a piece of mechanical art, so, for one of our avant-garde three dimensional horological machines to be recognized by the world's most demanding market is high praise indeed.

Thank you again to the judges at World Wristwatch Time Spec.

For more on MB&F's HM2 please check out the HM2 section on this website.

MB&F's first Newsletter of 2009

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

MB&F hits the new year running with the first newsletter of 2009 and it is full of both exciting and interesting news.

MB&F not only hit all of their objects for 2008, but surpassed them! While 2009 is sure to be a challenging year, it will also see yet more exciting creations, amazing developments and impressive craftmanship from MB&F's creative lab.

The stunning HM2- Ceramic was recently unveiled to widespread appreciation.

Ceramic: there is nothing quite like it. In fact, nothing even comes close! From exquisite 5,000 year old pottery to 300 km/hour brake disks on Formula One racing cars; from the aqueducts of ancient Rome to 1,600°C heat shields on the space shuttle, ceramic"s extreme versatility is complimented its incredible ability to shrug of time and adversity.

MB&F revealed the first of the "Auxiliary components" line. The cufflinks are available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold and feature black mother-of-pearl on which is displayed the iconic MB&F battle-axe in 18k gold. Both colours are limted to just 50 pairs each.

The MB&f website vistor numbers continue to increase month by month, driven perhaps by fresh content such as the articles on In the Press. There are over a hundred informative and interesting articles about MB&F from all over the world. A search function allows you to select by topic, country and language.

An example is this recent article by James D. Malcolmson in the Robb Report (January 2009) featuring interviews with enthusiastic and knowledgeable watch collectors about their favourite timepieces - and a great choice of watch to open the article!

For all of this and more, please click here to read the full MB&F January Newsletter.

The Strange Machines from the Island of Nantes

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Les Machines de l'île de Nantes- The Machines of the Isle of Nantes- is an artistic, touristic and cultural project based in Nantes, France.

Two artists, François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, visualised a travel-through-time world at the crossroads of the "imaginary worlds" of Jules Verne and the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci and created it in the warehouses of the former shipyards in Nantes.

The exhibition opened to the public in July 2007 and the three major Machine projects are: The Great Elephant, the Marine Worlds Carrousel (opening Spring 2010) and the Heron Tree (opening 2014).

Video: Elephant walking through the crowd.

The mechanical elephant is 12 meters high and 8 meters wide, made from 45 tons of wood and steel. It can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk. It is a replica of The Sultan's Elephant, which toured the world from 2005 to 2007.

Video: Giant Squid

You can learn more about this fascinating exhibition by visiting www.lesmachines-nantes.fr

Jumbo Hostel - A hotel in a 747-200

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Oscar Dios, the founder of Jumbo Hostel, was looking to expand his hotel business when he heard about a grounded 747 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dios purchased the defunct 747 (abandoned by a bankrupt carrier in 2002) and has since transformed it into a hostel at the Stockholm airport.

Jumbo Hostel offers 25 rooms, most of which have three beds. All together, the hostel offers 72 beds - one relatively luxurious on the upper deck. The rooms are approximately six square meters with three meter to the ceiling.

All rooms have a flat screen TV where you can, among other things, watch the times of departure for all flights. Everywhere in the jumbo jet you have access to wireless broadband. All rooms offer a shower and toilet in the corridor, except for cockpit suite upstairs which boast its own shower and WC.

The cockpit has converted into a luxury suite with a panoramic view of the airport.

Brief facts about Jumbo Hostel
Airplane type: Boeing 747-200
Year of manufacture: 1976
Number of rooms: 25
Number of beds in total: 85
Room size: about 6 square meters

For more information, or making a reservation, please visit www.jumbohostel.com

'11': the Beautiful Game, on a Beautiful Table.

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If, like me, your youth involved hours and hours of pleasure playing table football you will applaud this new design-led approach to the classic table game by a collaboration of two Dutch companies - GRO design and Tim modelmakers. It's called simply '11' after the number of players on each side.

"For many of us, table football is a game that is close to our hearts, holding cherished memories of our childhood and youth. Its popularity also reflects the passion and love that millions of people around the world share for 'the beautiful game' of football. " That sums it up for me!

As an object the football table has lacked serious design attention in recent years. While new football stadiums built in recent years have a strong architectural and sculptural beauty, football tables remain less desirable objects as their cost-drive appearance no longer fits in with the designed landscape of modern interiors.

"11" breaks with this tradition by creating atmosphere through form, colour, material and subtle use of light, bringing a heightened sense of drama and excitement to the game. The table"s flowing lines express the dynamic aspect of football, while reducing unnecessary detail to allow the raw energy of the game to come to the fore.

The lines of players proved challenging. Machined from solid brass, the weight of each rod required the right bearing mechanism to allow the rods to rotate smoothly. Finished in bright-silver chrome required hours of polishing to achieve a perfect mirror finish, before finally ink filling the graphic details.

The model of the football table incorporates a number of lighting effects. This required not only finding the best lighting solution, but also writing software to enhance the experience of playing the game – showing the winning goal or restarting the game. Machining and polishing 22 players to a bright-silver chrome finish, incorporating working electronics and applying unique ink-filling techniques were just a few of the many challenges that required expertise and intense teamwork.

For more information, please visit www.eleventhegame.com

I want one!

Update 13th June 2009: '11 the Beautiful Game' is now in production and could be all yours for 38,500 euros.

Mocoloco's Best Architecture of the week

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Design Blog Mocoloco has many interesting catagories, but one that is always of interest is their picks of the week in architecture section.

Here are just a selection but you can see and learn more at mocoloco/architecture

Elemental's Quinta Monroy project at Arch Daily, social housing that grows over time, "when the given money is enough for just half of the house, the key question is, which half do we do. We choose to make the half that a family individually will never be able to achieve on its own, no matter how much money, energy or time they spend."

BrightBuilt Barn at Jetson Green, a net-zero energy home with a trademark feature; an "exterior LED lightskirt, which was designed to change color depending on the home's energy use."

MOS' Floating House at Arch Daily, "The location on the Great Lakes imposed complexities to the house's fabrication and construction, as well as its relationship to site."

Modern Green Cabin Kits at Jetson Green, "The cabins are built with SIPs and steel and can be customized in an endless manner to suit the needs of a future cabin owner."

ZeroEnergy Design's Truro Residence at Jetson Green, "a 6,200 square foot second home that acts a lot smaller that it actually is. The client wanted something to accommodate a large and fluctuating number of family members for weekends and holidays. As a result, ZED split the home into a "living bar" and "sleeping bar." It's an interesting idea that creates impressive results".

For more on the latest in architural designs and trends, please visit Mocoloco's best of the week in architecture

Adaptive Eyecare- A Liquid Revolution in Eye Glasses

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

British inventor Josh Silver, a former professor of physics at Oxford University, has come up with a life-changing for millions design with his water-lensed glasses.

The water-filled lenses can be produced by the millions and adjusted on-site by the users themselves, many of whom stand less than a one in a million chance of ever visiting with an optometrist.

In Ghana, Silver met a man who had been forced to retire as a tailor because he could no longer see to thread the needle - he was about 35 years old- "We put these specs on him, and he smiled, and threaded his needle, and sped up with this sewing machine. He can work now. He can see!"

The starting point for the development of Adaptive Eyecare's technology was the astonishing statistic that according to the World Health Organization there are currently around one billion people - including 10% of school children - in the world who would benefit from vision correction, but are as yet uncorrected.

Most of these people live in the developing world, and the problem arises principally because the numbers of personnel trained to deliver vision correction in the conventional way are simply inadequate to meet the needs of the people. These statistics have profound implications - they mean that hundreds of millions of adults do not have the vision correction they need to be socially and economically active, and many children are educationally and socially disadvantaged.

The approach of Adaptive Eyecare has been to develop a completely new ophthalmic lens technology which permits them to manufacture revolutionary new spectacles which are universal, in the sense that one pair may be used to correct the vision of over 90% of people requiring correction.

The special feature is that the wearer can adjust the power of each lens to his or her own requirements - this is particularly useful for developing world populations in areas which do not have adequate numbers of those specially trained personnel normally associated with the provision of vision correction.

Adaptive Eyecare's adaptive lenses are fluid- filled and the power is changed by varying the amount of fluid in the lens. The power range of our lenses is +6 to -6 Dioptres, and the optical quality is similar to that of the typical human eye.

For more information please visit www.adaptive-eyecare.com/

National Geographic 2008 International Photography Contest

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A splash colour to launch the new year!

The National Geographic magazine hold an international competion each year to select what their judges deem to be the best photos in a number of catagories.

Photo and caption by Matthew Parker. Places: Honorable mention

This is a shot of the traditional fishing boats on Phi Phi Island, Thailand. They are now turned into taxi boats, after the increased popularity of the island after the movie "The Beach" was filmed there. I like how the boats still maintain their traditional vividly colored ties.

Photo and caption by Cabell Cox. Places: Winner

On a recent visit to a small town on the Brazilian and Bolivian border, I found this man tending to a field of burning debris and vegetation at dusk. Something as mundane as this may seem a daily, routine chore for one man, while offering a symbolic portrait of tranquil repose to another.

Photo and caption by Stephen Oachs. Nature: Winner

The incredibly beautiful snow leopard, Panthera uncia, is indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Their dense coats and snowshoe-like paws are ideally suited for their cold, dry, rocky native environment. These shy, elusive cats, when fully grown, weigh up to 120 pounds and nose to tip of their very thick, furry tails measure up to 7 and a half feet long. Sadly, these phenomenal cats are an endangered species. This photograph was taken on a private reserve in Kalispell, Montana.

Photo and caption by Andrew Wong. Nature: Honorable Mention

Dolphins are known to jump out the back of big waves as they break against the shores. This pod of bottlenose dolphins was leisurely surfing in the waves as the offshore wind blew against the incoming waves, creating an atmosphere that was most unique and magical. At a place called Waterfall Bluff in the Transkei, South Africa.

You can view all of the results in a larger size at National Geographic 2008 photo contest winners.

2009 Seasons Greetings from MB&F

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

All of us at MB&F wish you all of the best for 2009 - May your star shine even brighter!

New website for Chronopassion

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Laurent Picciotto of Chronopassion in Paris was one of MB&F's very first 'Friends' and I am happy to say that he is not only an original Friend of MB&F, he is also a longtime personal friend as well - see 'The new Gerald Genta Gefica Safari brings back a few memories' to learn just how far we go back.

Laurent is truly passionate about watches, and that passion shines through in his new website www.Chronopassion.fr

When you click on any of the 'Machines' - now where did that moniker come from? :) - you can see and hear Laurent talking about the timepiece in a video at the bottom left of the window.

Please visit www.chronopassion.fr to see for yourself.

The Bloodhound - Super Sonic Car

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The BLOODHOUND SCC Project aims to break the world land speed record by achieving over 1,000mph/1,600kmh. Construction of the car is due to be completed by the end of 2009 and a record attempt may happen in 2011.

The Thrust team behind the project has held the World Land Speed Record for 25 years, and were first through the Sound Barrier on land.

Because FIA rules restrict only the number of wheels in the land speed record to four or more, with two or more steering, the cars are totally different - any technical advantage one team has will most probably have no relevance to competitors.

The Bloodhoond SCC is powered by both a jet and hybrid rocket. The rocket scores for its raw power and lack of draggy air intake, but the downside is that the rocket is an on/off device - with rocket power alone it would be difficult hitting and holding selected Mach numbers for the aerodynamicists to gain their data. And at these speeds, the team has tread very carefully, increasing the Mach numbers in small, careful steps.

So the car has a Falcon rocket for raw power and a more controllable Eorojet200 for finesses. Auxilary poer is delived by a V12 800 bhp race engine in the middle of the BLOODHOUND SSC, which doubles as the APU delivering hydraulic power as needed. It also starts the Eurojet200 jet engine and pumps the High Test Peroxide (HTP) through to the Falcon rocket.

The team is headed by Project Director - Richard Noble; driver - Wing Commander Andy Green; and Engineering Director - John Piper.

We wish them the very best of luck.

For more information please visit www.bloodhoundssc.com

MB&F's November newsletter

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you have not seen or read the latest MB&F newsletter, then please check it out as it has been an eventful and exciting last few months.

Max Büsser has just returned from an extremely successful world tour presenting Horological Machine No.3 (HM3) and the reaction of both press and public alike has been overwhealmingly positive.

Please click on the following link or the image above to read the MB&F November Newsletter.

Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Jack Forster, horological journalist par excellence - and occasional contributor to Parallel World - has written and published an excellent in depth article on MB&F's newly presented HM3 in the latest issue of Revolution magazine titled - Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F.

The article opens with with . . .

MB&F –Maximilian Büsser and Friends –might have as its motto, "The Impossible Is Our Business.
" Since the advent of the first Horological Machine three years ago, it"s become increasingly clear that the man behind some of the most inventive watches ever seen (including some of the most successful of the Harry Winston Rare Timepieces "Opus" series) has hit on a winning combination of unique vision and dynamic collaboration.

There are so many reasons for expecting what MB&F does to not work –after all, the technical challenges alone in building what are essentially entirely new three dimensional, horologically themed kinetic works of art every year might be expected to result in the sort of delays or worse, vaporware product announcements which have become all too frequent an inevitable sequel to many of the most highly touted new complications.

In at least one instance in Maximilian Büsser"s own career, the iceberg of technical challenge was one upon which a much-lauded and highly anticipated project ran aground: Opus 3, which was created under Büsser"s auspices at Harry Winston, indeed proved to be a Watch Too Far, and though there have been persistent rumors over the years of its imminent completion, so far a successful implementation of Vianney Halter"s vision and Maximilian Büsser"s daring has yet to emerge.

To read on, you can access the full article on www.horomundi.com by clicking Stargazing: Horological Machine No. 3 from MB&F.

Banksy- Street artist/Graffiti artist

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Banksy is a well-known pseudo-anonymousBritish graffiti artist. He is believed to be a native of Yate, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol and to have been born in 1974, but there is substantial public uncertainty about his identity and personal and biographical details.

His identity was supposedly outed in 2008 by a British newspaper, however, that was not confirmed by other sources

His artworks are often satirical pieces of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics. His street art combines graffiti writing with a distinctivestencilling technique and his art (though not all call it that) has appeared in cities around the world.

Banksy does not sell photos of street graffiti or mount exhibitions of screenprints in commercial galleries. Art auctioneers have been known to attempt to sell his street art on location and leave the problem of its removal in the hands of the winning bidder.

There is a Banksy shop, where nothing has been produced or endorsed by Banksy, but he states that the store is for personal amusement only.

For more information:
Banksy entry on Wikipedia
Banksy article in the New Yorker magazine
Photogallery

Humerous Advertising Videos

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The one thing these videos have in common is that they leave you guessing until the end. . . that and the fact that they should make you smile.

Above and below are clips we have featured before, but are so well done we think that they are worth watching again.

An Incredible Dynamic Tower for Dubai- others to follow.

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The visionary Italian architect Dr. David Fishery has announced the launch of a revolutionary Dynamic Tower, the world's first building in motion, to be constructed in Dubai. Another in Moscow will follow, with others being considered in New York, Milan and Paris.

The rotating tower in Dubai will have 80 floors and be 420 meters (1,380 feet) tall.

That the second Dynamic Tower planned for Moscow is now in the advanced design phase.

"Our intention is to build the third Rotating Skyscraper in New York," Dr. Fisher stated. "Additional Dynamic Towers will be built around the world, following an expression of interest from developers, governments, and public officials to construct a Dynamic Tower in Canada, Germany, Italy, Korea and Switzerland".

The Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates independently to create a building that constantly changes shape, resulting in a unique and ever evolving architectural structure.

Residents will have the possibility to drive directly into the building were a special elevator take their car to their floor and park at the entrance to their appartment/villa.

"The Dynamic Tower is environmentally friendly and the first building designed to be self-powered, with the ability to generate its own electricity, as well as for other nearby buildings, it achieves this feat with wind turbines fitted between each rotating floor, An 80-story building will have up to 79 wind turbines, making it a true green power plant," Dr. Fisher stated.

The Dynamic Tower is also the first skyscraper to be built entirely from prefabricated parts that are custom made in a workshop, resulting in cost savings, this approach known as the Fisher Method, also requires far fewer workers on the construction site, thereby dramatically lowering construction costs.

"Each floor of the building can be completed in only seven days. From now on, buildings will be made in a factory," Dr. Fisher said.

By combining motion, green energy and efficient construction, the Dynamic Tower will change architecture as we know it, and herald a new era of Dynamic Living.

Fisherh as spent more than 30 years working to redefine the technical and technological extremes of buildings in cities like London, New York, Moscow, Hong Kong, Paris and Dubai.

"From now on, buildings will have four dimensions, the fourth dimension is "Time' to become part of architecture," Dr. Fisher added. "Buildings in motion will shape the sky line of our cities.

For more information please visit www.dynamicarchitecture.net/

La Princesse wakes up

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

La Princesse is a 13-metre (50') mechanical spider designed and operated by French performance art company La Machine.

La Princesse came out of "hibernation" in Liverpool on the 5th of September - 'awoken' in a hail of fireworks and smoke, before striding up and down in front of the cheering crowd. She crawled down The Strand before heading to her resting place at the Cunard building.

La Princesse was the opening show in a 5-day Captial of Culture event.

The spider is made out of steel and poplar wood, weighs 37 tonnes, has 50 axes of movement and is operated by up to 12 people strapped to her frame.It was built in Nantes before being shipped to Merseyside and assembled in a secret location.

The

Princesse was designed by La Machine's François Delarozière, who also designed the mechanical elephant and the giant girl for Royal de Luxe's performance of The Sultan's Elephant which visited London in May 2006.

ICON- A Revolution in Recreational Flight

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In 2004, the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), working closely with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), created what has been called "The biggest change in aviation in 50 years." They created an entirely new category of aircraft, 'Light Sport Aircraft' (LSA), as well as a new category of pilot license (Sport Pilot), both aimed specifically at consumer recreational flying.

Since LSA are targeted to recreational pilots who primarily fly for fun, LSA are designed to be affordable, lightweight, and easy to operate.

ICON was founded in 2005 by Kirk Hawkins to build aircraft to cater for this new catagory of pilot and planes. Hawkins, a graduate from the Stanford Business School, is an accomplished engineer, a former U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot, and long-time motorsport enthusiast. ICON"s engineering and development team came from Burt Rutan"s famed Scaled Composites, which created such record setting projects as Voyager, Global Flyer, the X-Prize winning SpaceShipOne, and Virgin Galactic"s SpaceShipTwo.

ICON Aircraft"s sole purpose has been to bring the freedom, fun, and adventure of flying to all who have dreamed of flight. With these ground-breaking FAA rules solidified, ICON believes that consumer-focused sport aircraft can do for recreational flying what personal watercraft did for boating.

ICON"s sport aircraft are not only designed to deliver an amazing and safe flying experience, but also to inspire us the way great sports cars do. After years of development with some of the world"s best aerospace engineers and industrial designers, ICON Aircraft has released the first of its line of sport planes, the ICON A5.

- 1,320 pounds (600kgs) maximum takeoff weight (1,430 pounds for seaplanes)
- Maximum airspeed of 120 knots (138mph/220kmh)
- Maximum two-person seating capacity (pilot + passenger)
- Single, reciprocating engine
- Fixed or ground-adjustable propeller
- Non-pressurized cabin
- Fixed landing gear (retractable gear allowed for seaplanes)
- Maximum stall speed of 45 knots (52mph/80kmh)

The ICON A5 looks like great fun and, with prices starting at around $140,000 is realtively affordable. We can only hope that the calibre of the pilots is on a par with the quality of the aircraft and it does not become an annoying jet ski of the sky.

For more information (and how to order), please check out www.iconaircraft.com

Launch of MB&F's HM3 kicks off in New York

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Max Büsser started his world tour to present MB&F's third watch, Horological Machine No.3 (HM3) in new York with a private launch party attended by some of the East Coast's most prominent collectors as well as MB&F USA President Steve Hallock, myself (Jack Forster) and Revolution's Matthew Morse.

By now many of us know Max well and Steve Hallock is a longtime fixture among internet watch cognoscenti so the party did not have the feel of a "brand event" but rather of a conclave of true comrades and enthusiasts coming together to congratulate a good friend on another wonderful achievement.

I cannot pretend to be objective when it comes to MB&F: I like Max too much personally and admire his work and what he's doing with horological design too much emotionally to offer a dispassionate view of the man or the brand. So I won't .

We gathered at Manhattan's Restaurant Teodoro, a private room had been set aside for us and after a convivial cocktail hour, with many an enthused welcome for Max whose annual trip through New York has become one of our most anticipated events, we sat down to dinner and the man of the hour described his new creation to us.

The position of the lugs and beveled profile of the case makes HM3 an extremely comfortable watch to wear despite its impressive dimensions. As a matter of fact I had the Starcruiser on for at least an hour towards the end of the night and it was AMAZINGLY comfortable to wear. Visually it has huge punch and a satisfying heft, but it's phenomenally easy to live with, super comfortable and even matches very well with business attire.

And the conclusion of the nights comments? Max's designs are always polarizing and provoking and HM3 is no exception. However, In this idiom of watchmaking I think that MB&F has few competitors. Much of the new wave in watchmaking in my opinion is much more successful at creating novelty than successful designs. MB&F's work appeals to me because behind the technical innovation and superb construction there is a very classical sensibility at work, in an interesting way -put HM3 together with a 3 piece suit and you get a surprisingly successful combination which to me speaks volumes about the well integrated design effort behind the watches.

As I have said elsewhere Max and Friends are really doing something interesting in that they are re-inventing the whole notion of what "complication" means and the results are pieces which I think will look as fresh and have as much appeal in fifty years as they do today.

Note: this is an excerpt of a post I originally published on Horomundi. You can read a full pictorial review of the evening by clicking The MB&F Launch Party in New York.

Is this the world's first Sat Nav?

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Called the Plus Fours Routefinder, this little British invention was designed to be worn on your wrist, and the "maps" were printed on little wooden rollers which you would turn manually as you drove along.

The tiny scrolls show the route as you motor along, winding continully to display the bit of the road you are on. There's even a little "Stop" instruction at the end of the route.

OK, it doesn't use satellites so it's really just a Nav, but as it was invented in 1920"s this could well be world"s first personal navigation system.

It was a great idea, but as there were so few cars on the roads in the 1920s, the device never really took off.

Now consigned to the scrap heap of history, the Routefinder is one of many gadgets patented by inventors who were hoping to strike it rich with their bizarre contraptions.

It"s part of a collection of weird and wonderful inventions, all conceived between 1851 and 1951, which have gone on display at the British Library in London.

The Time Eater Clock unveiled

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The unusual Time Eater clock was unveiled at Cambridge University's Corpus Christi College by Professor Stephen Hawking. Its creator John Taylor said he "wanted to make timekeeping interesting".

One of the strangest clocks in the world, the Time Eater features a giant grasshopper or "Chronophage" and has 60 slits cut into its face that light up to show the time. It has no hands, instead it relies on a mechanical monster – part demonic grasshopper, part locust – that rocks back and forth along a golden disc. By a complex feat of engineering, its movement triggers blue flashing lights that dart across the clockface.

Around 1.5 metres/4' in diameter, the clock is made from discs of stainless steel plated with 24-carat gold. With each slackening of the monster"s jaw, and release of its claws, another second is devoured. Each new hour is signalled by the rattle of a chain on an unseen coffin to remind passers-by of their mortality.

The clock was conceived as a tribute to another British inventor, John Harrison. Harrison invented the grasshopper escapement in the early 18th Century, which resulted in extremely accurate mechanical time keeping and was instrumental in solving the Longitude Problem.

Taylor said that he wanted to depict that time is a destroyer, 'Once a minute is gone you can't get it back' he said. 'That's why my grasshopper is not a Disney character. He is a ferocious beast that over the seconds has his tongue lolling out, his jaws opening, then on the 59th second he gulps down time.' It also (purposely) only tells correct time once every five minutes.

For all its apparent eccentricity, the clock is based on solidly traditional clockwork. It has taken seven years" research and construction, incorporates six patented inventions.Engineer Stewart Huxley refuses to reveal the secret of its tricks, which include the pendulum occasionally apparently catching and stopping for a heartbeat, and then swinging faster to catch up.

MB&F Newsletter September 2008

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The latest MB&F Newsletter has been published and its contents include:

Serge Kriknoff (above right), joins as Chief Operational Officer in charge of technical development and production, and as a partner in MB&F.

A new HM1 Genesis section has been added to the MB&F website. You can turn the pages of a diary full of drawings and images that trace the development of HM1 from initial sketches to Horological Machine.

MB&F has taken the significant step of opening MB&F North America, managed by Stephen Hallock.

The prestigious Parisian concept store, Colette, has chosen Horological Machine N°2 (HM2) as one of their Iconic Timepieces of the New Millennium.

MB&F reports that the development and production of HM3 has gone well and will be presented late October.

To read more about any on these topics, please click MB&F Newsletter

The Flare Interactive Facade

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The FLAREkinetic ambient refelction membrane by WHITEvoid interactive art & design from Germany. is a modular system that creats a dynamic hull for facades or wall surface.

Acting like a living skin, FLARE allows a building to express, communicate and interact with its environment and passers by.

The FLARE system consists of a number of tiltable metal flake bodies supplemented by individually controllable pneumatic cylinders.

Due to the developed pattern, an infinite array of flakes can be mounted on any building or wall surface in a modular system of multiplied Flare units.

The system is controlled by a computer to form any kind of surface animation. Sensor systems inside and outside the building communicate the buildings activity directly to the FLARE system which acts as the buildings lateral line.

Each metal flake reflects the bright sky or sunlight when in vertical standby position.
When the flake is tilted downwards by a computer controlled pneumatic piston, its face is shaded from the sky light and this way appears as a dark pixel.

By reflecting ambient or direct sunlight, the individual flakes of the FLARE system act like pixels formed by natural light.

View the video to see how FLARE brings the building to life.

For more information, please check out www.flare-facade.com/

A Three Dimensional Exploration of Pablo Picasso's Guernica by Lena Gieseke

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Pablo Picasso"s most famous painting, Guernica can now be "explored" in three dimensions thanks to the German artist Lena Gieseke.

Picasso unveiled Guernica in 1937 during the International Paris show and stands among the worlds most well known paintings. It is oil on canvas measuring 782cm by 351cm and is presently on display in Madrid.

The black and white painting represents the bombardment suffered by the Spanish town Guernica on the 26 of April 1937 by the Nazis.

Picasso, then living in Paris, learned of the massacre through the newspapers and decided to eternalize the destruction and suffering of the people as he imagined it.

German artist Lena Gieseke has created a 3D interpretation of the painting. The result is fascinating, it allow the viewer to visualize details otherwise not be perceptible, and reveald a technique that may allow further interpretation of this and other paintings by great masters.

After growing up in Osnabrück, Germany, Lena finished a Bachelor in Computer Graphics at the University of Koblenz, Germany in 2004. With the support of a DAAD-scholarship she transferred to the University of Georgia, USA and there she completed a Master in 3D Computer Animation in May 2007. 'A 3D Exploration of Picasso's Guernica' was part of her thesis.

For more information on the artists and the painting:
www.lena-gieseke.com/guernica/index.html
Guernica: Testimony of War
wiki/Guernica_(painting)
wiki/Picasso
lena-gieseke.com/

The Slowest Computer in the World . . is a Clock!

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The idea to build a monument scale, multi-millennial, all mechanical clock as an icon to long term thinking came from computer scientist Danny Hillis in 01995 (that's not a typo).

Hillis reasoned that by actually building a remote monument, the discussions around long term thinking would be far more focused. And it would lend itself to good storytelling and myth, both essential requirements of anything lasting a long time.

In 01996 a group of friends led by Stewart Brand incorporated a non profit around the idea of long term thinking and responsibility. This group became the founding board of The Long Now Foundation. One of the members, Peter Schwartz, suggested that 10,000 years be the time frame, as it was about how long humans have had a stable climate and technological progression.

Danny Hillis began to design the first prototype of the 10,000 Year Clock. This prototype was completed in 01999 on New Year's Eve, where it bonged very slowly... twice. This prototype is now at the Science Museum in London in the Making of the Modern World exhibit.

Hillis, who developed the 'massive parallel' architecture of the current generation of supercomputers, devised the mechanical design of the Clock and is now building the second prototype (the first prototype is on display in London at the Science Museum).

The Clock's works consist of a binary digital-mechanical system which is so accurate and revolutionary that we have patented several of its elements. With 32 bits of accuracy it has precision equal to one day in 20,000 years, and it self-corrects by 'phase-locking' to the noon Sun.

The next project undertaken was an Orrery, (above). The Orrey is a planet tracking display and uses the same mechanical computer as the Long Now clock and was completed in 02005.

The Foundation is now looking to scale up the designs with lessons learned from these first two efforts into a monument sized version. They have purchased high desert mountain top property in eastern Nevada as the site for the public 10,000 Year Clock.

I would like to propose a large (think Stonehenge) mechanical clock, powered by seasonal temperature changes. It ticks once a year, bongs once a century, and the cuckoo comes out every millennium. Danny Hillis

For more information visit The story of the Clock of the Long Now and the Long Now Foundation

Livescribe - A notetaking computer in a pen.

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Livescribe paper-based computing platform by Pulse, consists of a smartpen, paper, software applications, and developer tools.

Despite its inherent lack of digital connectivity, pen and paper endures because it is incredibly well-suited to the unstructured, spontaneous, flexible nature of our lives and work styles. A simple pen and paper gives people contextual cues and perspective, supports collaboration in live groups, and allows for very easy navigation, reference and comparison of information.

But paper and pen present serious limitations in an increasingly digital world. Paper documents are static and difficult to share. Written notes are susceptible to loss and damage. What"s missing is a way to maximize the freedom of expression and rich context afforded by pen and paper while delivering the connectivity, archiving system and "capture" capability of a computer.

That's where Livescribe comes in. With Livescribe, people will no longer have to settle – they can have the best of both the paper and digital worlds.

A high speed infrared camera (over 70 images/sec) records every move over the specially mapped paper.

The smartpen is about the size and weight of a large Montblanc pen, and comes equipped with a removable ink cartridge, a microphone to record audio, a speaker for playback, a small OLED display, and an internal computer chip that captures handwritten notes and drawings. When someone writes with the smartpen on Livescribe paper, the recorded audio is automatically linked to the written notes.

The paper is an integral part of the smartpen package. Imagine a piece of paper the size of Europe and Asia, where every 3 square millimeters is covered with a unique pattern of dots practically invisible to the human eye. The pattern of simple, micro-dots enables a patented dot-positioning system to precisely track the smartpen"s movement on paper. As a result, anything you write – words, numbers or drawings – can be stored, recognized, and intelligently responded to by the Pulse smartpen

For more information, visit the Livescribe website and/or watch a Video.

Worldometers - world statistics updated in real time

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Worldometers is managed by an international team of developers, researchers, and volunteers with the goal of making world statistics available in a thought-provoking and time relevant format to a wide audience around the world.

The counters that display the real-time numbers are based on Worldometers" algorithm that processes the latest and most accurate statistical data available together with its estimated progression to compute the current millisecond number to be displayed on each counter based on the specific time set on each visitor"s computer clock.

Many of the statistcis are eye-opening and the rapidly increasing numbers on some of the subjects can be shocking.

Check out Worldometers for yourself to see real time statistics of things including how big the world's population is (approx 7,000,000,000) and how quickly it is increasing, how many computers sold worldwide this year, how many lightning strikes have hit earth so far this year (2,000,000,000 and counting), and how many cumulative hours waited for web pages to download this year (approx 20, 000,000,000 to date).

Taking photos with grass.

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Art can come in many forms, but grass? This year at the 2008 Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Grass Art took center court in a new kind of art installation. UK artists, Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey used grass as a photographic paper by projecting a black and white image onto a large panel of grass in a dark room.

They are acclaimed for their ground-breaking work with the light sensitivity of seedling grass and its ability to record complex photographic images, creating unique works that articulate the seductions of time and visibility.

Ackroyd and Harvey stumbled onto this technique after producing an installation that involved covering an indoor wall with living grass. A ladder was leaning against the wall, and the artists noticed that after it was removed a faint outline of the ladder remained on the grass.

They set about experimenting with ways of enhancing this effect, and soon they were using a slide projector as an artificial light source for growing their unique photographs. A typical exposure time is just over a week, with the image projected for 12 hours a day.

Unfortunately, the images don"t last for too long without continued maintenance. Once exposed to natural light, the grass begins to grow more evenly and the images fade away.

Ackroyd and Harvey have received numerous awards including the Wellcome Sci-Art Award, NESTA Pioneer Award and the L'Oreal Grand Prize for the Art & Science of Colour.

Click for more of Ackroyd and Harvey's work.

All images courtesy of Creative Review

In depth article on Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor in iW magazine

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There is an excellent article on Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his company Agenhor by Elizabeth Doerr in the July 2008 edition of iW (International Watch) magazine.

Although he has been a highly respected and prominent figure in the Swiss horological industry for decades, Wiederrecht and his company Agenhor were practially unknown to the general public a year ago due to the fact that they worked for brands (who usually preferred to take all credit for themselves).

That all changed late 2007 when two major events served to bring Wiederrecht the notice of a much larger audience: the first was being awarded the inaugural prize for best watchmaker at the prestigious 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève - you can see more of that here - and the second was the unveiling of MB&F"s Horological Machine No.2,a project in which Wiederrecht was the principle watchmaker (and you can learn more about that here)

Click "Agile_Agenhor.pdf" to download the iW article and "Friends" behind Horological Machine No.2" for the complete list of people involved in the project.

Extreme kayaking gets ever more extreme!

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Over the last few years extreme kayakers have started paddling free-falling over ever higher vertical drops.

Professional photographer Lucas Gilman took this breathtaking picture of professional US kayaker Pat Keller plummeting straight over the cliff face at La Paz Waterfall in Costa Rica at high speed. Mr Keller escaped with only a broken hand - fractured when he hit the water at the bottom of the 120ft (36.5m) fall.

Extreme kayaker Tao Berman setting a world record drop.

"When these professionals are freefalling they want to be in the Oregon Tuck, with a curved back," says Paul Robertson, brand manager of Dagger Europe. The paddle presents another potential liability. "It should be parallel to the kayak so that it isn't blown out of their hands - and doesn't break their nose or dislocate their shoulder on impact."

Impressive stuff indeed, but we'll leave it to the pros thank you!

For more information on Extreme kayaking (tempted?) please check out
BBC news magazine
Telegraph article
Photographs by Lucas Gilman

Comedian Eddie Izzard and the Lego Death Star routine

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Eddie Izzard is a very successful cross-dressing British stand up comedian, actor and scriptwriter.

A talented and enterprising video-poster named Thorn2200 (who identifies himself as a 15-year-old) has created nearly a dozen Lego-animation videos to correspond with Eddie Izzard's stand up routines. One of our favourites is the video below of Deart Vader in the Death Star's canteen.

You can see more of the Lego/Izzard animations from Eddie Izzard & Legos and learn more about Eddie Izzard by clicking www.eddieizzard.com

3D animation and film from Cheoptics360

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dane Peter Simonsen has developed a new three-dimensional display technology called Cheoptics360.

The Cheoptics360 uses four 3D projectors to project and reassemble the moving images inside a transparent pyramid shaped chamber.

The result 3D images and videos floating in mid-air. You can move around and view the image from anywhere in the room.

The Cheoptics360 system can be built on a scale from 1.5m to 30m and be viewed outside as well as in.

For more information please check out their website at http://www.vizoo.com (click ‘showreel’ for more cool videos)

GINA: A flexible automobile 'skin' developed by BMW.

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

BMW recently presented GINA, a fresh new look at design, innovative materials, and hitherto unheard of flexibility. GINA replaces the traditional ridged (usually) metal automobile panels with a textile fabric skin that is stretched tight around a (strong) metal frame incorporating carbon fibre wires. This frame allows the shape of the car to change. This is a car can WINK at you!

GINA - for "Geometry and Functions in 'N' Adaptations"- allowed designers from both BMW and BMW Group DesignworksUSA to throw out the rule-book. The skeleton of the car is controlled by electro-hydraulic devices and can actually move and change shape beneath the fabric skin.

This GINA concept extends to the interior, where BMW's designers have made visible only those instruments that are required at a certain time, while the rest of the time the same fabric interior "blinks" them out of view. At present there is no suggestion of GINA appearing in a production car, but with luck we may see elements of BMW's out-of-the-box thinking in a decade or so.

Theo Jansen – creating mechanical 'life'

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Theo Jansen blends the line between art and engineering, this Dutch visual artist creates kinetic sculptures: "life" in the form of "animals" that walk the beach. For the last 17 years, he has been creating and evolving a series of wind-powered animals made of plastic tubes. Powered (fed) by the wind, they start moving and turn eerily mobile creatures Jansen calls "beach-animals".

image courtesy of Loek van der Klis

Jansen explains how his creatures operate: Self-propelling beach animals like Animaris Percipiere have a stomach . This consists of recycled plastic bottles containing air that can be pumped up to a high pressure by the wind. This is done using a variety of bicycle pump, needless to say of plastic tubing. Several of these little pumps are driven by wings up at the front of the animal that flap in the breeze. It takes a few hours, but then the bottles are full. They contain a supply of potential wind.

Take off the cap and the wind will emerge from the bottle at high speed. The trick is to get that untamed wind under control and use it to move the animal. For this, muscles are required. Beach animals have pushing muscles which get longer when told to do so. These consist of a tube containing another that is able to move in and out.

There is a rubber ring on the end of the inner tube so that this acts as a piston. When the air runs from the bottles through a small pipe in the tube it pushes the piston outwards and the muscle lengthens. The beach animal's muscle can best be likened to a bone that gets longer. Muscles can open taps to activate other muscles that open other taps, and so on. This creates control centres that can be compared to brains.

When asked, "What will be the next steps?" in an interview with Sebastian Campion, Jansen replied, "I think the next steps will be their brains. Now they have stomachs and can walk on air. But the brains are something, which they really need. Right now, I can only leave them alone for 5 minutes and if I want to extend that period they really must learn to think for themselves."

For the full interview please click http://www.artificial.dk/articles/theojansen.htm

image courtesy of Loek van der Klis

You can learn more about Theo Jansen on his excellent website http://www.strandbeest.com

Stephen Wiltshire - A living camera and a superb artist.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:53:52 GMT

Stephen Wiltshire was born mute in London to West Indian parents on 24th April, 1974. At the age of three he was diagnosed as an autistic and expressed an interest in drawing at school when he was five. He began to use his drawings to communicate and his teachers at Queensmill School encouraged him to speak by temporarily taking away his art supplies so that he would be forced to ask for them.

Stephen responded by making sounds and eventually uttered his first word - "paper." He learned to speak fully at the age of nine.

Wiltshire's incredible ability is that he can look at a target once and then draw an accurate and detailed picture of it. He once drew the whole of central London after a helicopter trip above it.

In May 2005 Stephen produced his longest ever panoramic memory drawing of Tokyo on a 10-meter long canvas. After a brief helicopter ride, it took him seven days to paint. Since then he has drawn Rome, Hong Kong and Frankfurt on giant canvasses, and is in the process of drawing Madrid, after taking a 30 minute helicopter ride on Saturday February 2, 2008.

When Wiltshire took the helicopter ride over Rome, he drew it in such great detail that he drew the exact number of columns in the Colosseum!

You can learn more about Stephen Wiltshire by visiting www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk

The world's largest drawing?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:13:28 GMT

This drawing created a big buzz on the internet recently. Apparently, an 'artist' called Antti Laitinent shipped a briefcase with a GPS tracker around the world with DHL with precise touting instructions and this drawing was the result.

Unfortunately, that was not quite true - well the story was, but not the drawing.

Antti Laitinent (an advertising student) did send this GPS tracking equipped briefcase around with DHL . . . as a publicity campaign for DHL.

The resulting image, a self portrait, turned out like this.

Still, it was a great idea which worked: it did generate a lot of noise about DHL and it must be the world's biggest self portrait.

The sensational Pilobolus shadow dance troupe

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:44:32 GMT

The word 'Pilobolus' initially referred to a sun-loving fungus, however, since they performed at the "2007 Academy Awards" and on "Oprah", 'Pilobolus' has become synonomous with inventive and provocative shadow dancing.

While Pilobolus has attracted a lot of high-profile media attention in the last couple of years, the Washington-based dance troupe was formed in 1971 and is approaching its 4th decade.

Today Pilobolus is recognized as a major American dance company of international influence.

The company remains a deeply collaborative effort with an executive director, three artistic directors and seven dancers contributing to one of the most popular and varied repertoires in the field.

Their many decades of consistent artistic activity stand as a testament to the group's remarkable fruitfulness and longevity.

For more information please check out www.pilobolus.com

MUTO: an incredible stop-motion animation video by BLU

Fri, 30 May 2008 07:48:57 GMT

Italian artist Blu has already made an impressive reputation for himself with his massive wall murals. With his MUTO project, he has now brought his drawings to life!

For MUTO, Blu has created a sophisticated stop-motion animation video using only wall paintings. This was done in Buenos Aires and Baden.

The result is a seven minute animated film with a surreal cast of - sometimes disturbing - characters moving around walls, across the ground and interacting with many of the objects they encounter along the way.

For more information of this talented artist, please check out his website at www.blublu.org

The Provocative Art of Zhang Huan

Fri, 23 May 2008 11:25:40 GMT

The Giant

I recently received the following email from Max Büsser: Hi Ian, I saw an exhibit by Zhang Huan New York. It was truly impressive. The ash painting which must be 30 meters long and the Giant is covered in cow hides. Both are jaw dropping!

You can see Zhang Huan's 'Blessings' exhibition at the Pace Wildenstein gallery in New York until the 25th ofJuly, 2008.

Zhang Huan was born in Anyang, Henan, China. He began his work as part of a small artists’ collective known as the "Beijing East Village" located in a rural outpost of the city. The group of friends from art school pioneered this particular brand of performance in China and Zhang was often reprimanded by officials for the perceived inappropriateness of his actions.

Zhang’s performances always involve his body in one way or another, usually naked, occasionally involving masochistic actions; he cites the body as a primary method of communication, describing it as the only means by which people experience the world and vice versa.

By using quasi-religious ritual, he seeks to discover the point at which the spiritual can manifest via the corporeal. He uses simple repetitive gestures, usually regarded as meaningless work-for-work’s-sake chores. Buddhism, with its temple music, sculptures and philosophy are a prevalent theme in Zhang Huan’s work. Wikipedia:

Ash Head bust

Zhang Huan's often traumatic performances are memory retrievals, recollections of suffering. A 1994 performance in a public toilet in an impoverished area of Beijing referred to the abortions and female infanticides that occurred under the Chinese government's one child policy.

The artist covered himself with honey and fish oil, sat motionless for several hours attracting flies and ants before emerging himself in a nearby river.

Canal Building (ash painting)

To Raise the Water Level in a Fishpond, 1997.Performance at Nanmofang fishpond, Beijing. Photograph by Robin Beck.

Huan's group performances, involving nine or more people, use logic to defy logic and culminate in rigid formations: a pyramid of naked bodies, people standing motionless in water, figures face down on the ground. While paralleling the rigidity and alienating effects of social structures, these formations give further expression to the trauma of the collective.

Altered States: This video shows a broad overview of Zhang Huan's as well as an interview with the artist himself.

You can learn more about this amazing artist at www.zhanghuan.com

On the edge Baume & Mercier video advertisment

Sat, 10 May 2008 17:31:00 GMT

It must be both the best of times and the worst of time for brands commissioning video advertisements and the publicity companies and directors making them.

They both know that an advertisement has to be very interesting and surprising to attract the viewers attention, but that the 'shock' should highlight the message, not overwhelm it.

Imagine how the pitch by the ad agency selling the following video to Baume & Mercier finished' ". . . and don't worry, even though the clip features two men at a urinal, it will be done with taste and convey luxury."

We applaud Baume & Mercier for having faith, and the skill of the director in conveying a message of luxury in an unusual setting.

Is it Swiss?

An interview with photographer Tim Flach about his incredible Equus project

Sun, 04 May 2008 10:55:00 GMT

Animal photographer Tim Flach's 'Equus' photographic book is a groundbreaking work of equestrian art.

To shoot a large variety of horsey, all against a huge canvas that he carried with him, Flach travelled to India, Utah, Iceland, Moscow and the UAE, and beyond, to explore the origins of the horse. He shot Mustangs in the deserts of Utah, Haflinger's high in Austrian Alps, Arabians in expansive deserts, Icelandic Horses against glacial backdrops and racing Thoroughbreds in the pristine confinement of their training environments.

As a photographer who focuses primarily on animal imagery, Flach is extremely interested in the anthropomorphic qualities of his subjects, and especially in the human reaction to the imagery. Much of the work he produces is ambiguous; the nape of a horse's neck could easily be mistaken for the rise of a mountain range.

All the photos published in the book differentiate themselves completely from the tradition of the equestrian photography genre. Flach excluded man from Equus, choosing to show the horses alone or at least with other equines.

Click for a superb slideshow of images from the Equus project.

For the interview of Time Flach by Rachel Hulin for her Photoshelter Blog, please click Interview with Tim Flach

Also check out Hulin's Cats in advertising article

Provocative car advertisments from BMW, Audi, Suburu and Bentley

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:01:00 GMT

You don't often see famous brands sarcastically congratulating each other in the press so these advertisements by BMW, Audi, Subaru and Bentley caught our eye.

It all started when BMW released an advertisment for its new 3-series and congratulated Audi for winning the South African car of the Year award.

That was certainly an esteemed honor in it's own right, however, BMW signed the congratulations with the line, "From the winner of the world car of the year award 2006." Ouch!

Audi's PR team were quick to react and fought back superbly. They parried BMW's thrust with an ad proclaiming that the "world car of the year award" was OK, but we have won the Le Mans 24 hour race for six consecutive years. Touché!

Then, out of the blue comes Subaru. Sensing that the public spat was generating considerable attention, Subaru ran an ad proclaiming, "Well done to Audi and BMW for winning the beauty contest. From the winner of the 2006 International Engine of the Year Winner." Clever.

And just to stress that some are above the childish fray (by joing in?), Bentley, who are under the same VW umbrella as Audi, told the world what they thought by running their their own provocative advertisement. We bet that it took a few high level management meeting to get this passed!

All in all it made for quite entertaining advertising and we are all for that.

The mind blowing Trirod F3 Adrenaline

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:01:00 GMT

Out of TriRod’s workshop has emerged possibly the most disruptive technology to hit the motorcycle world in decades.

Here's how the company defines itself:

Some live life on the sidelines, watching others take chances. Others seem to just fall in line and do what is asked of them. We at Trirod aren’t those kinds of people. We are designers, engineers, and gearheads from Southern California that have issues with authority and aren’t afraid to cross the line.

Our vision is to combine the passion of motorcycling with the shear exhilaration of racing into provocative and compelling products. We are driven to redefine how people experience ‘the thrill of the open road’.

Our design philosophy centers on form and function having an equal and symbiotic relationship. It’s a matter of combining art and engineering so that neither has to compromise. We believe that is accomplished best by a minimalistic approach that highlights the core mechanical components as design features.

The F3 Adrenaline™ was designed with the kind of forward thinking normally reserved for concept cars and the racetrack.

From the fully adjustable Penske Racing shocks to the soft compound – low profile tires, every component is designed to make this vehicle go faster, stop sooner, and corner harder.

The F3 Adrenaline™ is geared for those who live life full throttle and love the thrill a machine and the road can offer. Now that's something we can relate to here at Our World.

For more information, please check out www.trirodmotorcycles.com

Strato Cruiser airship concept.

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:25:00 GMT

When a large luxury yacht just doesn't cut the mustard, this Strato Cruiser 'lifestyle zeppelin' concept by Tino Schaedler and Michael J Brown may be just the thing.

The luxury helium-filled airship contains a gourmet restaurant, a spa, a swimming pool, a resident DJ and more.

The Concept:

Merging the soothing ride of an ocean cruise with Richard Branson’s futuristic visions of space travel, the Stratocruiser offers short, regenerative journeys for the cosmopolitan traveler.

The project aims to bring lifestyle and health into travel routines, which have become increasingly compacted and frenzied.

Like modern nomads we can again enjoy travel, arriving more refreshed than we left, thanks to incredible views of the worlds most exciting landscapes and cities.

The Experience:

As a fictional partnership with the SupperClub, Stratocruiser adds a new experience to the chain’s clubs, restaurants, ‘On location’ and ‘Cruise’ boats. Guests depart for a full day of spa treatments—massage, personal trainers, yoga classes and beauty care are on offer.

The Stratocruiser offers “medium-haul” transits between the Supperclub hubs: transatlantic, transpacific, trans-american or Europe-Middle East routes.

With spa, library, and private mini-offices available, the contemporary traveler who seldom has time for a cruise can transform an otherwise exhausting and ordinary journeys into a positive experience.

As one would expect from the SupperClub, guest DJs inject a club flare after dinner with the option to party the night through or retire to ones private cabin to awake refreshed in the morning at ones origin.

The Structure:

With its carbon fiber skin, sectional helium chamber design and photovoltaic cells, the Stratocruiser’s construction brings new levels of safety, speed and ecology to travel.

Its “doughnut hole” atrium reinvents the zeppelin concept with a sky lounge on top, the earthward viewing restaurant on the underside and a recreational climbing wall in between.

Private suites are sheltered away from public spaces on the ship’s belly, while an advanced propulsion system more than doubles the cruising speed of conventional blimps.

Thank you to de zeen design magazine for bringing the Strato Cruiser concept project to our attention.

CERN's Large Hadron Collider

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:21:00 GMT

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is a particle accelerator and hadron collider located at CERN, near Geneva, Switzerland.

The LHC will become the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator.[2] The LHC is being funded and built in collaboration with over two thousand physicists from thirty-four countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories.

When activated, it is theorized that the collider will produce the elusive Higgs boson, the observation of which could confirm the predictions and 'missing links' in the Standard Model of physics and could explain how other elementary particles acquire properties such as mass

Just one superconducting solenoid (CMS) in CERN's Large Hadron Collider contains more iron than the Eiffel Tower. CERN's structure is a contender for the title "the most complicated thing that humans have ever built".

At a glance:
- 20-year work-in-progress
- A team of 7,000 physicists from more than 80 nations
- 27 kilometers in circumference, 175 meters underground
- facilitating head-on collision of protons, travelling very near the speed-of-light
- each tunnel is big enough to run a train through it.
- temperatures generated: more than 1000,000 times hotter than the sun's core
- superconducting magnets are cooled to a temperature colder than in deep space

To better appreciate the enormous scale, consider that it runs 30kms miles across the border of France and Switzerland and has detectors in four locations the size of buildings housed in huge caverns.

MB&F presents the Limited Edition HM1-Ti

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:58:00 GMT

HM1-Ti (click on image for larger file)

MB&F introduces Horological Machine No.1 - Titanium

HM1-Ti is an extremely sophisticated timepiece on many levels: visually, technically and emotionally. As much, if not more, art and sculpture as micro-engineering.

HM1-Ti is an avant-garde three-dimensional timekeeping machine broken free from constraints imposed by traditional horology.

(click on image for larger file)

The relatively light weight belies the architectural volume of HM1-Ti's grade 5 titanium case; a case whose complex modular construction enables every part to be independently
refurbished.

The radical three-dimensionality of the case construction may turn heads; however, the
totally original and highly intricate movement inside, with its 376 parts and 81 functional jewels, ensures that HM1-Ti will turn minds as well.

The challenge of applying a variety of multi-faceted fine finishes to the difficult-to-work titanium has been rewarded by the vibrant juxtaposition of light reflecting off the contrasting highly polished and matte-satin surfaces.

An extra-wide custom tapered strap, complemented by a bespoke white gold and titanium folding buckle, completes the timepiece and reinforces the highly technical nature of the case.

(click on image for larger file)

Exclusive is hardly the right word for an extremely limited edition of just 10 pieces.

For more information you can download the press releases by clicking:
HM1-Ti.pdf,
HM1.pdf,
MB&F Concept.pdf, or
Read More for the HM1-Ti technical specifications.

High Flying at the the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:05:00 GMT

When we first saw photos of the vertigo-inducing rides atop the Stratosphere skyscraper over a year ago, we thought 'Photoshop'.

Since then we have found out that the 100 story Stratosphere Las Vegas Hotel & Casino not only exists, it has tallest observation tower in the USA as well as the tallest - and scariest- fun park rides.

Rides include:
Big Shot - Shoots passengers straight up 50m at 75km/hr (over 4 Gs) until they are 350m above the Strip.
X-Scream - A giant teeter-totter that propels you 9m over the edge of the Tower, 300m above the ground.
Insanity, the Ride - A massive mechanical arm extends 20m over the edge of the Tower and spins you at a force of 3 Gs for a truly mind-bending experience.

I am sure that it all has been engineered and built to the very highest standards . . . aren't you?

To learn more go to www.stratospherehotel.com and if you visit, or have visited, please let us know if the rides are as heart-stopping as they look.

MB&F in the local and international press

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:43:00 GMT

The International Herald Tribune publish an excellent article on MB&f recently.

Click on the image above for larger file

And for the French speakers among you, Swiss business magazine Bilan ran an interesting interview with Serge Kriknoff who recently joined Max Büsser as a partner in MB&F.

Click on the image above for larger file

Battle of the Sexes - Blockbuster Advertisment

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:12:00 GMT

The Mail on Sunday released an interesting - and completely not-politically-correct - blockbuster advertisement last year, in the form of a Braveheart style epic film featuring a battle between stereotypical men and women.
It made us smile and we thought it worth sharing here.

Note: The film may not play with Firefox, but its worth trying another browser.

Solar Islands

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Ras al-Khaimah — one of the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) — is installing a floating solar island.

Due to the lack of land in the tiny country, Ras al-Khaimah has contracted the Swiss Center for Electronics and Micro-technology in Neuchâtel (CSEM) to develop the island which will be approximately 100 meters wide with a peak power generation of roughly 1 megawatt.

The plant will produce energy by concentrating solar power onto pipes containing water. The water will boil, and be used to spin turbines. Once shipped off-shore, the islands could be used to convert seawater to hydrogen, allowing them to be autonomous and untethered to the shore. The hydrogen could be picked up by barges, instead of having to transport the electricity to shore via a physical connection.

This pilot project is being designed mostly to test the feasibility of the solar islands; CSEM says that the islands so far look like they will be cost-effective as long as they are deployed in areas with more than 350 days of sunlight that are near the equator. The U.A.E .fits the bill perfectly

For more information check out the website of Solar Islands

Ever wonder what it's like being a supermodel photographer?

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 13:17:00 GMT

Just imagine travelling to an exotic location like the Grand Cayman Islands and spending the day photographing somebody like Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Daniella Sarahyba.

Well thanks to a highly innovative and original viral advertisement by Taco Bell . . . YOU CAN!

You first choose the location on Grand Cayman- Governor's beach, Rum Point or Smiths Cove - and then direct Daniella into doing what you wish to shoot (within reason), e.g. play volleyball, talk to a parrot, lie in a hammock.

Then grab your camera and point and shoot.

It was a tough assignment but nothing is too much trouble for Our World. I recommend that you go now while the weather is good.

One word of advice, look carefully where the light is falling if you are looking for good shots.

It is all at directdaniella.com

Alex Ghotbi shares the thoughts of a recent HM2 owner.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:41:00 GMT

In a recent post on PuristS Pro, Alex Ghotbi shares with us the thoughts and a few photos from the new owner of a Horological Machine No.2 aka HM2.

Text in italics below are selected quotes from the post.

Ever since the day I saw the Opus III (2003) and even though he is not a watchmaker I had dreamt of having a watch which Max Büsser was involved in. The Opus III was an eye opener and the Opus V a jaw opener. It was a difficult project launching a brand where all elements of design and brand recognition would be reinvented for every new creation but I had faith and impatiently waited the unveiling of the HM-1.

It was a very interesting piece but unfortunately not up to my means. I was happy to hear that MB&F would be switching each year between a new model with a fully developed in-house movement and another on a base ebauche which would invariably lower the price range.

I was more that intrigued when I first saw the movement for the HM-2, it looked like anything but a watch movement but my heart was beating fast because I knew that this one was maybe the ONE. When I saw the 1st photos I knew that I wanted it and badly and based only on these photos I placed an order at my AD.

For the past days many who have seen it on my wrist have commented on it. They wonder what the object I have on my wrist is! No one actually imagined it could be a watch!!

It’s an object which I can’t stop staring at. It is anything but tactile (unlike the HM-1 which was all in curves) but I can’t stop touching it. The case construction is full of subtleties which I discover over time and the mix of titanium, rose gold and grey ruthenium dials give the watch a fantastically contemporary look without it being gimmicky in any way.

Our World would like to thank Alex Ghotbi and the HM2 owner for generously allowing the use of their text and images.

You can read the full post on PuristS Pro with many more comments and images by clicking A recent HM2 owner shares his thoughts and click here for more images of the HM2 presentation case.

The making of Sony Bravia ad

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 07:11:00 GMT

Just what can you you with . . .
* 2.5 tonnes of plasticine
* 40 animators
* 3 weeks
* 189 x 2ft bunnies
* 150 1ft cubes
* 10ft x 20ft purple wave
* 1 x 30ft giant rabbit
* 6 cameras.

The making of the advertisement

For one section, it took 40 animators 4 hours each to generate just 4 seconds of footage. Having 40 animators working on the same scene had never been attempted before. All in all, the 60 second spot was constructed from around 100,000 still photos.

The advertisment

For more behind the scenes about this amazing piece of creativity, plase have a look at www.behindthebuzz.com

Artist Sage Vaughn introduced by Eric Giroud

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:11:00 GMT

I discovered Sage Vaughn’s work in April 2007 during his inaugural European exhibition at the Bertrand & Gruner gallery in Geneva.
The exhibition’s title, “Wish you were here”, triggered an immediate flashback to the Pink Floyd album of the same name which had been so important to my teenager years.

Sage Vaughn

Sage’s work is really somewhat mysterious. A theme running through his art appears to be the tension between childhood innocence in the harsh reality of the real world; a tension enhanced by strange children in disguise. Sage creates an intricate and all encompassing world which amazes and captivates the viewer.

Playboys Sparrows, 2007, mixed media on canvas,
83 x 93 cm

I was much moved not only by Sage's creations but also by the questions they trigger. His phenomenal mastery of colour provides a rare depth and strength to his art.

Ruby Throats, 2007, mixed media on canvas, 83 x 93 cm

How can you not get lost in deep skies criss-crossed by butterflies, helicopters or even birds with LA Gang tattoos ?! It is an amazing mix.

'Sophie' 2007 Oil on paper, 122 x 68 cm

The last time Sage was in Geneva I had the good fortune to meet him and discovered a very endearing man in complete synchronicity with his art.

Sleepwalker, 2007, mixed media on canvas, 174 x 93 cm

You can download an excellent introduction and interview of Sage Vaughn by Jordan Tappis from Interview_Sage_Vaughn.pdf

Our World would like to thank Sébastien Bertrand and Romain Gruner of the Galerie Bertrand & Gruner in Geneva for their help in securing permission to publish the interview.

Skyscraper Airport of the Future?

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:22:00 GMT

The future as envisaged by new York artist Nicolas DeSantis.
The future as envisaged way back in 1939 that is!

After a 5-year study, DeSantis came up with a 200 storey building 8 blocks long and 3 blocks wide - long enough for an airsrtrip on top and a docks for lighter-than-air dirigibles as well. The idea being that commuters living over 150kms away would probably be flying planes to work.

With space for 250,000 private cars as well, this transport hub could conveniently cater to all types of transportation.

While we may not have reached 200 stories just yet, the Burj building under construction in Dubai will soar to 160 stories and with helicopters landing on many roof tops and train and subway stations underneath, DeSantis' vision is not far off . . . even airships look to be making a comeback!

DeSantis idea was publish in Popular Mechanics in 1939 and brought back to life by the always interesting Modern Mecanix Blog.

You can see the original Popular Science article by clicking skyscraper-airport-for-city-of-tomorrow

The mindblowing GG-Quad.

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:16:00 GMT

Switzerland is usually viewed as a country of reliable and conservative people and companies, but there are quite a few who break the mould: MB&F (watches) is one and Grüter + Gut (motorbikes) is another.

Grüter + Gut stared in Ballwil/Switzerland in 1983 selling BMW and Moto Guzzi motor bikes but soon started modifying them . . . radically modifying them and the GG-Quad is their latest toy.

With prices starting around $50,000 the high-tech Quads are not cheap, but they sure look like fun!

For more information check ot their website at www.gg-technik.ch

The incredible (and exclusive) Everland Hotel

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Thank you to Cool Hunting for bring our attention to the new Everland Hotel perched on top of the contemporary art space Palais De Tokyo in Paris.

Designed by Swiss artists Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann, the Everland Hotel cannot really be classified as a hotel, nor just as an exhibition space: it is both and neither at the same time.

The function is intertwined so strongly with the concept that is is impossible to make them apart: the Everland really works like an hotel and retains all its functions.

Consisting of one single green and white container, it houses a comfortable room with a king size bed, a fully working bathroom beautifully tiled in blue mosaics, a large lounge and even an over-stuffed mini-bar.

However, unlike a regular commercial establishment, guests are allowed to stay only one night in the year and it's open to museum visitors during the day.

The room costs between €333-444 to book for the night and bookings happen on-line exclusively. To give everyone a fair chance, bookings can be made only two months in advance and new booking slots are opened every week.

For more information please check out www.Everland.ch (good views from the webcam) and the article on the Everland Hotel on Cool Hunting

Photography - The Hyena and Other Men by Pieter Hugo

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:07:00 GMT

Pieter Hugo is a South African-based photographer who has produced three monographs: Looking Aside (2006), Messina/Musina (2007) and The Hyena & Other Men (2007).

Pieter was a member of ReGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025 (Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, and Aperture, New York), an exhibition identifying 50 young photographers who will be considered great by 2025, accompanied by a book published by Thames & Hudson. He won first prize in the Portraits section of the 2006 World Press Photo competition, and was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2007, with an exhibition touring South Africa until July 2008.

Pieter Hugo created the series The Hyena Men while travelling throughout Nigeria with a troupe of animal charmers and their collection of tenuously domesticated hyenas, monkeys and snakes. The portraits feature groupings of men and animals surrounded by the barren urban centers of Northern Nigeria, which were taken during quiet moments between the spectacles of street performances.

For more information:www.pieterhugo.com

How to drop a raw egg from 20 meters/60' without breaking it.

Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:13:00 GMT

Just drop the egg onto an amazing shock absorbing product called Alpha GEL and the egg does not break. The unique elasticity of the special silicone gel disperses energy like ripples in water.

Alpha GEL was developed by Mr. Nakanishi who is now advisor to the Taica group who markets the gel. Mr. Nakanishi was doing research into vibration damping and shock absorption and getting nowhere, then one day he had a headache from a cold. His daughter placed cooling gel pads on the his forehead to ease the pain and when she threw him a new pad he realized how shock absorbent it was.

The headache disappeared instantly and Mr. Nakanishi hurried to a local supermarket to purchase products like raw eggs, tofu (bean curd), natural jelly, pudding, and many others. He then sliced all the gel-like material and arranged them on the floor. With no measurement apparatus available, he use dropped eggs for testing. After one month and over 1000 eggs (all eaten afterwards) the results looked promising.

Great ideas can come from the most unusual sources!

The MB&F team wishes you a wonderful and happy New Year filled with energy, creativity and friendship !

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 11:10:00 GMT

Stunning wildlife photographs from Nick Brandt.

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:53:00 GMT

Nick Brandt was born and raised in London, and studied Film and Painting at St. Martins School of Art.

He started photographing in December 2000 in East Africa, beginning the body of work that is his signature subject matter and style. He is now devoting himself full time to his fine art photography now.

Brandt's first book of photographs, "On This Earth", was published in October 2005, by Chronicle Books, with forewords by Jane Goodall and Alice Sebold (author of "The Lovely Bones").

Nick Brandt has had numerous one-man exhibitions between 2004 and 2006, including London, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, Santa Fe, Sydney, Melbourne and San Francisco. He now lives in Topanga, California.

For more stunning images please visit the Nick Brandt Photo Gallery

Harry Tan shares his first views of HM2 on Goldarths Review

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:09:00 GMT

With stunning photographs and insightful commentary on his Blog WatchingHorology.com, Professor Harry Tan is well-respected resource among watch enthusiasts worldwide.

In this article, Harry shares his first impressions and beautiful photographs of MB&F's HM2. Please click HM2- First Impressions or the image above for Harry's article.

Professor Harry Tan is a respected legal academic working with organizations including ASEAN and the UN in matters of IT law and policy. Harry is also a consultant with a technology law firm and he heads a think tank at a Singaporean university. A modern day renaissance man, his passion for watches, photography and web-design are evident through his popular blog

HM2 watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht hosts a ''thank you' cocktail.

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:47:00 GMT

In celebration of winning the inaugural Best Watchmaker award at the 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and his team at Agenhor hosted a very well attended 'thank you' cocktail party.

Max Büsser had just returned from a successful month touring the world presenting Horological Machine No.2 - a watch inspired and largely created by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht - and it was a chance to catch up and say hello to friends.

There was quite a crowd of friends and clients - many, if not most, were both.

Agenhor is an independent family affair. On the right Jean Marc's wife Catherine and son Nicolas.

Jean-Marc's speech was warmly received.

From left to right: Max Büsser, Véronique Benoit-Pequignet and Xavier Delange (from Agenhor's HM2 team), and MB&F's project and business manager, Estelle Toni.

Fabrizio Cavalca (left) from Steinway & Sons Watches talks to Grégory Pons, journalist and spokesman of the Grand Prix jury.

Max Büsser congratulating Jean-Marc Wiederrecht

An elusive wrist shot of MB&F's HM2

It was a very pleasurable evening with 'Friends' and rewarding to see an extremely talented watchmaker recognized.

Abu Dhabi is aspiring to become one of the world's new culture capitals

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:40:00 GMT

Star architects have been commissioned to build the world's most spectacular museums on an island just off the Arab metropolis.

In 1791, two events occured that don't seem to have much to do with one another -- at least at first sight. The Bani Yas, a Bedouin tribe, discovered a freshwater spring by the Persian Gulf and founded a small settlement that eventually became the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Several thousand kilometers away, in Paris, the constituent assembly of post-revolutionary France issued a decree nationalizing the royal art collection and announced the opening of a public museum in the Louvre. Now, 216 years later, the Louvre and Abu Dhabi suddenly have a lot in common. (writes Heiko Klass in Spiegel Online

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has commissioned no less than four of the world's most famous architects to create what promises to become one of the world's most important cultural destinations: Frank O. Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Tadao Ando and Zaha Hadid.

As in Bilbao, where the Guggenheim museum turned a crumbling port city into an international tourist destination, Abu Dhabi's authorities hope the investment will transform the emirate into a cultural hub.

The museum is envisaged as one of the anchors of a new $27bn (£14.5bn) financial district, which is expected to include luxury hotels and golf courses, and several museums, a theatre and a park.

Abu Dhabi's national Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) promises "a cultural asset for the world" and a "beacon for cultural experience and exchange," in the words of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Abu Dhabi. The first tourist attractions will be available for viewing in 2012, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

ENV - the first hydrogen fuel-cell powered motorcycle

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:54:00 GMT

The ENV began its life as a fuel cell technology demonstrator by Intelligent Energy and was launched to the world in March 2005. The subsequent global reaction to seeing a purpose-designed fuel cell application was overwhelming and the bike is undergoing intensive evaluation and development with a view to commercializing the technology.

ENV is the first bike designed from the ground up to use a fuel-cell. It is suitable for both on and off-road applications and can reach speeds of 80kms/hour with a range of around 4 hours or 160kms.

It should be an ideal virtually zero-emission form of flexible and fun commuter transport.

The detachable Core is a 1kw fuel-cell generator that provides power on demand and chargers a battery. The latter provides up to 6kw when needed e.g., hills or heavy acceleration.

The Core also incorporates the hydrogen storage as well as the feed/flow mechanisms.

Intelligent Energy, in collaboration with Boeing, have announced that they will develop and test the world's first fuel-cell powered aeroplane Fuel-cell powered flight

For more information please check out www.envbike.com and www.intelligent-energy.com

A few of Max Büsser's steel pocket watches featured in QP

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 07:43:00 GMT

Our friend Mitch from the popular horological Blog The Watchismo Times has his own regular column in the premier British watch magazine, QP

In a recent issue Mitch talked about a few vintage blackened-steel pocket watches in Max Büsser collection.

Simple looking dial with a surprising full triple calendar on back.

Jumping hour on green enamel dial.

This inconspicuous watch belies the fact that it boasts a 7-day power reserve.

You can download a pdf of the article by clicking on the image above or Watchismo's Timewarp - Vintage Watching: Max Büsser

Jean-Marc Wiederrecht wins the inaugral prize for Best Watchmaker at the 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:44:00 GMT

Jean-Marc and his team at Agenhor developed the complication for MB&F's innovative Horological Machine No.2 and we are delighted to see him recognised by this prestigious award.

Jean-Marc Wiederrecht with his wife (and business partner) Catherine.

You will find more information about the ceremony at Photo Essay: 2007 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève and to learn more about Horological Machine No.2 and what Jean-Marc has done to make it so special, please chaeck out Jack Forster's excellent article: Max Büsser and Horological Machine No.2

Flying in Zero G

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:30:00 GMT

Experiencing weightlessness used to be the preserve of trainee astronauts and jet-pilots.

Now , a private American company called ZERO G is offering an unforgettable (and sometimes stomach turning) experience

ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights for the general public; The ZERO-G Experience™ launched in October 2004. ZERO-G has since successfully flown more than 2,500 passengers aboard 100 flights. In April 2006, ZERO-G became the first commercial company to gain permission from the Kennedy Space Center to use the shuttle runway and landing facilities, to operate its weightless flights.

ZERO-G conducts its weightless flights aboard G-Force One – a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft. Able to accommodate up to 35 Flyers and six crew members, G-Force One is licensed at the highest levels of safety with the FAA following extensive testing and evaluations in coordination with the FAA. G-Force One flies a parabolic flight manoeuvres – a controlled ascent and descent of that creates temporary weightlessness or reduced gravity. This is the identical weightless flight experience used by NASA to train its astronauts and used by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks to film Apollo-13.

The ZERO-G Experience, which includes training led by a professional astronaut, a flight of 15 parabolas (zero-g experiences), flight suit, complimentary merchandise, awards, a post-event party, photos, and a DVD of the flight, is offered at a price of $3,500 per seat.

For more information contact ZERO-G

MB&F presents . . . Horological Machine No.2

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:00:00 GMT

After much anticipation, it gives us great pleasure to present Horological Machine No.2

HM2 is the world's first mechanical movement offering: Instantaneous Jump Hour, Concentric Retrograde Minutes, Retrograde Date, Bi-Hemisphere Moon Phase and Automatic Winding.

The innovative movement was developed by the master of Jumping Hour and Retrograde indicators, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and constructor Maximilien Di Blasi team at Agenhor in Geneva, with input from Patrick Lété of Les Artisans Horlogers.

To discover a little more about the horologically gifted Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, please click Jean Marc Wiederrecht - Perhaps the best master watchmaker you have never heard of.

You can read Jack Forster's excellent article on Horological Machine No.2 on www.horomundi.com by clicking Max Büsser and Horological Machine No.2

First image of MB&F's Horological Machine No.2.

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:20:00 GMT

Please click on the image above for a larger photo.

Horological Machine No. 2 is to be unveiled by Max Büsser in New York on Wednesday the 7th November.

Presenting the 'Friends' involved in the Horological Machine No.2 project

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:30:00 GMT

MB&F stands for Maximilian Büsser & Friends and one of the principle tenets is to give full recognition to the many people involved in the complex development of a radical new timepiece.

Proudly presenting the Friends of HM2:

Please click on the image above for a larger version.

Horological Machine No.2 will be unveiled on Wednesday the 7th of November. Stay Tuned!

"About Time" rotating clock by Buro Vormkrijgers

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:06:00 GMT

Thank you to Mitch at Watchismo for bringing this rotating concept clock "About Time" by Dutch designer Buro Vormkrijgers to our attention.

"About Time" reveals the passing of time by rolling around your desk and telling time in one long continuous sentence i.e., "It's about six o'clock" or, "it's almost seven now".

The idea comes as a reaction to our stressed lives where we tend to plan our daily activities to the minute - this clock simply tells you, "It's about . . . . "

While rolling around your table, the slow but constant, almost meditative, motion allows you to relax and maybe even forget about time for a few minutes. The concept of telling the time by a rotating object is similat to the Vinta clocks which we highlighted in August.

Buro Vormkrijgers is an innovative Dutch design studio, founded by Sander Mulder and Dave Keune and you can discover more about their work by clicking BuroVormkrijgers.nl .

The new Gerald Genta Gefica Safari brings back a few memories.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:43:00 GMT

Gerald Genta has just re-launched the iconic bronze Gefica Safari from the eighties. Kudos to the design team, and how wonderful to have a watch with a material which “lives” on the wrist. The bronze will acquire a patina with time, and the owner can see it evolve over the years. In a year or two, that Gefica will have a pattern unique to the owner.

But more than that, for me the new Gefica brings back some pretty amazing memories…

I was a 22 year old engineering student trying to finalize a market analysis for Audemars Piguet. Steve Urquhart (then joint MD of the company) had hired me for a six week project in between university terms, and I went off to Paris to question the AP subsidiary and a few retailers in " la Capitale".

The head of AP's Paris subsidiary, Monsieur Aubert, surprisingly did not direct me first to an AP boutique, but to a very small retailer on Rue St Honoré, called Chronopassion, which had only recently opened. Monsieur Aubert told me, "This man can tell you everything you need to know about high-end watchmaking."

And there I met for the first time Laurent Picciotto - pictured above twenty years ago wearing two Geficas on a bad hair day! - the founder and owner of Chronopassion, who many of you know as one of today's most pe-eminent specialists in complicated timepieces. He had just opened his retail store, and only carried one brand... Gerald Genta !

Laurent was probably the most passionate and enthusiastic connoisseur of timepieces I had met at that time (and still is ). He spent over two hours taking me through his vision of horology and gracefully answering my questions. The more we spoke of horology, the more I felt ashamed looking at my Tissot, "I needed to buy a 'real' timepiece now.".

As a penniless student, if I scraped everything I had put aside over the last 22 years I could have probably afforded a bronze Gefica. So my attention got more and more focused on this piece. I can still remember the horrible feeling that one gets when we want something so badly but, at the same time, know very well it is totally and utterly unreasonable.

I finally left without having bought the Gefica (or any other watch), but the dream of that Gefica stuck with me for over a year.

I never did buy a Gefica, or even a Gerald Genta for that matter, but I can still remember that chronograph with the slate dial and the bronze case today.

There is no doubt that Laurent Picciotto and that Gefica played a serious role in my being where I am today. And I find it fitting that Laurent was MB&F's first European retailer.

From what I have seen from the images Bernard Cheong has posted on ThePuristS, this new Gefica is a wonderful interpretation of my fond memories.

Dr. Bernard Cheong's Horological Machine No.1 and Gefica Safari

For more information please have a look at the Gerald Genta Gefica Safari on ThePuristS

Paul Nicklen - A Very 'Cool 'Photograher.

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:18:00 GMT

Paul Nicklen grew up on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada where his family was one of the few non-Inuit families in the small settlement of 140 Inuit. The Inuit taught him how to survive in the Arctic, read the weather and, most of all, they taught him patience.

After earning a degree in Marine Biology, Paul worked as a wildlife biologist for four years in the Northwest Territories, working with species such as lynx, grizzly bears, bison, caribou and polar bears.

Then,he went on a three-month solo expedition into the high arctic to live on the open tundra with the bears, wolves and open sky. That trip helped to confirm to Paul that he could better serve wildlife populations by becoming a nature photojournalist rather than being a biologist or just a wildlife photographer.

Paul's goal is to continue bridging the gap between excellent scientific research and the public by producing stories for magazines such as National Geographic.

Since 1994, Paul has been fortunate to have been published in hundreds of magazines around the world and has had seven stories recently appear in National Geographic Magazine, all working towards this common goal.

To learm more about this dedicated and talented man and to see more of his stunning images, please visitPaul Nicklen Photography

Papervision - A New Way of Manipulating Images

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 07:36:00 GMT

Papervision3D is an open source 3D engine for the Flash platform.

While that may, or may not, mean much to you, clicking on any of these images and moving your mouse around the page that loads should give a glimpse of where this technology may lead.

Please note that the image files are large so please allow a couple of minutes to load after clicking.

For more information, please check out the Papervision3D wiki

From Sketch to Machine: The Story of MB&F's Horological Machine No.1

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:39:00 GMT

If you are curious to learn more about the process of how an initial sketch or idea (like the image above) develops into a sophisticated and complex timepiece (image below),

then you may enjoy this article on www.Horomundi.com entitled From Sketch to Machine - The Storyboard of a Passion.

The Eco One Sports Car - A 240km/hr Salad on Wheels!

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:26:00 GMT

The Eco One sports car was built by student Ben King from a design by Dr Kerry Kirwan, a researcher at the Warwick Manufacturing Group.

As Ben King explains, "If we can build a high-performance car that can virtually be grown from seed, just imagine what is possible for the average family car."

Eco One is 95 percent biodegradable or recyclable, although its steering-wheel, seat and electrics comprise conventional materials. All of the plastic components were made from plants, while the chassis is made from steel, an easily reusable metal. The Eco One uses an engine from a Triumph Daytona motorbike.

Eco One has not been raced competitively because, the designers say, it is in a class of its own.

For more information, please check out the the Gizmodo Article on Eco One

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:19:00 GMT

To Fly Free in Space. Credit: STS-41B and NASA. Please click on the image for a larger version.

At about 100 meters from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger, Bruce McCandless II was further out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured above, was floating free in space. McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk" during Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984.

The MMU works by shooting jets of nitrogen and has since been used to help deploy and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in orbit. The MMU was replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion unit. Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)

Tentacles of the Tarantula Nebula. Credit & Copyright: WFI, MPG/ESO 2.2-m Telescope, La Silla, ESO. Please click on the image for a larger version.

The largest, most violent star forming region known in the whole Local Group of galaxies lies in our neighboring galaxy the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Were the Tarantula Nebula at the distance of the Orion Nebula -- a local star forming region -- it would take up fully half the sky. Also called 30 Doradus, the red and pink gas indicates a massive emission nebula, although supernova remnants and dark nebula also exist there.

The bright knot of stars left of center is called R136 and contains many of the most massive, hottest, and brightest stars known. The above image taken with the European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) Wide Field Imager is one of the most detailed ever of this vast star forming region. ESO has made it possible to fly around and into this detailed image by clicking here.

South Pole Lunar Eclipse. Credit & Copyright: Robert Schwarz (South Pole Station). Please click on the image for a larger version.

The Moon was up continuously for 14 days in August -- when viewed from the South Pole. But during the total lunar eclipse on August 28, it circled only about 10 degrees above the horizon. For Robert Schwarz, the resulting long line-of-sight through the atmosphere that blurred his images was a minor problem when he recorded this four hour long lunar eclipse sequence. A more severe problem was the outdoor air temperature of -68 C (-90 F).

The extreme cold required him to make the series of exposures through a slit in a window from inside a heated room. Though the heat produced convection and further blurring, it was the only way to keep the camera at a reasonable operating temperature for an extended period of time. Still, he was rewarded with this impressive record of August's lunar eclipse from a unique perspective on planet Earth.

For more information on these images and the technology involved, please click on the images and/or visit the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive

The Kakorama website takes us back to the past.

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:28:00 GMT

www.kakophone.com is an online search engine that can tell us what was happening in the past.

What were the big events? Which song was number-one in the charts on the day you were born ? Who got the Oscar of the best picture this year ?

Check out Kakorama to find out.

Basis crafts turntables like MB&F crafts Horological Machines.

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 13:03:00 GMT

Basis do not build “price-point products” where the reason for being is to fill a necessary product category at a certain price. Their goal is to provide music-lovers with products that will perform as highly as possible, identically in every environment, year after year.

The turntable is the foundation —the basis—of any phono system and the phono system is the basis of any audio system.

The purity of any audio system is limited by the integrity of the input signal - as they say, garbage in, garbage out - and the turntable is where it all starts. Without proper engineering at the source, the battle is lost. Information missed or distorted at source cannot be corrected further along the chain.

Isolating the turntable from the listening environment is crucial for maximum reproduction. Anything less than total isolation reduces the turntable to an expensive tone control, with the sound coloured by feedback and inefficient transfer of energy between turntable and tone arm.

The self-contained Resonance Annihilator on the Basis turntable isolates it from vibration - in fact it neutralizes the vibrational energy by transforming it into heat energy which is efficiently and effectively dissipated.

The movement of MB&F's Horological Machine No.2 shares design cues with the stunning Basis turntables. Perhapsthat should not be surprisingly as both are high performance machines.

Basis have been making state of the art turntables for over 20 years and if there was ever any doubt of just how stunning the form follows function philosophy can be, Basis lays it to rest.

www.basisaudio.com

An excellent article on MB&F by InSync magazine.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:01:00 GMT

The article provides insights into Max Büsser's motivation to create MB&F, the involvement of Peter Speake-Marin and Eric Giroud and the development of Horological Machine No.1.

To download a pdf of the article please click MB&F InSync.pdf

The stunning Clos Apalta Winery & Lodge in Chile

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:45:00 GMT

The Apalta valley, just two hours southwest of Santiago, in the southern portion of the famous Rapel valley, is a premier Chilean winemaking area where many of the best Chilean wine producers have vineyards and bodegas (wineries).

The façade has 24 wooden vertical beams of differing heights to represent the number of months required to make each bottle of the wine. The facility will be dedicated exclusively to making Clos Apalta, Casa Lapostolle?s icon wine.

The Clos Apalta Winery & Lodge is the culmination of the dream of Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, to create a world-class winery in Chile.

The complex was designed by architects ,Roberto Benavente, Bernd Haller and Luis González and it was necessary to excavate 25 meters (82 feet) into a hill in the Apalata vineyard to insert the 6-level construction. The special gravity-flow design allows the entire wine-making production process to flow from top to bottom without the use of pumps: reception of the wine on the top level, down to fermentation, the first-year barrel room, the second-year barrel room, the blending room, and bottling on the lowest level.

For more information, please check out their website at www.closapalta.cl

Is it a Boat or is a Plane? It's the incredible Hydroptère!

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:46:00 GMT

Alain Thébault is the skipper and pilote of the Hydroptère. He is reported to be half-mad or half-wise - depending on the tide - but Alain Thébault had a dream: to create a flying boat.

In the sailing world, there are many Ulysses: Sailors who know how make it through the tempest and to use a bit of cunning with the technical and human elements to arrive safe and sound.

But Alain Thébault is the only living Icarus among the oceanic skippers. He has an inventive fever and a burning desire to fly close to the sun . . . an he is very close to achieving that aim with Hydroptère.

The goal is to break 50 knots under sail and the 'boat has already been clocked at over 47 knots.

Hydroptère is already the fastest sailing boat in the world over one nautical mile with a recognised average speed of 41.69 knots. (Interestingly, the previous record holder was Bjorn Dunkerbeck’s who managed a very impressive 41.14 knots on a sailboard!)

For more information about this amzing project, please visit www.hydroptere.com

Rice as Art? Rice is Art!

Sat, 11 Aug 2007 11:50:00 GMT

In a Japanese version of the Nazca lines of Peru, the residents of Inakadate have been drawing pictures with rice since 1993. Each year, farmers in the town of Inakadate in Aomori prefecture create works of crop art by growing a little purple and yellow-leafed kodaimai rice along with their local green-leafed tsugaru-roman variety.

This year’s creation — a pair of grassy reproductions of famous woodblock prints from Hokusai’s 36 Views of Mount Fuji — has begun to appear and will be visible until the rice is harvested in September.

Inakadate 2006

And this is how it looks up close.

While Inakadate is Japan’s most famous rice paddy decorating town, there practice is spreading further 'afield'.
For more images please click Read More

Stunning wooden clocks from Vinta Japan.

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:19:00 GMT

Thanks to our friend Mitch at Watchismo for bringing these elegant and serene Japanese designed Vinta wooden clocks to our attention.

As the Vinta website explains: We wanted to express the idea of "feeling the time", not "measuring the time". Time can be shown from the sculpture revolving slowly on its own axis once every hour with an ambiguous change in its inclination. And we used the preciseness of a Japanese craftman's technique to make this delicate shape to revolve smoothly.

Things we see and feel during our daily lives do not last only for that moment, but there is a certain significant instantaneous memory that we recall when things come in contact with ourselves. Even though VINTA's creations are nothing but concrete, our mission is to inevitably provoke such fluid, momentary memories.

For a short video of hour the clock works, please click here

Max Büsser interviewed on Channel News Asia.

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:59:00 GMT

July last year, Max Büsser heard from The Hour Glass in Singapore that CNA - Channel News Asia - wished to do a feature on MB&F and Horological Machine No1 . . . and that they needed footage of the movement being manufactured and assembled.

So Peter Speake-Marin, Max and a film crew went up to Tramelan, where the parts for HM1 were being produced, to shoot the work in progress.

We hope to show more of that footage in the near future; however, for now we hope you enjoy this interview with Max, which took place in Singapore, and is interspersed with clips from Tramelan.

Solar Impulse: Bertrand Piccard's quest to fly around the world in a solar powered plane.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 07:05:00 GMT

Bertrand Piccard

I was listening to a presentation by Bertrand Piccard little more than a year ago and was completely smitten with his concepts and ideas.

This was before the whole “renewable energy/save the earth” wave hit the media. In fact his presentation sounded somewhat anachronistic at the time. Piccard's point was simple: you cannot entice people into respecting the planet by making them feel guilty.
Look at smoking and smokers. Cigarette packs are covered with stickers proclaiming, SMOKING WILL KILL YOU! - yet smokers continue to smoke.

Piccard feels that the only way for renewable energy to be adopted and pursued, is by making it financially interesting AND by making everyone feel PROUD (not guilty) of adopting this new approach to energy conservation and generation.

Solar Impulse is the perfect example of what can make us proud: it is a totally utopian project with enough panache to catch everyone’s awareness around the globe.

Solar Impulse will develop much more for the science of renewable energy than any marketing campaign or nannying by governments.
For this, and for daring what seems impossible: “Bravo Monsieur Piccard !”. And bravo to the Hayek family for having taken the financial risk of backing this project !

For more information, please check out Ian Skellern's article on Solar Impulse published on www.Horomundi.com and visit www.SolarImpulse.com

Artist Koka Ramishvili paints Horological Machine Number 1

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:49:00 GMT

The Story Behind The Artwork

As with most creations around MB&F, this painting originated with an encounter.

Eric Giroud (watch designer and MB&F Friend) spoke to Koka about MB&F when he interviewed him for Our World.
To read that interview please click here.

Koka then spent sometime analyzing the website, reading the brochure and articles, and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about everything he had read about us.

To follow the painting process, please click Read More

Mr. Masanori Wakae has an interesting way to ride to work . . .

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:13:00 GMT

This amazing picture was featured in my friend Tomoko Kayama’s new magazine, Tom Sawyer.

We do not have much information on this unique unicycle, which was given to Mr. Wakae, by a Chinese Acrobatics Team. It weighs over 60 kg and has a diameter of 2 meters. According to the article, Mr. Wakae, who is 71 years old, is the chairman of the International Unicycle Association.

If anyone has any info on this amazing machine, please do not hesitate to send it to info @ mbandf.com (remove spaces)

How to become invisible by Dutch artist Desiree Palmen

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:33:00 GMT

Concern about the increasing use of identity based electronic information systems and the frequent use of surveillance cameras is one of the impulses for Desiree Palmen to create her work, which uses camouflage, as it's main focus.

In photo works, videos and site-specific actions, Palmen explores the possibilities of letting people 'dissolve' into their surroundings or to let them disappear against the background. The manipulation of clothing plays a crucial role. A shirt covers the body and then extends to cover the tabletop, confusing the contour of the body of the person wearing the shirt with the table itself.

In another work, a suit is painted in such a way that when the model is in a very specific position, he/she disappears into the background. Palmen then takes pictures of these situations she creates from the ideal viewing perspective for her audience. In the actual situation, if the viewer moved one step away from this ideal view, then the function of the camouflage seizes to exist.

For more images please click Read More

Wall Climbing Robots

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 07:49:00 GMT

Researchers have created a robot that can run up a wall as smooth as glass and onto the ceiling at a rate of six centimeters a second. The robot currently uses a dry elastomer adhesive, but the research group is testing a new ultrasticky fiber on its feet that should make it up to five times stickier.

And the inspriation behind the technology? The Gecko.

Geckos are able to stick to surfaces thanks to very fine hairlike structures on their feet called setae. These angled fibers split into even finer fibers toward their tips, giving the gecko's foot a spatula-like appearance. These end fibers have incredibly weak intermolecular forces to thank for their adhesiveness: the attractive forces act between the fiber tips and the surface they are sticking to. Individually, the forces are negligible, but because the setae form such high areas of contact with surfaces, the forces add up.

Other research teams are trying different technologies including vacumn pads and sharp claws; however, the Gecko approach is looking very promising.

I am not sure I would like them crawling around the house though!

Prometheus: The future of Our World?

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:56:00 GMT

Prometeus - The Media Revolution?

In 2022 Google launches Prometeus, the Agav standard interface. Amazon creates Place, a company that replicates reality. You can be on Mars . . . or maybe not. You decide after viewing the Prometheus video.

War of the Roses . . . Part 2!

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:43:00 GMT

War of the Roses starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner was, with good reason, one of the hit films of 1990. For those who missed the original or might like a recap on what it was all about, here is an entertaining 60 second remake.

Cousteau mini-submarine mimics great white shark

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 07:04:00 GMT

The grandson of famous oceanographer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau believes that the best way to learn about sharks is to become one.

Fabien Cousteau, inspired as a child by the comic book Red Rackham's Treasure, where the main character, Tintin, adventures underwater in a shark-shaped submarine, decided as an adult to build his own.

"It's the same thought process as Jane Goodall or Diane Fossey. You don't want to separate yourself from the animal. You want to be part of the animal's realm," Cousteau said.

The sub-shark's designer, Eddie Paul, has a history with the Cousteaus. Back in 1989, he was commissioned to build a robotic shark for Jean-Michel (Fabien's father) and Jacques. The robotic shark "Allison" was tethered to a shark cage and contained a hidden camera to better observe the sharks in action.

On the last day of shooting, the shark was made to list to one side and move erratically as though it were injured, causing the alpha female great white to "decide to end the poor robot shark's tortured life by taking a death blow to its gills, crushing it into a million pieces," said Fabien Cousteau with a mock sigh.

For more information, please check out this article on www.Wired.com and another on DeeperBlue.

For a National Geographic slideshow, please clickhere

I cannot help but wonder if they thought to make the model deliberately unattractive. An amorous suitor might easily cause as much trouble as an agressive one!

The first ever fashion shoot with the Horological Machine No1.

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:28:00 GMT

I was honoured when Isabelle Cerboneschi, the editor in chief of
Le Temps supplements, kindly asked to borrow a Horological Machine N0.1 for the cover page of her stunning yearly watch supplement.

The very talented photographer Denis Hayoun spent the day in a surrealist car demolition warehouse to capture the images he and Isabelle had in mind.

It was a cold day and the warehouse was poorly heated (if at all) so the poor model was frozen. Despite this, the result of the photo shoot is pretty dramatic, and I love the cover page image.

Below are a few shots of what the photo shoot looked like - as you can see it was far from glamorous!

To download a full sized slideshow of the day, please click here (warning: the file size is 6mbs). When the file has loaded you can either use your scrolling wheel to browse through the images, or save the pdf file to your computer and then double click on it.

For the complete Le Temps Supplement (in French), please click here , and do check out more of Denis Hayoun's stunning photography
by clicking here.

The Deep: Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss by Claire Nouvian

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:21:00 GMT

On dry land, most organisms are confined to the surface, or at most to altitudes of a hundred meters—the height of the tallest trees. In the oceans, though, living space has both vertical and horizontal dimensions: with an average depth of 3800 meters, the oceans offer 99% of the space on Earth where life can develop. And the deep sea, which has been immersed in total darkness since the dawn of time, occupies 85% of ocean space, forming the planet’s largest habitat. Yet these depths abound with mystery.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Respected watch journalist Alex Ghotbi

Thu, 31 May 2007 20:44:00 GMT

has published an excellent article about MB&F on the French language horological website www.horlogerie-suisse.com.

Now, while this may be interesting news for the French speakers among you, it does present a not inconsiderable comprehension barrier to the rest.

However, do not despair! For those of you have not yet sampled the delights of on-line automatic translation software such as Google Translate, this may be may be a golden opportunity.

You can either copy/paste the text into the 'Translate' box (not forgetting to choose the languages), or even easier with a page like this, simply copy/paste the url of the article url - into the Translate a Web Page box (again, not forgetting to select the languages).

I predict that you will not only learn something from the article, you will also have a smile on your face from a few of the 'Lost in Translation' words and phrases. :-)

Wake up!

Sat, 26 May 2007 10:55:00 GMT

With Clocky the runaway alarm clock.

A persistent sleeper asked herself, 'Why does my alarm do such a terrible job of getting me up?' and then decided to do something about it.

The result is Clocky. Clocky gives you one chance to get up and then runs away. It will jump off your nightstand and scurry around the room finding places to hide, and all the while not forget to beep you awake at a loud 80db.

Horomundi features an interview with Max Büsser,

Sun, 20 May 2007 12:27:00 GMT

where they discuss 'The Future of Watchmaking.'

As Josh from Horomundi explains, "While we had originally posted this story in collaboration with Time Zone, we liked it so much that we thought we'd re-post it here (on Horomundi).

I think that it offers fascinating insights into the rich period of creativity that watchmaking has experienced over the past 7 years. And brings to mind the question of what we know about the birth of modern horological art"

To read the interview, please click on either of the images above or here.

Guido Mocafico

Tue, 15 May 2007 12:16:00 GMT

The famous French photographer Guido Mocafico contacted me last year asking if he could shoot an image of our HM1 movement. I was flattered and of course looking forward to it; unfortunately, on discovering the shape of our first creation, Guido came back to me apologizing because his first opus would focus on round movements only.

You can discover the superb images of his first series of movement photographs at the Hamiltons Gallery - one of London's foremost Photographic Galleries - where Guido has an exhibition running until the 2nd of June.

Who said horological movements lack soul ?

Face2Face: A Project of Peace.

Thu, 10 May 2007 08:18:00 GMT

We do not intend for Our World to get into the heated and decisive waters of politics or religion; however, the Face2Face project really hit me hard as an extremely worthwhile project.

My first contact with Face to Face was seeing enormous photos of Israelis and Palestinians laughing side by side on the infamous wall around Jerusalem. They encouraged me to learn more.

This artistic project is independent (not sponsored), intelligent, witty and carrying a wonderful message of peace.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Le Labo: Custom Fragrances

Fri, 04 May 2007 11:20:00 GMT

Our World could - with some justification - be accused of weighing our content more towards the testosterone side of the estrogen/testosterone equation.

While we don't intend to swing in completely the other direction, a little balance time to time should both broaden our outlook and widen our horizons.

So today we bring you Le Labo, a company offering custom made and bespoke fragrances for both women (and men) who are searching for something special.

The opening lines on Le Labo's website go:
In a world where luxury perfumes are mass-produced and sold in places that look like supermarkers, where advertising campaigns try to fool consumers into thinking they are unique even though their 'one of a kind' frangrances are worn by millions across the globe, we belive there is another solution. As a result, Le Labo has decided to take matters - and perfume- back in hand . . .

Le Labo offers ten (lovingly) hand-made and (comparatively) reasonably perfumes that would make excellent special gifts - especially as they are only made to order. You can see these by clicking here.

Their bespoke fragrances will set you back around $40,000 and the company honestly states that the quality is no better than their custom made scents. The value comes from the fragrance being a real one-off and the result of the creative process between the client and the creator.

They even offer an Olfactionary set.; a miniature wine cellar of smells with 40 little bottles of scents to train your nose.

Le Labo's website is well worth exploring just to learn more about the exotic world of luxurious odours. Be warned though, after reading and learning, it is extremely difficult to resist a peek into their e-store . . . bring your credit card!

The incredible Carver One.

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:40:00 GMT

The Carver One is the closest experience you can get to flying a fighter jet while staying firmly on the road, and Michael Lutolf, who lent me his Carver One, knows what he is talking about: he is a fighter pilot in the Swiss Airforce.

The Carver originated in the early 1990s when the Dutch Anton van den Brink wondered whether it really should take 2.5 tons of steel to transport just one person of, say, 100 kg.

An enthusiastic group of engineers then teamed up with Anton with the aim of developing transport that gave the driver (rider?) the best of both the car and the motorcycle.

Please click 'Read More' for the rest of the article.

Mosaic: A Moment on Earth

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:13:00 GMT

Jereme Axelrod had a dream that started like this. . .

A Dream Develops: The first time I had the day-dream that led to the making of this film was in the summer of 1997. I was 17 and at the bottom of a latrine I’d dug in Honduras while working with a group called Amigos de las Americas. I could not have been happier anywhere else. I was in a small community of no more than 500 people, with no electricity or running water. Everything we ate was grown within the community and I had a wonderful host family there.

Sometimes though I would begin to miss family and friends and would think about where they were and what they would be doing at that time, in worlds that seemed so far away and so different. Some of my friends were on the bustling streets of New York and others were windsurfing on Maui. It was hard for me to imagine all of us doing what we were doing in our respective worlds all at once, but it was captivating to think about, and at night I would lie there doing just that. I thought maybe one day I would make a film called “Wednesday 3:00pm” and film moments all around the world at that one time. I wrote it down in a book of ideas.

Please click on Read More for the rest of the article.

A few images and a few thoughts about HM2 and Art.

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:32:00 GMT

I have recently turned 40, and even though I have been previously married, I do not have any children. So when most of my friends around me in the last 10 - 15 years are oohing and aahing about how phenomenal it was to have your own child, and how incredibly awed they felt when they first received their baby in their arms, I would politely nod and smile … sighing inwardly and wondering how was it that father- or motherhood could transform what seemed like intelligent, balanced individuals into emotionally overflowing and blubbering marshmallows.

However, something very disconcerting and analogue is happening to me. I now find myself the gushingly proud father of two: two Horological Machines. Certainly, I have been involved in creating many wonderful timepieces at Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston; but it is just not the same.

But why? Why, when I first saw the initial assembly of the HM2 movement was I so in awe? Why did I want to run and show it to everyone, to send photos through the Internet to every person in my Outlook registry (and trust me there are a lot in there !) ?

How come such a normally self-controlled individual - as I feel I usually am -just loses it?

So when Ian Skellern asked me to write a few words to introduce the Horological Machine No2 movement, I had to step back for a moment and try to get to the core of my reactions. My first reasoning would have to come from the fact that I have been throughout my whole career a workaholic, adrenalin-addicted, control freak.

Control … that was what allowed me to create, to develop and to deliver.

Presenting Caparo's awesome new supercar: the T1

Sat, 14 Apr 2007 16:01:00 GMT

Those of you who have been following my postings on Our World, have probably well understood that I have a real soft spot for courageous entrepreneurs who share a common passion for creating incredible (driving, diving, ticking, …) machines.

Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead, two engineers who helped develop the iconic, and probably unsurpassed, McLaren F1 road car 14 years ago, have teamed up to reinvent the supercar concept. Their recently founded company, Caparo, released the first designs of the T1 in Car Magazine over a year ago.

While most brands are adding horsepower, gadgetry, electronics and therefore weight, these engineers have followed the path Colin Chapman had first advocated many decades ago: cut the weight and develop a superb chassis.

The result will surely be phenomenal: 500 bhp for 500kg in a road-legal car, with cornering and brakingcapability of 3G! To put that in some perspective, that is nearly double the power to weight ratio of the Bugatti Veron.

The Caparo T1 is announced to be tested for the first time at the Goodwood festival of speed in June. I wish the creators the incredible success they so largely deserve.

No guts, no glory !

For more information on this mind-blowing machine, please check out www.caparo-t1.com and/or the excellent on-line article at www.gizmag.com.

Video interview with Mitch a.k.a. Watchismo on Cool Hunting.

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:23:00 GMT

I have been a big fan of Mitch's Watchismo Blog ever since discovering his eclectic taste in very interesting - and usually, very quirky- timepieces.

Eclectic is perhaps the wrong word because it soon becomes apparent that Mitch is tightly focused on the quirky and unusual.

In the wise words of Yoda from Star Wars, 'Mainstream wristwatches Watchismo is not.'

To learn about one extremely interesting watch collector's thought-provoking journey, and have a peak at an incredible watch collection, I highly recommend watching this video interview of Mitch, hosted by Cool Hunting.

The URWERK 201 aka “Hammerhead”:

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 13:27:00 GMT

the Baumgartner-Frei tandem create another masterpiece!

Felix Baumgartner (left) and Martin Frei

In a few years, I predict that one will look back and see that the world of high-end horology is divided into two periods: 'before URWERK' and 'after URWERK'. I was fortunate to meet Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei during Basel 2003 when they presented to me the first prototype of their UR-103 (at the time I was managing director of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces)

It hit me hard. . . very, very hard!

I felt it was a truly incredible timepiece. Although not many others appeared to share my perspective at the time, URWERK had clearly opened a door that no one had even thought existed before.

That initial amazing meeting was the beginning of a formidable adventure which culminated in URWERK making the sensational Opus 5 for Harry Winston: a timepiece which made a huge impact on contemporary high-end watchmaking; and a watch which, I have admit, I am very proud of.

Today, two years later, the URWERK duo bring us the 201 “Hammerhead”. An amazing creation which mixes the DNA of the 103 and the Opus 5 and indicates the time in a (literally) revolutionary way with revolving and rotating satellites featuring retractable telescopic minute hands.

Eric Giroud, watch designer and crucial member of the MB&F team,

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 16:48:00 GMT

has recently launched his new website at www.ericgiroud.com

The website gives an excellent feel for Eric Giroud the man, an insight Eric Giroud the designer, and he shares with a breif overview of the design process.

Eric has been Max Büsser's right-hand man from the very inception of the MB&F project and has spent countless hours with Max pouring over every tiny detail of the Horological Machines.

The Reference section of the website gives a just a small indication of the wide scope of Eric's talent and his passion for art.

Click on www.ericgiroud.com and enjoy!

The Poseidon Underwater Mystery Hotel.

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:41:00 GMT

For lovers of diving and snorkeling , the jewel-like islands of the Maldives, with their incredible underwater landscapes of trippingly coloured coral populated with kaleidoscopic fish just a stones-throw from the hotel room, are hard to beat; it doesn't get much better than that.

Well it didn't, until . . .

Bruce Jones, the president of U.S. Submarines, is best known for building ultra-luxurious bespoke submarines for the rich and famous. You may have thought he had spent enough time underwater; however, helping people to visit the watery realm is no longer enough, Bruce now wants to help you live there! His next project is the Poseidon Mystery Island: the world’s first major underwater hotel resort which is due to open (launch?) in Fiji late 2008.

Instead of stepping into the elevator and going up to their rooms, guests at the resort head down to the opulent suites, revolving restaurant and spa treatment rooms.

Naturally from a man who builds submarines for a living, there will be a 16-passenger luxury submersible for those that wish to explore the ocean life closer up without getting wet.

Poseidon is already taking bookings for the $1,500/night suites, and if don't want to share you can always book the whole place for a week for a cool $3,000,000. I wonder if that includes all you can drink?

Rock stars are warned that they throw TV's through the window at their own risk!

Check out your Visual DNA

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 07:29:00 GMT

When I first came across this webpage of images called Art Is (or so I thought) I found it addictive; however, I also thought it strange that somebody went to so much trouble to show off such an excellent and interactive collection of photographs without leaving any details about themselves. Where was the 'About Me' page?

What I did not realize until I went back for another look was that the photos were part of a more ambitious website called Imagini, which gives you a profile of your visual dna according to which images you select.

Click here to see an intriguing collection of images then check out Imagini to discover your Visual DNA.

How To Spend It (as if we need help), the FT's monthly weekend magazine,

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:20:00 GMT

discussed a number of exciting new watches in a recent article written by Nick Foulkes and illustrated by Bill Butcher. The article was titled,, 'To Boldly Go Where No Watch has gone Before'. Naturally, Max Büsser and MB&F (and the rotor of HM1) got a mention . . . in fact, they received more than a few mentions.

The article is about those companies and watches stretching, or even breaking, the limits of haute horlogerie. Brands such as Hautlence, URWERK, Vianney Halter, Richard Mille, Greubel Forsey and MB&F, are dragging traditional watchmaking and watch design by the hair into the 21st century.

Click here to download a pdf of the article.

Exomos Cutting Edge Submersibles.

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:59:00 GMT

Hervé Jaubert is the creator of Exomos, which makes some of the most technologically-advanced submersibles on the planet. As a naval and mechanical engineer from the French Naval Academy with extensive diving experience, Hervé has always been attracted by the sea. He is driven to create innovative submarines that open up an ocean of possibility and deliver childhood wonder to 21st century grown-up men, and delivering childhood wonder is a goal MB&F salutes and encourages.

The Stingray for one person

Exomos is a pioneering company with one vision - to create the most technologically advanced submarine accessible to anyone for unforgettable experiences in shallow waters, the submarines are backed by extensive testing and research, and brought to life with unprecedented ingenuity.

The Mantaray for two people

Or the Adventurer for three . . . in comfort!

And Exomos do much much more. Check out www.exomos.com to see their complete range of submersibles and to choose the colour you want yours in.

Gas Turbines are incredibly powerful . . .

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:27:00 GMT

so it was only a question of time that somebody put one in a motorbike . . .and it's street legal!

Introducing the MTT Turbine Superbike from gas turbine specialists MTT

Put a 320HP Rolls Royse-Allison turbine engine on two wheels and you have the world's most powerful production motorcycle. A top speed of 250mph or 400km/ also gives you (unsurprisingly) the fastest streel-legal production bike in the world.

Jay Leno- a passionate motorbike collector and MTT owner-decscribed it as, "It's like the hand of God pushing you in the back. . . I've ridden a lot of fast bikes but nothing pulls like this."

The downside? A price tag of $150,000. That and the risk of an extremely nasty accident.

It is worth checking out the MTT website just to click on their logo (top right), turn your speakers up and listen to the sound of raw POWER!

Click here to download a pdf of the brochure and for more information about turbines, please read on . . .

The International Herald Tribune

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:14:00 GMT

published an excellent article on MB&F late last year.

In the article, the sensitive subject of who does what behind the scenes for the big watch brands is discussed.

For those of you who missed it the first time around, you can read the full article by clicking on International Herald Tribune article

Serge Kriknoff, one of our very important “Friends”, wins the French GT car C2 championship !

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Serge has been the Managing Director of G.F. Châtelain, MB&F's case maker, for over 4 years and is one of the most competitive persons I know. I have had the privilege of working with him at Harry Winston between 2000 and 2002. His drive, allied with his exceptional skills, allow him to achieve virtually everything he sets his mind to. Serge is a great example to many of us !

Sport has always been a crucial part of Serge's life. In his twenties he set his mind on competing in the World go-kart championship … and he did. In his thirties he took up triathlon and finished in the first quarter in his category of the triathlon of Nice long distance (today considered as an Iron Man). Recently, on turning forty, Serge thinks, "Well, why not take up motor racing?"
Serge entered the 2005 C2 GT car championship at the middle of the season with his 1995 Porsche 993 SuperCup and finished Champion at the end of the year. In 2006, he did it again having won 6 out of the 7 races he entered in!

Now knowing a little of Serge's background, you can imagine the flame in his eye when I put the first four Horological Machine projects on his table! He just cannot resist a challenge!

Amazing science videos

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 06:53:00 GMT

They say truth is stranger than fiction. Now while I am not convinced that is always the case, these three videos go a long way in substantiating the claim.

I suggest start at the bottom video and working your way up. From bottom to the top the science involves: Sulfur Hexafluoride gas, Ferrofluids and cornstarch.

Click image above for videos