WEDNESDAY MAY 02 2012
The MOON: Around 4.5 billion years ago when the young Earth was still forming, Theia, a proto-planet the size of Mars, is thought to have struck our planet and disintegrated in a ‘Giant Impact’. Some of the debris was attracted by the Earth’s gravity and the rest – consisting of material from both Earth and Theia – went into orbit around the Earth. Within 12 months this orbiting debris coalesced to form the Moon.
Over the next 4.4 billion years, the Earth’s tilt in relation to the sun was stabilised by the gravitational pull of the Moon, which provided regular relatively mild seasons over much of the planet’s surface – ideal conditions for life to form and evolve.
Without that cataclysmic event, we would not be here. You might say we are all Children of the Moon.
And no sooner did modern man start walking the earth than he stared up at the night sky in wonder and awe at the biggest and brightest orb in the heavens. Perhaps none more so than the inhabitants of Finland – including Stepan Sarpaneva – because the less romantic and less well-known counterpoise to the summertime Land of the Midnight Sun are extremely long nights in winter, which gives the population more time than most to study the moon and stars.
MOONMACHINE: While considerably less cataclysmic than the formation of our Moon, MOONMACHINE was also forged from the creative collision of two worlds: MB&F's HM3 Frog and independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva.
Before launching his own brand Sarpaneva Watches in 2003, Stepan Sarpaneva worked with some of the most prestigious Swiss brands including Piaget, Parmigiani – where he worked alongside Kari Voutilainen – Vianney Halter and Christophe Claret.
"Stepan has an incredible sense of design and a real sense of detail. His work and everything he surrounds himself with is extremely coherent." Maximilian Büsser
Stepan Sarpaneva: Stepan’s three signature themes are all celestial: his very distinctive moon face; the northern stars and constellations; and the crenellated form of his Korona case – the korona/corona is the plasma atmosphere of the Sun – and all three have been incorporated in MOONMACHINE. Sarpaneva's two moon faces indicate the phase of the moon through a Korona shaped aperture, while the mystery winding rotor is actually a blued 22k gold disc with laser-pierced stars forming stars and constellations visible in the northern sky.
“The visible movement at the top of HM3 Frog added a technical aspect that provided a serious counterpoint to the playfulness of the bulging frog-eyed indications. In covering the movement, the moon phase and sky hides this and makes the timepiece more poetic. With MOONMACHINE, HM3 is transformed into a fairy tale.” Stepan Sarpaneva
You will find more information regarding the HM3 MOONMACHINE at www.mbandf.com/machines/performance-art/moonmachine
THURSDAY JUNE 02 2011
While we dream throughout our lives, there is one specific dream that children experience more frequently than adults: the ability to fly! It isn’t known why dreams of flight diminish from adolescence; however, it may be that adult imaginations become more constrained as they are rooted in the realities of everyday life. Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy suffer from progressively diminished mobility leading to paralysis; however, while their bodies may be trapped, their young spirits can escape in their dreams and imaginations. HM4 Only Watch offers children a flight of fantasy, a reason to smile, and a wild ride through time and space!
This MB&F piece for Only Watch transports us to a fantasy dream world with a friendly panda piloting a unique space-age HM4 jet. While visiting an art gallery a few years ago, MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser noticed a painting of a panda flying on a rocket that lifted his spirits so much that he bought it. That painting was by Paris-based Chinese artist, Huang Hankang, and for Only Watch, Huang used HM4 as his canvas to convey a childlike liberation of the spirit.
Artist Huang Hankang
When Huang was asked if he was interested in collaborating with MB&F on the Only Watch project, it only took one glance at HM4 Thunderbolt for him to realise that while this was an artistic medium he had not considered before—or even knew existed—he relished in the challenge and the cause. Huang first imagined and then painted a delightful, carefree panda bear flying free on top of HM4 and MB&F set about transforming Huang’s painting into a horological expression. Huang’s original painting accompanies the HM4 Only Watch.
As Huang relates, “I saw MB&F’s work as art, not watchmaking. It comes from unfettered imagination, just like my paintings.”
HM4 Only Watch features the dream-world scenario of a solid gold panda bear riding on top of the HM4 jet, which he controls with reins made of twisted gossamer filaments made of gold. The panda was hand-carved and then cast in 18k white gold using the “lost wax” technique. And while the HM4 Only Watch is a celebration of the fantasy of children’s dreams, there is also a feature for those obliged to ground their feet in reality from time to time: the panda and his reins have been micro-engineered to be completely detachable so that HM4 transforms from a flying machine into a Horological Machine.
For more information, please download the press release by clicking HM4 Only Watch
WEDNESDAY MARCH 16 2011
Only a week before Baselworld 2011 and at MB&F it's all hands on deck! The rebellious Laurent Picciotto, renowned watch guru and famed Parisian retailer, is helping us to launch the new HM3 ReBel - Right hand, Black case - a Horological Machine for the right wrist. Most, if not all, MB&F owners are rebels in one way or another, but those who are attracted to the HM3 ReBel are likely to tend towards the 'dark side'.
James Dean was a Hollywood Rebel Without a Cause; Billy Idol had a Rebel Yell; Star Wars had its Rebel Alliance; and now MB&F pokes the watchmaking establishment firmly in the eye with the HM3 ReBel.
And like all true rebels, nothing on the HM3 ReBel is quite as it first appears, especially when you take a closer look behind its nonchalantly cool facade. Under the ReBel's open black leather jacket - or to be more precise, its black PVD treated white gold case - charcoal coloured movement plates and bridges form a darkened backdrop to the resplendent flash of the 22k gold rotor as it speeds by, while white gold clover-head screws on top of the black case resemble rivets in an upmarket biker's leather jacket.
We think James Dean would have liked it; Billy Idol would have yelled about it; and the Rebel Alliance would have fought for it.
The HM3 ReBel is a very limited edition of 18 pieces available exclusively - to those who are fast enough - in just 13 cities around the world. You can download the full press release and images from here.
Charris Yadigaroglou, MB&F's new Head of Communication
On a lighter and brighter note, we are very pleased to announce that Charris Yadigaroglou has joined our horological rebellion as Head of Communication. Charris is a very welcome addition to our little dream team in Geneva and he will be with us at Baselworld March 23rd to 31st. The Game is afoot!
For the second year, Urwerk, Christophe Claret, Peter Speake-Marin and MB&F are very happy to be presenting our new creations together as the Dream Factory at Baselworld from March 23rd to 31st.
If you are in Basel then, please do not hesitate to come and discover us at the Palace Hall (opposite the Ramada hotel). To make an appointment please contact info@mbandf.com
The MB&F rebellion continues - in both state of mind and in unbridled creativity. Please stay tuned because we have much more in store!
Please click here to read the full Newsletter
SATURDAY JANUARY 15 2011
But all good things come to an end and, after three very successful years, Horological Machine No2 takes one last bow on center stage with two final limited editions of 18 pieces each, both featuring sapphire cases: HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV close the HM2 collection, thus ensuring its exclusivity.
HM2-Black SV features a sapphire case, black dials and a black PVD titanium baseplate that makes a strongly contrasting backdrop for the unique architecture of the HM2 Engine inside, which is framed by an electric green rubber gasket clearly visible through the transparent top. Turning the watch over reveals yet another splash of colour from the vivid green 22K gold winding rotor.
HM2-Red SV has its sapphire case black dials mounted on a regal red gold baseplate. The black dials, black rubber gasket and the rich red of the caseback provide a stunning juxtaposition with HM2's silver Engine. Turning the watch over rewards the viewer with the sight of MB&F's signature 22K red gold battle-axe rotor complimenting the red gold of the caseback.
Synthetic sapphire watchcases are extremely rare for good reason. While sapphire retains its strength at high temperatures, has zero porosity and (below 300°C) does not react to acids, the very properties that make it so attractive also make it extremely difficult to mill, requiring sophisticated (and expensive) diamond tools to machine, followed by careful polishing to turn the opaque freshly cut or drilled surface transparent. The complex, three-dimensional form required for HM2-SV's case, with its bevels, mounting holes, porthole cut-outs and embedded gasket track, pushed the limits of sapphire technology beyond what was thought possible. No less than 55 hours of milling, drilling and polishing are required just to create each sapphire case.
While both new final models are derived from the original HM2-SV, each has its own very distinctive identity. HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV are limited editions of 18 pieces (each)
For more information, please click here or visit www.MBandF.com
Read the full article
FRIDAY DECEMBER 31 2010
click image for larger photo
MOONMACHINE by Stepan Sarpaneva – Forged by a Giant Impact
MOONMACHINE by Finnish watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva is both the first of the MB&F Performance Art pieces by a watchmaker and the first to endow a Machine with a new complication. With MOONMACHINE, Stepan has taken a specially configured HM3 Frog and transformed it with his iconic moon-face moon-phase indicator set in a scintillating firmament of northern stars.The MOON: Around 4.5 billion years ago when the young Earth was still forming, Theia, a proto-planet the size of Mars, is thought to have struck our planet and disintegrated in a ‘Giant Impact’. Some of the debris was attracted by the Earth’s gravity and the rest – consisting of material from both Earth and Theia – went into orbit around the Earth. Within 12 months this orbiting debris coalesced to form the Moon.
Over the next 4.4 billion years, the Earth’s tilt in relation to the sun was stabilised by the gravitational pull of the Moon, which provided regular relatively mild seasons over much of the planet’s surface – ideal conditions for life to form and evolve.
Without that cataclysmic event, we would not be here. You might say we are all Children of the Moon.
And no sooner did modern man start walking the earth than he stared up at the night sky in wonder and awe at the biggest and brightest orb in the heavens. Perhaps none more so than the inhabitants of Finland – including Stepan Sarpaneva – because the less romantic and less well-known counterpoise to the summertime Land of the Midnight Sun are extremely long nights in winter, which gives the population more time than most to study the moon and stars.
MOONMACHINE: While considerably less cataclysmic than the formation of our Moon, MOONMACHINE was also forged from the creative collision of two worlds: MB&F's HM3 Frog and independent watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva.
Before launching his own brand Sarpaneva Watches in 2003, Stepan Sarpaneva worked with some of the most prestigious Swiss brands including Piaget, Parmigiani – where he worked alongside Kari Voutilainen – Vianney Halter and Christophe Claret.
"Stepan has an incredible sense of design and a real sense of detail. His work and everything he surrounds himself with is extremely coherent." Maximilian Büsser
Stepan Sarpaneva: Stepan’s three signature themes are all celestial: his very distinctive moon face; the northern stars and constellations; and the crenellated form of his Korona case – the korona/corona is the plasma atmosphere of the Sun – and all three have been incorporated in MOONMACHINE. Sarpaneva's two moon faces indicate the phase of the moon through a Korona shaped aperture, while the mystery winding rotor is actually a blued 22k gold disc with laser-pierced stars forming stars and constellations visible in the northern sky.
“The visible movement at the top of HM3 Frog added a technical aspect that provided a serious counterpoint to the playfulness of the bulging frog-eyed indications. In covering the movement, the moon phase and sky hides this and makes the timepiece more poetic. With MOONMACHINE, HM3 is transformed into a fairy tale.” Stepan Sarpaneva
You will find more information regarding the HM3 MOONMACHINE at www.mbandf.com/machines/performance-art/moonmachine
THURSDAY JUNE 02 2011
A Flying Panda Soars Free on an Enchanted HM4 for Only Watch 2011
MB&F returns to the Only Watch charity auction with another emotionally charged piece, this time in collaboration with Chinese artist, Huang Hankang. The HM4 Only Watch featuring a miniature flying panda bear is a magical synthesis of children's dreams and cutting-edge haute horlogerie.While we dream throughout our lives, there is one specific dream that children experience more frequently than adults: the ability to fly! It isn’t known why dreams of flight diminish from adolescence; however, it may be that adult imaginations become more constrained as they are rooted in the realities of everyday life. Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy suffer from progressively diminished mobility leading to paralysis; however, while their bodies may be trapped, their young spirits can escape in their dreams and imaginations. HM4 Only Watch offers children a flight of fantasy, a reason to smile, and a wild ride through time and space!
This MB&F piece for Only Watch transports us to a fantasy dream world with a friendly panda piloting a unique space-age HM4 jet. While visiting an art gallery a few years ago, MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser noticed a painting of a panda flying on a rocket that lifted his spirits so much that he bought it. That painting was by Paris-based Chinese artist, Huang Hankang, and for Only Watch, Huang used HM4 as his canvas to convey a childlike liberation of the spirit.
Artist Huang Hankang
When Huang was asked if he was interested in collaborating with MB&F on the Only Watch project, it only took one glance at HM4 Thunderbolt for him to realise that while this was an artistic medium he had not considered before—or even knew existed—he relished in the challenge and the cause. Huang first imagined and then painted a delightful, carefree panda bear flying free on top of HM4 and MB&F set about transforming Huang’s painting into a horological expression. Huang’s original painting accompanies the HM4 Only Watch.
As Huang relates, “I saw MB&F’s work as art, not watchmaking. It comes from unfettered imagination, just like my paintings.”
HM4 Only Watch features the dream-world scenario of a solid gold panda bear riding on top of the HM4 jet, which he controls with reins made of twisted gossamer filaments made of gold. The panda was hand-carved and then cast in 18k white gold using the “lost wax” technique. And while the HM4 Only Watch is a celebration of the fantasy of children’s dreams, there is also a feature for those obliged to ground their feet in reality from time to time: the panda and his reins have been micro-engineered to be completely detachable so that HM4 transforms from a flying machine into a Horological Machine.
For more information, please download the press release by clicking HM4 Only Watch
WEDNESDAY MARCH 16 2011
MB&F March 2011 Newsletter
Dear Friends,Only a week before Baselworld 2011 and at MB&F it's all hands on deck! The rebellious Laurent Picciotto, renowned watch guru and famed Parisian retailer, is helping us to launch the new HM3 ReBel - Right hand, Black case - a Horological Machine for the right wrist. Most, if not all, MB&F owners are rebels in one way or another, but those who are attracted to the HM3 ReBel are likely to tend towards the 'dark side'.
James Dean was a Hollywood Rebel Without a Cause; Billy Idol had a Rebel Yell; Star Wars had its Rebel Alliance; and now MB&F pokes the watchmaking establishment firmly in the eye with the HM3 ReBel.
And like all true rebels, nothing on the HM3 ReBel is quite as it first appears, especially when you take a closer look behind its nonchalantly cool facade. Under the ReBel's open black leather jacket - or to be more precise, its black PVD treated white gold case - charcoal coloured movement plates and bridges form a darkened backdrop to the resplendent flash of the 22k gold rotor as it speeds by, while white gold clover-head screws on top of the black case resemble rivets in an upmarket biker's leather jacket.
We think James Dean would have liked it; Billy Idol would have yelled about it; and the Rebel Alliance would have fought for it.
The HM3 ReBel is a very limited edition of 18 pieces available exclusively - to those who are fast enough - in just 13 cities around the world. You can download the full press release and images from here.
Charris Yadigaroglou, MB&F's new Head of Communication
On a lighter and brighter note, we are very pleased to announce that Charris Yadigaroglou has joined our horological rebellion as Head of Communication. Charris is a very welcome addition to our little dream team in Geneva and he will be with us at Baselworld March 23rd to 31st. The Game is afoot!
For the second year, Urwerk, Christophe Claret, Peter Speake-Marin and MB&F are very happy to be presenting our new creations together as the Dream Factory at Baselworld from March 23rd to 31st.
If you are in Basel then, please do not hesitate to come and discover us at the Palace Hall (opposite the Ramada hotel). To make an appointment please contact info@mbandf.com
The MB&F rebellion continues - in both state of mind and in unbridled creativity. Please stay tuned because we have much more in store!
Please click here to read the full Newsletter
SATURDAY JANUARY 15 2011
Horological Machine No.2 - The Final Editions
First launched in 2008, Horological Machine No2 revolutionized the world of haute horlogerie with its distinctive rectangular shape, flying buttresses, dual portholes and modular construction. The crystal-clear sapphire case of HM2-SV then took the revolution even further by offering unprecedented visual access into the meticulously hand-finished, 349-component engine powering the indications on HM2's iconic twin dials.But all good things come to an end and, after three very successful years, Horological Machine No2 takes one last bow on center stage with two final limited editions of 18 pieces each, both featuring sapphire cases: HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV close the HM2 collection, thus ensuring its exclusivity.
HM2-Black SV features a sapphire case, black dials and a black PVD titanium baseplate that makes a strongly contrasting backdrop for the unique architecture of the HM2 Engine inside, which is framed by an electric green rubber gasket clearly visible through the transparent top. Turning the watch over reveals yet another splash of colour from the vivid green 22K gold winding rotor.
HM2-Red SV has its sapphire case black dials mounted on a regal red gold baseplate. The black dials, black rubber gasket and the rich red of the caseback provide a stunning juxtaposition with HM2's silver Engine. Turning the watch over rewards the viewer with the sight of MB&F's signature 22K red gold battle-axe rotor complimenting the red gold of the caseback.
Synthetic sapphire watchcases are extremely rare for good reason. While sapphire retains its strength at high temperatures, has zero porosity and (below 300°C) does not react to acids, the very properties that make it so attractive also make it extremely difficult to mill, requiring sophisticated (and expensive) diamond tools to machine, followed by careful polishing to turn the opaque freshly cut or drilled surface transparent. The complex, three-dimensional form required for HM2-SV's case, with its bevels, mounting holes, porthole cut-outs and embedded gasket track, pushed the limits of sapphire technology beyond what was thought possible. No less than 55 hours of milling, drilling and polishing are required just to create each sapphire case.
While both new final models are derived from the original HM2-SV, each has its own very distinctive identity. HM2-Black SV and HM2-Red SV are limited editions of 18 pieces (each)
For more information, please click here or visit www.MBandF.com
Read the full article
FRIDAY DECEMBER 31 2010
We wish you a very Happy New Year in 2011!
To all our Friends and their families we wish you a wonderful, creative, passionate and very Happy New Year from all of the MB&F team!
click image for larger photo
