Co-created by MB&F and L’Epée 1839, Grant is a robot with a time display on his shield – and a mission to slow things down, when time runs too fast.
While Grant’s time moves relatively slowly, he can travel quickly over rough terrain (or the messiest desk) on his three operational rubber tracks. Grant can also transform into one of three different modes: lying horizontally over his chassis for a low profile; crouching at 45 degrees; and sitting up 90 degrees. Grant’s time shield can always be set to a comfortable and optimal viewing angle. Whatever the angle, Grant’s highly polished clockwork is on full display, and you can follow every click and turn of the gears. The isochronal oscillations of the regulator keeping time in Grant’s glass-domed ‘brain’ are evidence of the clockwork’s high precision.
Grant's 8-day, in-line manufacture movement features the same superlative fine finishing as found on the finest wristwatches: Geneva waves, anglage, polishing, sandblasting, plus circular and vertical satin finishing.
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Grant transforms into one of three different modes: lying horizontally over his chassis; crouching at 45 degrees; and sitting up 90 degrees. Grant’s time shield can always be set to an optimal viewing angle.
The clock regulator’s gentle beating and intricate composition are visible thanks to its polished glass dome cover. If the protective dome acts like a skull, then the regulator symbolises Grant’s brain at work.
Grant’s rubber caterpillar tracks are fully functional and, with a little help from a friend, he can roll over the rugged terrain of a typical office desk.
For more live pics, wristshots and other cool images, check out our Instagram account.
Grant takes his name from the Medium Tank, M3; a medium-sized American tank in use during World War II. In Britain, the tank came in two variations with differing turret configurations and crew sizes and each model was naturally given its own name. The Brits nicknamed the American-turreted tank "Lee”, after Confederate general Robert E. Lee; the British-turreted tank was called "Grant", after Union general Ulysses S. Grant.
The M3 tank had significant firepower (like MB&F’s + L’Epée 1839’s Grant) and was well armoured (unlike Grant). The M3’s drawbacks included a high silhouette and poor off-road performance, both issues rectified in the Grant: low profile (when laying flat) and excellent high-speed off-road performance (thanks to the three tracks).
L’Epée 1839 developed Grant to MB&F’s design using its 8-day, in-line manufacture movement as a structural base. Grant doesn’t just look like a complicated piece of high-precision micro-engineering, he is an incredibly solid piece of complex high-precision micro-engineering with an impressive 268 components going into the construction of his body and clockwork.
Maximilian Büsser and Arnaud Nicolas CEO of L’Épée 1839L’Epée 1839 has been a prominent clockmaking manufacture for 185 years. Today, it is the only manufacture in Switzerland to specialize in the production of high-end clocks. Founded in 1839 by Auguste L’Epée in Sainte-Suzanne, France, the company originally focused on producing music boxes and watch components. Even at this early stage, the brand was synonymous with entirely handmade pieces.
Starting in 1850, the manufacture became a leader in producing escapements and began to develop special regulators for alarm clocks, table clocks, and musical watches. It gained wide recognition and filed numerous patents for special escapements, particularly for use in its anti-knocking, auto-starting, and constant force systems. L’Epée 1839 became the principal supplier of several famous clockmakers and went on to win many gold medals at World Fairs.
Today, L’Epée 1839 is based in the Swiss Jura Mountains (Delémont), under the direction of CEO Arnaud Nicolas. The manufacture still upholds this incredible know-how in the passionate creation of unique horological sculptures manufactured entirely in-house.
In 2023, L’Epée 1839 wins the “Mechanical clock” award at the Grand Prix de L’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) with Time Fast II in chrome, a creative and technical challenge.
www.lepee1839.chGrant is available in three limited editions of 50 pieces each in Nickel, Black, and Blue.
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