Company:MB&F

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Short description: Swiss watch and clock manufacturer
MB&F
TypePrivate
IndustryWatchmaking
Founded2005
FounderMaximilian Büsser
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Maximilian Büsser
  • Serge Kriknoff
ProductsWatches, Clocks
Production output
350 pieces (2022)
Number of employees
48 (2023)
Websitewww.mbandf.com

MB&F (Maximilian Büsser and Friends) is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded by Maximilian Busser in July 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland . MB&F specializes in small series of concept-type watches.[1][2] MB&F is also known[by whom?] for its futuristic clocks and collaborations with other artists and watchmakers.[3]

History

MB&F HM1 in red gold

MB&F was founded by Maximilian Büsser in July 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland.[4] MB&F launched its first watch, Horological Machine No.1 (HM1) in 2007.[5] MB&F has since launched more than 10 atypical 'horological machines'.[6] In 2011, the brand presented Legacy Machine No.1 (LM1), the first in a collection of more traditional-looking, round-cased watches. In 2012, LM1 was awarded twice at the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Best Men's Watch and the Public Prize.[6]

In 2018 MB&F was granted a patent for a perpetual calendar mechanism that automatically corrects at the end of months having less than 31 days.[7]

Notable models

In 2010 the HM4 Thunderbolt was awarded the Best Concept and Design Watch by the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.[8]

In 2012 the Legacy Machine No.1 was awarded both Best Men’s Watch Prize and the Public prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.[9]

thumb|200px|MB&F HM6 The Horological Machine No.6 (HM6) features a rounded biomorphic case, flying tourbillon under a retractable cover, and automatic winding.[10] It displays hours and minutes on separate semi-spherical aluminum indication domes, crown to open/close a central flying tourbillon shield. It features hour and minute indications on domes, automatic winding regulated by twin turbines developed exclusively for HM6 by MB&F.[11]

In 2015 Horological Machine No.6 received a ‘Red Dot: Best of the Best" award – the top prize at the international Red Dot Awards.[12]

In 2015, MB&F presented Legacy Machine Perpetual featuring a new perpetual calendar architecture.[13] LM Perpetual has a large-diameter suspended balance with traditional Breguet overcoil suspended over on the dial from twin arches with the complete perpetual calendar complication visible on full display above the movement plate.[14] It displays hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicators. It has a fully integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring dial-side complication and mechanical processor system architecture with inbuilt safety mechanisms.

In 2016 Legacy Machine Perpetual won the Best Calendar Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).[15]

In 2018, Maximilian Büsser was awarded an Entrepreneurship prize by the Gaïa Prix.[16] thumb|200px|LM Sequential EVO In 2019 MB&F presented the brand's first ladies' watch, the LM FlyingT[17] It features a central three-dimensional tourbillon movement, much of which is visible above the dial. The time is displayed on an inclined subdial at 7 o'clock. Hours and minutes are displayed on a 50° vertically tilted dial with two serpentine hands. Its movement is a three-dimensional vertical architecture, with automatic winding, conceived and developed in-house by Maximilian Büsser and Friends, central 60-second flying tourbillon, and 100-hour power reserve.[17] In 2019, LM FlyingT won Best Ladies Complication at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).[18]

In 2020, MB&F launched HM10 Bulldog,[19] which features an unusual power reserve indication displayed by the opening and closing of the ”bulldog’s” jaws at the bottom of the watch. Under a large domed crystal, a high central balance wheel oscillates between the hour and minute indicator domes.[citation needed]

In 2022, MB&F presented LM Sequential EVO, a revolutionary dual chronograph. The movement features two column-wheel chronographs and a “Twinverter” binary pusher that enables multiple timing modes, including independent timing, split-second timing, sequential lap timer, and cumulative “chess match” timing. LM Sequential EVO won the top horological prize of 2022, the GPHG “Aiguille d’Or”.[20]

M.A.D. Gallery

Büsser created the first MB&F M.A.D. Gallery in 2011 in Geneva,[21] Switzerland. "M.A.D." stands for Mechanical Art Devices. Büsser considers his timepieces to be kinetic art[22] and created his own art gallery to display his sculptured Horological Machines in the context of mechanical art by other artists.[23]

In addition to Geneva, there are now M.A.D. Galleries in Dubai[24] and Taipei,[25] and smaller ”MB&F Labs” in Singapore and Paris.

See also

References

  1. "Watchmakers turn to new product ranges" (in en). Robb Report. December 2019. https://robbreport.com.au/style/watches/two-watch-world-heavyweights-teamed-up-to-create-a-triple-axis-tourbillon-for-mbf/. 
  2. "Two Watch-World Heavyweights Teamed Up to Create a Triple-Axis Tourbillon for MB&F" (in en). Robb Report. December 2019. https://robbreport.com.au/style/watches/two-watch-world-heavyweights-teamed-up-to-create-a-triple-axis-tourbillon-for-mbf/. 
  3. (in en) MB&F and H. Moser launch 2 models: a two-way collaboration of latest timepieces. March 2014. https://www.ft.com/content/812ae350-8f42-11e3-be85-00144feab7de. 
  4. "The Watch World's Risk-Takers" (in en). March 2014. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303795904579431290399398738. 
  5. "How This Unconventional Brand Changed the Watch World for the Weirder" (in en). March 2014. https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a589048/watches-you-should-know-mbf-hm1/. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 "2GHHP Prize list 2012" (in en). Nov 2012. https://www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/grand-prix-dhorlogerie-de-geneve/2012/LAU. 
  7. "Device with program wheel for perpetual calendar mechanism, and timepiece provided with such a mechanism" EP patent 1351104
  8. "GPHG Prize List 2010" (in en). GPHG. January 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/19/fashion/maximilian-busser-this-is-my-life.html. 
  9. "GPHG Prize List 2012" (in en). GPHG. November 2012. https://www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/prize-list-12. 
  10. Quill & Pad: Horological Machine No.6
  11. Hodinkee Introducing Horological Machine No.6
  12. ABTW: MB&F HM6 RT Watch In Red Gold
  13. Quill & Pad Why Legacy Machine Perpetual Catapults MB&F Into The Big League
  14. Bloomberg: Legacy Machine Perpetual Is MB&F’s Most Ambitious Watch Yet
  15. "GPHG Prize List 2016" (in en). GPHG. January 2016. https://www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/prize-list-16. 
  16. "Maximilian: 'This Is My Life'" (in en). FHH Journal. September 2018. https://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/max-busser-a-worthy-winner-of-the-2018-prix-gaia/. 
  17. 17.0 17.1 Liu, Ming (March 20, 2019). "MB&F Creates Its First Watch for Women" (in en). https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/fashion/watches-mbf-maximilian-busser.html. 
  18. "GPHG Prize List 2019" (in en). GPHG. January 2016. https://www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/prize-list-19. 
  19. "MB&F HM10 Bulldog: Forget The Dog, Beware Of The Owner (Video)" (in en). Quill & Pad. September 2020. https://quillandpad.com/2020/09/20/mbf-hm10-bulldog-forget-the-dog-beware-of-the-owner-video/. 
  20. "GPHG Prize List 2022" (in en). GPHG. November 2022. https://www.gphg.org/horlogerie/en/prize-list-22. 
  21. "Visiting the MB&F M.A.D Gallery, the crazy artistic universe of Max Busser & Friends". 2016. https://monochrome-watches.com/video-visiting-mbanf-mad-gallery-by-monochrome-watches/. 
  22. "Max Büsser's Accidental Art Gallery Empire" (in en). Watch Journal. May 2018. https://watchjournal.com/all-the-right-moves/. 
  23. "5 Awesome Mechanical Sculptures You Can't Miss At M.A.D.Gallery". 2019. https://hk.asiatatler.com/style/watch-robots-madgallery-hong-kong. 
  24. "Design Days Dubai in partnership with MB&F M.A.D Gallery". 2016. http://www.designdaysdubai.ae/news/exhibitors/2016/01/design-days-dubai-in-partnership-with-mbf-mad-gallery/. 
  25. "MB&F – Second M.A.D.Gallery in Taipei". 2015. http://www.europastar.com/news/1004087420-mb-f-opens-a-second-m-a-d-gallery-in-taipei.html.