MB&F’s HM11 Watch Features a Case That Pivots as a Winding Mechanism – Robb Report

MB&F

Aliens, robots, cars, and sea creatures have inspired the incredibly inventive and unconventional creations at MB&F. Founder Max Büsser’s imagination, fortunately, runs wild and, as a result, he and his team create some of the most fun timepieces on the market. And he has outdone himself with the latest Horological Machine. Meet the HM11 Architect, the only watch ever created where the entire case can make a 360 degree pivot to change its display and wind the watch.

The design is reminiscent of some of the great spherical architectural designs of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s such as Antti Lovag’s famous Palais Bulles, Matti Suuronen’s Futuro House, and Charles Haertling’s Brenton House to name a few, as well as fellow architect and product designer, George Nelson’s famous Horloge Vitra clocks. But fans of MB&F might be more inclined to draw design parallels to previous Horlogical Machines like The Fifth Element and the HM4.

The four bulbous apertures serve as homes to various functions: one for the power reserve, one for the time, one for the temperature reading (which can be ordered in either Celsius of Fahrenheit), and another for the time-setting crown. In the picture above, on the right is the reading for the time, a direct nod to George Nelson’s Horloge Vitra, featuring rod-mounted orbs of varying sizes and color (polished aluminum for the lighter ones and polished titanium for the darker spheres) for the hour and minute markers. On the left, you see the power reserve which has five orbs that increase in diameter culminating in the largest at 2.4 mm to indicate the piece has been wound to its full 96 hours of power reserve.

Turning the case not only winds the watch, but it allows the wearer to change the position of the apertures for reading on the wrist. For each 45-degree turn there is a click for homophiles that love to hear the sound of the watch winding. Ten full turns on the wrist will wind the watch to about three full days of power reserve. Need to know the weather outside? Turn the case another 45 degrees and you will find the window showing the temperature, pictured above in Celsius. You will get a view of the coil which is essentially two metals that interact with the temperature in different ways to move the red arrow up or down according to the reading.

Finally, there is the crown (pictured above) that sets the time. Pulling on the module opens it with a click to adjust the hours and minutes. At its center is MB&F’s battle-axe symbol which is surrounded by sapphire crystal to give a window into the interior of the “house” and it’s “furniture” or movement.

The saucer-like shape centerpiece of the case shows the movement through sapphire crystal glass if looking at the piece from a bird’s eye view. Vertically built and featuring a flying tourbillon at its center, the movement construction is similar to those of the HM6, HM7, and Legacy Machine Flying T. So, while the movement is technically challenging, it’s not particularly new for the brand. The case was the hardest part to construct, according to MB&F’s head of communications, Charris Yadigaroglou. “The case was a challenge because, as always with a watch, we have a minimum requirements,” Yadrigaroglou told Robb Report. “First of all, it has to be wearable and second it must be water resistant. It’s not an divers watch but there is a minimum required water resistance, which ensures that it’s protected from humidity. And when you do a case like this, which has a very strange shape, and on top of it needs to rotate, making that water resistant is very challenging.” A typical watch will have two or three gaskets, but given the complicated construction of this case and the many apertures, this piece has a whopping 19. Not that you’d want to take it swimming, but protection from even minimal moisture is essential.

Surprisingly, MB&F managed to fit all of this in a rather compact (for a Horological Machine, that is) 42 mm, so it wears rather comfortably on the wrist. And those with a sharp eye will notice more that a few fun design features tying in the spherical theme from the shape of the flying tourbillon to the shape of the lugs and the rounded design in each screw, resembling a fidget spinner shape. Every detail was considered, so it’s no surprise the piece was 5 years in the making. Only 50 pieces will be made. There will be 25 in titanium with a blue plate and white rubber strap and 25 in titanium with a red-gold plate on an army green rubber strap, priced at CHF 198,000 (approximately $230,000). With so few in the world, you might be hard pressed to even try one on, but the HM11 will be on view at Dubai Watch Week from November 16th through November 20th for collectors making the journey to the Middle East.

For more images of the HM11 Architect click here.