MB&F continues to push the boundaries of horological artistry, and 'enjoythemusic' brings us an exclusive look at their Horological Machine No.12, affectionately dubbed 'The Robot'. This piece was originally conceived as a 20th-anniversary celebration, but in true MB&F fashion, it evolved into a groundbreaking creation that opens their third decade. 'enjoythemusic' shares the brand's own words, detailing the five-year journey of its creation and its profound significance as the first HM entirely designed by Maximilian BĂŒsser and Maximilian Maertens.
...was originally intended to be their 20th Anniversary piece. In typical MB&F fashion, it had other plans.
Below is from MB&F
What began as a mad idea â âwouldnât it be cool if a watch could be the head of a robot?â â turned into five intense years of creation, engineering, redesigning, problem-solving and a few headaches. In hindsight, itâs better this way. Instead of closing our first twenty years, HM12 opens MB&Fâs third decade by going right back to our roots: creating mechanical objects with a soul, a sense of wonder, and strong technical substance.
HM12 is also an important milestone in our creative story. For the past twenty years, our watches have been designed by MB&F founder and creative director Maximilian BĂŒsser together with Eric Giroud â and we will continue to create with Eric in the years to come. HM12, however, is the first watch entirely created by âMax & Maxâ: Maximilian BĂŒsser and Maximilian Maertens, the young designer we started working with eight years ago, mainly on clock and music box projects.
On the wrist, HM12 clearly follows in the footsteps of our most radical Horological Machines: futuristic, sculptural, slightly alien. But beneath the character and playfulness lies one of the most complex mechanical constructions we have ever developed. The face is built around two âeyesâ displaying bidirectional jumping hours and trailing minutes; a âbrainâ in the form of a 60-second flying tourbillon; and a âmouthâ shaped like a battle-axe, integrated into a double-sided micro-rotor. The titanium and sapphire case is equally demanding, with a complex architecture of curves, surfaces, finishes and mobile lugs. HM12 is symmetrical, including its two crowns. One is dedicated to winding and time-setting; the other activates a mechanical surprise. Turn it, and a protective "face shield" slides into place over the transformer robotâs face, adding both colour and character. That mechanism alone contains over 200 components â a third of the 646 components in the movement â which gives an idea of the technical madness hidden behind a seemingly playful gesture.
Turning the watch over reveals a second face, with a different mood. Beneath the sci-fi exterior lies a very traditional level of fine watchmaking, featuring a mix of grained, bercĂ© and colimaçonnĂ© hand finishing on the bridges and barrels. The flip side of the domed micro-rotor reveals guillochage by our Friend Kari Voutilainenâs workshop, Brodbeck Guillochage. In total, the watch alone brings together 730 components across movement and case.
But that is only half the story. If the watch is the head of the robot, it needed a body.
Meet HM12 The Guardian: a full mechanical companion designed by Maximilian Maertens. Remove the strap thanks to the quick-release system and clip the watch into place as The Guardianâs face. The robot actually contains even more components than the watch itself: 755 in total. Its complex construction includes a mechanical thermometer, articulated arms, a hidden loupe, and a UV flashlight â useful to charge the generous Super-LumiNova on both the watch and the robot. Together, HM12 The Guardian totals nearly 1,500 components. It is presented in three launch editions â blue, green and purple â limited to only 12 pieces each. The craziest part? These launch editions are also the final editions: there will never be more HM12 The Guardians.
Best regards,
CĂ©dric & Augustin
Your Tribe Gurus
NOTE: WPS members can feel free to start a GoFundMe to gift me an MB&F HM12 for my July birthday. Thx, you guys n' gals are the very best! 
