WORDS
Eleanor Pryor
Collaboration has always been at the heart of MB&F; after all, the brand stands for ‘Maximillian Büsser & Friends’, started by the innovative Büsser as a way to deconstruct the traditional notions of watchmaking by bringing together visionaries from within the industry and beyond.
One such name it has long had ties with is independent watchmaker H Moser & Cie. In particular the two have worked together for more than a decade with Precision Engineering AG, a sister company of H Moser & Cie, which supplies MB&F’s balance springs. Two new timepieces take this connection to a deeper level, as the two brands come together to each create a watch that showcases their combined expertise.
The Legacy Machine 101 MB&F x H Moser takes one of MB&F’s more understated models and strips it back to its basics. Its logo and floating subdials have been removed, instead displaying the hours and minutes, as well as the 45-hour power reserve, with hands directly placed on the main dial. This allows the mesmerising fumé dial, a signature of H Moser, to be appreciated to full effect, available in a choice of red, cosmic green, aqua blue or the darker-hued ‘funky blue’, with each colour limited to 15 pieces. Taking centre stage is the large suspended balance wheel, fitted with a double balance spring produced by Precision Engineering AG.
H Moser’s offering comes in the form of the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H Moser x MB&F. Borrowing the concept of three-dimensional movements, it features a one-minute flying tourbillon that rises above the dial through an opening at 12 o’clock, equipped with the same cylindrical balance spring developed by Precision Engineering AG for MB&F’s Thunderdrome. Meanwhile, a further nod to MB&F comes in the tilted subdial, inclined at 40 degrees so the time is only revealed to the wearer. The watch comes with five different fumé dials – funky blue, cosmic green, burgundy, off-white and ice blue – each in a limited edition of 15.