MB&F stands for Maximilian Büsser & Friends. Max and his talented friends again created three amazing timepieces. I took more than 50 pictures with my macro lens and I will show you a video … Simply click on “read more” and enjoy!
This is MB&F + L’Epée 1839 Sherman.
“He’s quite a cute little robot”, says MB&F, “but to be frank, Sherman doesn’t do very much. He doesn’t do very much at all. Sherman doesn’t walk, talk, weld cars, or roam Mars. He doesn’t try to kill Sarah Connor, help Luke Skywalker, warn Will Robinson, vacuum the floor, star in feature-length films, or enforce the law. In fact, Sherman really only does two things, but he does both extremely well. Sherman tells the time. And Sherman makes people smile, which is probably the world’s most useful and (emotionally) valuable complication.”
In his hands Sherman holds the new MB&F Horological Machine No6 SV (SV stands for “Sapphire Vision”).
Let us firs have a closer look at Sherman. Conceived and developed by MB&F and engineered and crafted by L’Epée 1839 – Switzerland’s only specialised high-end clock manufacture.
Sherman is the result of Maximilian Büsser’s on-going quest to revisit his childhood, during which he hankered for a robot friend. Sherman’s mechanics are based on a L’Epée 1839 in-line eight-day movement, which ensures that the friendly tank-treaded table clock can display the correct time on his chest for more than a week before requiring rewinding.
Sherman is launched in limited editions of 200 palladium (plated) pieces, 200 gilded pieces (gold-plated) and 50 diamond-set gilded pieces.
Display Hours and minutes displayed on Sherman’s chest
Size Dimensions: 143 mm tall x 109 mm wide x 80 mm deep, weight: 0.9 kg
Body/frame Options: Fully palladium-plated (polished silver color); gold-plated with palladium-plated going train (gearing) and nickel-plated balance wheel; and fully gold-plated body and movement, gem-set with 735 high quality VVS diamonds around the eyes, hour markers and head. Dome/head: blown mineral glass
Movement L’Epée in-house designed and manufactured in-line eight-day movement
Balance frequency: 2.5 Hz / 18,000 A/h
Power reserve: 8 days
Components movement: 148
Jewels: 17
Incabloc shock protection system
Movement finishing: Geneva waves, anglage, polishing, sandblasting, circular and vertical graining, satin finishing
Winding: double-depth square socket key sets time and winds movement at back of clock
So let us now focus on the MB&F Horological Machine No6 SV…
The new timepiece adds an extra three-dimensional layer to the biomorphic beauty of the HM6 ‘Space Pirate’ by revealing the mechanical marvels of the unique Engine within. The complex curves of two transparent sapphire crystal plates sandwich a precious metal “streamliner” case band, creating two horological amphitheatres dedicated to the appreciation of exquisite, hand-finished micro engineering.
“I always thought that the most beautiful part of HM6 was its movement, and that it was a shame not to show it. But it was only recently that the technology of machining sapphire crystal allowed us to create such a complex case,” Max told me in Geneva at the SIHH.
At the front, two spherical domes rotate vertically, respectively displaying hours and minutes in large, highly legible numerals.
Aft, twin spherical turbines spin horizontally, driven by the rotor and multiplying gearing that automatically regulates the winding system to minimize stress and wear.
A central dome houses a 60-second flying tourbillon, the precision regulator of the HM6 Engine.
High-precision regulators are especially sensitive to changes in oil viscosity, and ultra violet radiation gradually breaks down lubricating oils. This is why HM6 features a retractable, semi-spherical, titanium protective shield; when closed, it blocks harmful radiation from prematurely oxidising the lubrication oils in the regulator. A crown at 9 o’clock opens and closes the cover in – and like – the blink of an eye.
The nine sapphire crystal domes – five on top and four underneath – are carefully fastened to the transparent plates thanks to a special gluing process, achieved under vacuum in a high temperature oven. This offers maximal strength and water resistance.
The two spherical turbines, each composed of no fewer than 15 curved vanes, are machined in two hemispheres from solid blocks of aluminium. These turbines are driven from the rotation of the automatic winding rotor by a gear train designed to amplify the number of rotations. As (air) friction increases exponentially (squared) as a function of velocity, if the winding rotor starts rotating too quickly – most likely due to highly active movement of the wrist – air friction on the turbines increases and helps counteract the excessive speed to minimise wear.
Engine:
Three-dimensional horological engine developed exclusively for HM6 by MB&F with David Candaux Horlogerie Créative
Flying tourbillon with retractable semi-spherical titanium shield
Iridescent blue platinum 950 battle-axe automatic winding rotor
Twin aluminium turbines driven by winding rotor
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 2.5 Hz / 18,000 A/h
Number of components: 475
Number of jewels: 68
Functions/indications:
Hours and minutes on separate semi-spherical aluminium indications
Left crown opens/closes tourbillon shield; right crown for time setting and winding
Dual turbines regulate the automatic winding rotor
Case:
Sandwich construction of two transparent sapphire crystal plates on either side of a central precious metal case band
Materials: 5N+ red gold/sapphire crystal or 950 platinum/sapphire crystal
Dimensions: 51mm x 50mm x 22.7mm
Number of components: 78
Water resistance: 30m / 3atm
Strap & Buckle:
Hand-stitched calfskin strap with custom designed folding buckle matching the case band.
And these are the “Friends” that helped to accomplish the HM6 SV
Concept: Maximilian Büsser / MB&F
Product design: Eric Giroud / Eric Giroud Design Studio
Development and production management: Serge Kriknoff / MB&F
R&D: Guillaume Thévenin and Ruben Martinez / MB&F
Movement development: MB&F with David Candaux
Sapphire case: Sebastien Sangsue and Gregory Esseric / Sebal
Case: Fabien Chapatte and Riccardo Pescante / Les Artisans Boitiers
Profile-turning wheel/pinion/axis: Yann Le Martret / mudec
Steel spring + turbine aluminium: Alain Pellet / Elefil
Tourbillon: Dominique Lauper / Precision Engineering
Retractable shield: Benjamin Signoud / AMECAP
Plates and bridges: Rodrigue Baume / Damatec, Georges Auer / Mecawatch, Benjamin Signoud / AMECAP
Platinum winding rotor: Denis Villars / Cendres et métaux, Pierre-Albert Steinmann / Positive Coating
Hand-finishing of movement components: Jacques-Adrien Rochat and Denis Garcia / C-L Rochat
Movement assemblage: Didier Dumas, Georges Veisy, Anne Guiter and Emmanuel Maitre / MB&F
In-house machining: Alain Lemarchand / MB&F
Quality Control: Cyril Fallet / MB&F
Buckle construction and production: Dominique Mainier and Bertrand Jeunet / G&F Châtelain
Specific crown of the shield mechanism: Jean-Pierre Cassard / Cheval Frères SA
Metallisation of hour and minute domes: Roland Rhyner / Econorm
Semi spherical hour and minute: Maurizio Cervellieri / Natéber
Strap: Olivier Purnot / Camille Fournet
Presentation case: Olivier Berthon / ATS Atelier Luxe
Production logistics: David Lamy and Isabel Ortega / MB&F
>>> On page 2 you may discover the new MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual by a video and many more pictures >>>
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The robot is cute but the watch leaves me cold. Even if I could afford it, I would have to pass.
MB&F takes whimsy to the next level. Their designs never disappoint and always fun.
Thank you for all the beautiful photos, Alexander.
Why don’t you list the price?
Simpel answer: I do not have them …
Inside of this master watch maker is living a little boy, very smart and made a robot like a clock of his dreams.