ONE AND ONLY UNIQUE, ONE OF A KIND MB&F KITTYHAWK WATCH WITH THE WORLD FAMOUS 'SHARK MOUTH' AND EYES. THERE IS ONLY 1 SUCH 'KITTYHAWK' WATCH AND IF YOU BUY IT, YOU WILL BE THE ONLY ONE ON PLANET EARTH TO OWN THIS 'PIECE UNIQUE' WATCH! PRICE? AROUND RM 1 MILLION!
DATOKEEHUACHEE@GMAIL.COM
MB&F : celebrating 10 years of the HM4 with the 'Kittyhawk' Piece Unique
Two weeks ago, we celebrated 10 years of our HM3 Frog by announcing the “FrogX” anniversary editions.
But the Frog was not the only MB&F Machine to make its debut in 2010. A decade ago, we also shocked the watchmaking world with what remains one of the most radical Machines we’ve ever created: the HM4 Thunderbolt. That same year, this aviation-inspired timepiece was awarded Best Concept & Design Watch at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève; and more recently, in an article published last year, the New York Times listed the HM4 as one of the 10 timepieces that shaped modern watch design (https://nyti.ms/3lFP0qm).
The HM4 case escapes any standard definition, matched inside by an engine that defies conventional watch movement construction. Due to its complexity, it was limited from the beginning to just 100 pieces, and each of those 100 movements found its way into one of the various HM4 editions – the last remaining piece was sold years ago.
To celebrate this 10th anniversary, we have therefore decided to transform our original HM4 prototype into a Pièce Unique: the HM4 ‘Kittyhawk’.
If you know a bit about aviation, the name Kittyhawk will not be unfamiliar. The Curtiss P-40 was one of the most important WW2 allied aircraft, produced between 1938 and 1944. Depending on the version, it carried nicknames like Warhawk, Tomahawk… and Kittyhawk. Criticised for its average performance on paper, its track record in combat was surprisingly good; still today, aviation experts argue about the plane’s merits and weaknesses. Regardless, it remains one of the most iconic aircraft of that time – especially the samples rocking the typical “shark mouth” and eyes.
Just like the “nose art” of those legendary WW2 aircraft, this Pièce Unique bears a hand-painted shark mouth and eyes, along with aged time and power reserve dials. The titanium case of the 10-year old prototype was first prepared to welcome the recessed painting by carefully removing microns of metal from the sides of the fuselage, following the shape of the illustrations. It was then handed over to the incredibly talented miniaturist painter Isabelle Villa, who delicately painted the menacing teeth and angry eyes. A final coat of transparent varnish was applied to protect the miniature painting, flush with the case.
MB&F
Rue Verdaine 11
1204 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 508 10 39
Horological Machine No4 – the Series
A traditional wristwatch has a relatively
straightforward role: to tell the time. All that is needed is a hand for the
hours, another for the minutes and perhaps a power reserve indicator to keep
track of running time. Horological Machine No4 has a hand for the
hours, another for the minutes and a power reserve indicator. HM4 tells the
time.
HM4 is not a traditional wristwatch.
The aviation-inspired case and engine of the HM4
are one. Neither would, nor could, exist without the other, yet each is so
transcendental as to be able to stand alone as a work of art in its own right.
The HM4 engine is the culmination of three long
years of development. Each of the 300-plus components – including the regulator
and even the screws – was developed specifically for this anarchistic calibre.
Horizontally configured dual mainspring barrels drive two vertical gear trains,
transferring power to the twin pods indicating hours/minutes and power reserve.
But describing HM4's engine through its
mechanical functionality is like describing Renoir's work through the chemical
composition of his paint. Only careful contemplation enables full appreciation,
and the sapphire case section and display panels top and bottom allow full
access to the flawless fine finishing of HM4's intricate and vibrant
micro-mechanics.
The sleek aerodynamic form of Horological
Machine No4’s envelope has its roots in Maximilian Büsser's
childhood passion for assembling model plane kits, though none looked remotely
as futuristic as these. The striking transparent sapphire section of the case
requires over 185 hours of machining and polishing to transform an opaque solid
block of crystal into a complex, exquisitely curved panel allowing the light to
come in and the beauty of the HM4 engine to stand out. Every component and form
has a technical purpose; nothing is superfluous and every line and curve is in
poetic harmony. Articulated lugs ensure supreme comfort. Highly legible time is
a fringe benefit.
The HM4
series:
- HM4 Thunderbolt:
launched in 2010, nicknamed after the A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft; case in
titanium/sapphire.
- HM4 ‘Razzle
Dazzle’ & ‘Double Trouble’: presented in 2011, these limited editions of 8
pieces each take the aviation theme even further with real rivets in their
titanium fuselages and hand painted nose art, inspired by the rebellious
paintings on WWII aircraft.
- HM4 RT: launched in 2012, a limited
edition of 18 pieces in red gold, titanium and sapphire.
- The HM4
Final Edition closes the HM4 series in 2013 with a limited edition of 8 pieces
in blackened titanium and sapphire.
Horological Machine No4 – the Series
Inspiration
and Realization
A long childhood passion for
assembling model aircraft had Maximilian Büsser's walls, cupboards and ceiling
covered in small aircraft of every description. Planes were what he saw last
thing at night and planes were what he saw first thing each morning.
Many boys sketch supercars and fast
planes, but few have the drive and determination to make their dreams come
true. Büsser created MB&F to do just that. The HM4 Thunderbolt is born of
the child's fantasy and the man's tenacity.
Engine
HM4's engine was
entirely designed and developed by MB&F over three years of intensive work
with Laurent Besse and Beranger Reynard. Each of
the 311 components were developed specifically for HM4, no off-the-shelf
mechanisms or parts were used at all due to the extreme nature of its
architecture.
Two mainspring barrels connected in parallel
provide 72 hours of energy, and they transfer their power to the dual
jet-turbine-like indication pods (one displaying the hours and minutes, the
other the power reserve) via vertical gear trains.
Visible through a shaped sapphire display panel
on the top of the case, a distinctive streamlined cock supports the balance,
its centre cut away to reveal as much of the oscillating wheel as possible and
validating the "kinetic" in MB&F's "kinetic art".
A work of art rewards when viewed from different
angles and the HM4 is no exception. Turning the machine over reveals a
veritable panorama of meticulously finished micro-engineering through the
sapphire sections. In a playful trompe l'oeil,
what at first glance appears to be a micro-rotor in the form of MB&F's
iconic battle-axe is actually a bridge.
Indications
For a timepiece not developed
specifically to tell the time, HM4 performs that role superbly. In fact, with
its highly legible dials perpendicular to the wearer's wrist, Horological
Machine No4 might be described as the perfect pilot's or driver's
watch.
On the left pod, the power reserve
is clearly indicated by a skeletonised hand echoing MB&F's battle-axe
motif. On the right, hours and minutes are displayed by bold, arrow-tipped
Super-LumiNova filled hands. Each of the two aviation instrument-styled dials is
directly controlled by its own crown, one to wind and re-fuel the tanks, the
other to set the time, which provides direct and instantaneous feedback of the
action performed.
Case:
Inspired by aviation, more
specifically the model aircraft kits of Maximilian Büsser's childhood, the case
of HM4 imparts speed, power, technology and refinement in equal measure.
Visually, the case is composed of three parts: two streamlined
jet-turbine-styled pods supported by a horizontal section housing the engine,
which is clearly visible through transparent sapphire display panels and the
central section of the case itself.
Technically there are also three
main sections, but these comprise a fore section in titanium (red gold/titanium
for HM4 RT), which includes the dials and articulated front lugs; a central
section in sapphire offering unprecedented 360° access to the superbly finished
engine; and an aft section tapering down to the dual crowns and framing the
animated balance, which is supported by an aerodynamic cock. Methods borrowed
from aeronautic engineering are visible in the externally mounted screws, which
provide both rigidity and watch resistance to hold the case’s three sections solidly
and elegantly together.
Beginning with a solid piece of sapphire, more
than 185 hours of intricate machining and meticulous polishing are required to
turn an opaque block of crystal into the clear, light-filled atrium of the
central case section, which reveals part of the HM4 engine and engineering details.
The metal case sections are milled from solid blocks of high-tech grade 5
titanium (red gold for HM4 RT), which undergoes hundreds of hours of machining
before polishing, masking and finally satin-finishing of the surfaces. The
results speak for themselves.
The contrasts of matte with highly polished
surfaces, metal with sapphire, straight lines with seductive curves and rigid
forms with articulated arms endows Horological Machine No4 with a
life and vibrancy that sets it apart from anything that has ever gone before.
HM4 is the quintessential machine as
three-dimensional kinetic art.
Horological Machine No4 – the Series
HM4 Thunderbolt
HM4 ‘Razzle Dazzle’ & ‘Double
Trouble’ (limited editions of 8 pieces each)
HM4 RT (limited edition of 18
pieces)
HM4 Final Edition (limited edition
of 8 pieces)
Engine:
Three-dimensional horological
engine developed 100% by MB&F
Manual winding with two mainspring
barrels in parallel
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 21,600bph/3Hz
Number of components: 311
Number of jewels: 50
Functions:
Hours, minutes and power reserve
indicator
Hours and minutes on right dial,
power reserve indicator on left dial
Separate crowns for time setting
and winding
Case:
HM4 Thunderbolt: grade 5 titanium
and sapphire
HM4 ‘Razzle Dazzle’ / ‘Double
Trouble’: grade 5 titanium and sapphire, hand painted nose art
HM4 RT: 5N red gold, grade 5 titanium
and sapphire
HM4 Final Edition: grade 5 titanium
with black PVD and sapphire, angular dial shades
Dimensions: 54mm wide x 52mm long x
24mm high
Number of components: 65 (67 for
HM4 Final Edition)
Articulation of lugs: 3°
Sapphire
crystals:
Five sapphire crystals: 2 x dials,
1 x central case section, 2 x display panels (top and bottom)
Strap
& Buckle:
Hand-stitched calfskin strap with
titanium/white gold or red gold custom-designed folding buckle attached to
articulated lugs.
Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble: authentic
vintage leather strap crafted from Swiss military bags with contrasting white
hand stitching. Titanium/white gold custom designed deployment buckle.
'Friends' responsible for the HM4 Series
Concept:
Maximilian Büsser / MB&F
Product Design: Eric Giroud / Eric Giroud Design Studio
Technical and Production Management: Serge Kriknoff / MB&F
R&D: Guillaume Thévenin / MB&F
Movement Development: Laurent
Besse and Béranger Reynard
Movement manufacturing: Daniel Uhlmann
/ Azuréa Technologies, Nicolas Broquet / Broquet
Décolletage,
Yann Ryser / Tital
Hand-finishing of movement components: Jacques-Adrien Rochat and Denis
Garcia of
C-L
Rochat, Frédéric Saulcy / STS
Movement assemblage: Didier
Dumas, Georges Veisy, Alexandre Bonnet and Bertrand
Sagorin-Querol of MB&F
Case
and buckle construction and production: Jean-Pierre
Kohler and Lionel Gavignet of Profusion, Martin
Stettler / Stettler, Dominique Mainier and Bertrand Jeunet of G.F.Châtelain
Dials:
François Bernhard and Denis Parel of Nateber, Aurora Moreira / Panova
Hands:
Pierre Chillier, Isabelle Chillier and Félix Celetta of Fiedler
Nose art:
Isabelle Villa
Strap:
Olivier Purnot / Camille Fournet, Tomas Fransson
Presentation box: Olivier Berthon / Berthon
& Co
Production logistics: David Lamy / MB&F
Marketing communications: Charris Yadigaroglou, Virginie Meylan
and Eléonor Picciotto / MB&F
M.A.D.Gallery: Hervé Estienne / MB&F
Sales: Alexandre
David and Patricia Duvillard /
MB&F
Graphic Design: Gérald Moulière and Anthony Franklin
of GVA Studio
Product
Photography: Maarten van der Ende
Portrait
Photography: Régis Golay / Federal
Webmasters:
Stéphane Balet and Guillaume Schmitz of Sumo Interactive
Texts: Ian
Skellern
MB&F - The Genesis of a Concept Laboratory
The projects that gave Maximilian
Büsser the most pleasure and personal satisfaction during his fifteen years
managing prestigious watch brands were those working with talented independent
watchmakers. An idea for his own personal utopia emerged: that of creating a
company dedicated solely to designing and crafting small series of radical
concept watches in collaboration with talented professionals he both respected
and enjoyed working with. The entrepreneur in Büsser brought the idea to
reality.
MB&F is not a watch brand, it
is an artistic
and micro-engineering concept laboratory in which
collectives of independent horological professionals are assembled each year to
design and craft radical Horological Machines. Respecting tradition without
being shackled by it enables MB&F to act as a catalyst in fusing
traditional, high-quality watchmaking with cutting-edge technology and
avant-garde three-dimensional sculpture.
MB&F's first timepiece, Horological Machine No1 (HM1) was delivered from 2007 and
introduced the concept of three-dimensional architectural horology. This was
followed by HM2 in 2008 and HM3 in 2009, which were both inspired by science
fiction. The year 2010 heralded the HM4 Thunderbolt, considered by many to be
MB&F's most audacious machine to date. Legacy Machine No1
introduced a new traditionally inspired line in 2011, while the 1970’s inspired
HM5 On the Road Again was launched in 2012.
MB&F is independent people creating
for independent people.
Biography– Maximilian Büsser
Maximilian Büsser was born in
Milan, Italy, before moving at an early age to Lausanne, Switzerland where he
spent his youth. Growing up in a multi-cultural environment and family – his
father was a Swiss diplomat who met his mother, an Indian national, in Bombay –
led Büsser to develop a cross-cultural, broad-based approach to life and to
business.
In July 2005, at the age of 38,
Büsser created the world’s first horological concept brand: MB&F
(Maximilian Büsser & Friends), in which he is now partnered with Serge
Kriknoff. Büsser's dream with MB&F is to have his own brand dedicated to
developing radical horological concepts by working in small, hyper-creative
groups composed of people he enjoys working with.
Entrepreneurship is Maximilian
Büsser's forte. In 1998, when only 31, he was appointed Managing Director of
Harry Winston Rare Timepieces in Geneva. During his seven years there Büsser
developed the company into a fully-fledged and well respected haute horlogerie
brand by developing the strategy, products, marketing and worldwide
distribution, whilst integrating design, R&D and manufacturing in-house.
The results were a 900 per cent increase in turnover and the positioning of
Harry Winston as one of the leaders in this very competitive segment.
Maximilian Büsser's love for
high-end horology was nurtured by his first employer, Jaeger-LeCoultre. During
his seven years in the senior management team during the 1990s, JLC strongly
increased its profile and multiplied its turnover by a factor of ten. Büsser's
responsibilities at Jaeger-LeCoultre ranged from Product Management &
Development to Sales & Marketing for Europe.
Büsser graduated in 1991 with a
Masters in Microtechnology Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology, Lausanne.
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