MB&F adds New Additions to the HM9 Model

Maximilian Busser and Friends (MB&F) was launched in July 2005 with the sole purpose of developing and introducing some futuristic timepieces to the world. And my, haven’t they done that with some style, and to top it off, have matched their out-of-the-world designs with well-thought-out in-house movements that add a high level of accuracy as well as visual attractiveness to the overall watch design.

MB&F introduced their first Horological Machine in 2007 and over time, they have expanded the collection as well as watchmaking boundaries through these timepieces. In recent times, the focus has been on the Horological Machine No.9 which was first presented in 2018 in which the movement mechanics were partially revealed with Sapphire crystal domes over the balance wheels as well as a magnifying pane over the planetary differential. Fast-forward to 2023, and MB&F releases the HM9 with Sapphire Vision (SV) where the entire movement is exposed for visual appreciation.

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The HM9 Flow is an ode to the automatic as well as aeronautic designs of the 1940s-50s when designers were moving out of the box-shaped designs to more aerodynamic and streamlined designs. The initial HM9 Flow models were launched as the Air and Road editions, whereas the HM9-SV models are Ocean editions.

While the Sapphire crystal gives the watch the standout look (developed after 350 hours of careful machining and polishing), it’s the movement that is exhibited through the Sapphire crystal which is the actual star of this watch. The movement took 3 years to develop and this is completely in-house. The manual winding in-house movement consists of two fully independent balance wheels with a planetary differential that supports the coherent time pulse. Once you turn over the watch, you will see two turbines underneath the balance wheels that have been kept to add more character to the watch as well as connect this piece to the propellors used by sea/ocean machines. To maintain the 3ATM (30m) water resistance, the Sapphire crystal has been fused with the metallic frame as well as added a 3D rubber gasket. In total, the movement has 301 components, and 52 jewels as well as comes with a power reserve of 45 hours.

The time is read on a vertical display which makes it easy for the wearer (this design is useful for car drivers) to check time without rotating the wrist. While the watch sits at a 57mm case size, it still wears fine, though recommended for sporty looks, rather than anything formal. The 2023 editions come in two colours, 18K white gold featuring PVD-coated blue engine and 18K yellow gold featuring PVD-coated green engine. There are four other editions – One set with an 18K red gold frame featuring either a NAC-coated black or PVD-coated blue engine and the other set with an 18K white gold frame featuring PVD-coated purple or red gold-plated engine. Each of these editions is limited to 5 pieces. The watch is completed with a hand-stitched brown or black alligator strap matched with either red, yellow, or white gold folding buckle depending on the case that you opt.

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Considering the limited-edition availability, possibly the only 20 pieces to be floating around the world and the highly revolutionized movement, this piece is priced at $490,000. This is one for the watch collectors who are looking at unique and limited pieces where they may be able to walk into a room and another person wouldn’t have it.