HOROLOGICAL MACHINE N°6 ALIEN NATION
Four Pièces Uniques combining mechanical
complexity, extreme artisanship and a near-to-impossible case in sapphire
crystal.
IF THIS IS NOT STUNNING, I DUNNO MEANING OF THE WORD!
AT RM 2.2 MILLION RINGGIT IT HAD BETTER BE SPECTACULAR!
SEE IT GLOWS IN THE DARK
THE CASE IS SOLID SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL, A NEVER DONE BEFORE FEAT
LOOKS LIKE CHEAP PLASTIC BUT THE CASE IS SAPPHIRE GLASS!
NAKED SKIN
MICRO-MECHANICS AT ITS MOST MAGNIFICENT
LOOKS LIKE A MOTHER SPACESHIP
THE INNARDS!
The year is 2017, and
the visitors have landed. The MB&F Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation is
an intergalactic vessel piloted by a silvery-skinned captain and his quintet crew,
enigmatic explorers ready to brave a new world.
Some might even say that
the visitors landed a long time ago, in 1947, to be exact. It was 70 years ago that
an unidentified flying object crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico, sparking
wild tales of alien visitations and government cover-ups. The nuclear age was
slowly but surely giving way to the space age, and science fiction was becoming
modern myth.
Hence, the crew of HM6
Alien Nation are not unfamiliar to us, even if they may have come from a
different solar system. Tales of little green men with oversized craniums and
shiny black eyes populate the realm of extraterrestrial science fiction and our
imaginations.
In addition, those passionate about mechanical watchmaking,
particularly the strain of modern independent watchmaking that MB&F
embodies, will feel deep affinities with the concept of being a community
apart, a tribe with its own codes and culture.
The first two series of
HM6, the Space Pirate and Sapphire Vision, were unmanned vehicles. This year, MB&F
decided it was time to put someone in the captain’s seat.
MB&F founder
Maximilian Büsser says, “I first came to
love watches because I saw them as these machines that were imbued with life.”
HM6 Alien Nation is the literal expression of this metaphor. Its alien
inhabitants are not passive passengers; they scurry around the HM6 engine,
fixing the turbines in the aft, adjusting the gears, hand on throttle, scanning
the space ahead. Even when frozen into micro-sculptures of white gold, they are
bursting with energy (except for one particularly large fellow, loafing in a
corner just out of sight of his captain).
Each of the six aliens
is individually modelled and hand-sculpted in white gold by engraver Olivier
Kuhn. The arms and necks of the aliens are finer than grains of sand, each
alien requiring up to 34 hours to complete. Count more than a month of
full-time work for the crew of six.
As would befit
spacecraft coming from an alien civilisation with highly sophisticated
technology, HM6 Alien Nation is completely transparent, being formed entirely
of sapphire crystal with reinforcing elements in Grade-5 titanium.
To be
precise, 12 separate blocks of sapphire crystal requiring up to 510 hours of
machining and polishing. During the process, breakage is unfortunately frequent,
often reducing hundreds of hours of work to zero… And then comes the assembly:
the 12 crystals must come together perfectly to present a seamless whole.
Alien Nation’s crystal-clear
skin reveals the radical HM6 engine, the result of 3 years of intense
development: a highly complex, totally unconventional construction of 496
finely-finished components. Topped by a 60-second flying tourbillon with
retractable shield, the mechanism drives twin hour and minute domes rotating
perpendicularly to the movement.
Regulating turbines are coupled to the winding
rotor. The interior of Alien Nation is shot through with thick bands of
high-performance luminous material called AGT Ultra.
There will be four
unique pieces of HM6 Alien Nation, differentiated by their accent colours:
green, blue, purple and turquoise. Each one is on a mission to seek out a new
home on this planet. The truth may be out there, but the course of the MB&F
Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation is locked on Earth.
THE HOROLOGICAL
MACHINE N°6 SERIES
MB&F launched
Horological Machine N°6 in November 2014, all biomorphic curves and brushed
metal in its inaugural edition, known as Space Pirate. Just over a year later,
at the beginning of 2016, the HM6 Sapphire Vision followed, with the uppermost
and lowest sections of the case in transparent sapphire crystal, sandwiching a
centre segment of platinum or red gold.
The initial sparks of
inspiration for HM6 came from a 1970s and 1980s Japanese anime TV series called
Capitaine Flam, featuring the
eponymous captain and his improbably bulbous spaceship. Though ostensibly set
in the future, the aesthetic of Capitaine
Flam was closely associated with contemporary designers such as Luigi
Colani and his love of curved, organic forms.
Horological Machine N°6 borrows
against this decidedly provocative design philosophy, delivering unexpected
sensuality in a biomimetic shell of brushed titanium.
The Sapphire Vision
edition of HM6 took graphic elements from a travel icon of the 1950s and 1960s
— American Greyhound buses of the so-called Streamline
Moderne era, with their lateral grooves and bright metal sidings.
Every aspect of the HM6
engine is constructed to intersect neatly with this retro-modernist take on
space travel and technology, from the sleek whirling turbines with curved fins
to the cinematic flying tourbillon with its manually operable shutters.
The
signature MB&F battle-axe appears in two places in the HM6 engine — in
single-headed form for the rotor, and double-headed for the upper tourbillon
cage.
There were 68 pieces of
HM6 Space Pirate (50 in titanium and 18 in red gold/titanium) and 20 pieces of
HM6 Sapphire Vision (10 each in red gold and platinum). Including the four
unique pieces of the Alien Nation edition, there are currently only 92 pieces
of Horological Machine N°6, making HM6 considerably rarer than a UFO sighting.
And for those keeping
count, this means that there are only eight more HM6 engines left to go.
THE HM6 ENGINE
An audacious exterior
deserves an equally revolutionary movement. If the HM6 engine looks like no
other movement out there, it is because there is no other movement like it out
there. No less than 496 finely-finished components make up the highly complex
movement.
Each turbine comprises
two hemispheres; two sets of curved fins coming together to shield the movement
from the rough and tumble of daily wear. The turbines are coupled to the
winding rotor, providing sufficient air drag to slow the rotor down should its
moment of inertia rise above a certain level. As a result, the self-winding
system is effectively also self-regulating, which has the advantage of
increasing the longevity of the movement.
This is the second tourbillon
movement to emerge from MB&F and the first flying tourbillon to do so. A
flying tourbillon is a delicate beast at the best of times — which is why they
rarely venture far from the movement plate. In contrast, the flying tourbillon
of the HM6 engine projects high above the movement, overcoming issues of
stability (especially pertinent where the heart of the movement and the source
of its chronometric ability is concerned).
The HM6 engine defers to the laws of
nature in one respect, by providing its flying tourbillon with a retractable
shield that can be deployed to minimise the oxidising effects of UV radiation
on the oils that lubricate the regulating organ.
The twin domes of the
hour and minute indications on the HM6 engine are machined to paper-thin
dimensions, an incredibly difficult process that is possible only through the
prior expertise gained by MB&F in creating Horological Machine N°3. The
domes rotate on a plane perpendicular to the rest of the movement, creating
additional levels of mechanical complexity.
The HM6 engine was
created over three years of intensive development by the MB&F engineering
team together with the eponymous founder of David Candaux Horlogerie Créative.
THEY CAME FROM
OUTER SPACE
Each of the six aliens
on Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation is individually modelled and then hand-sculpted
in white gold by accomplished engraver Olivier Kuhn of Atelier-Création Kuhn. Each
one takes up to 34 hours to complete, which adds up to over a month of
full-time work for the HM6 engine’s crew of six.
Conventional machining,
which is used for all other watch components, is unfeasible in this instance
due to the extreme irregularity of the alien bodies and the excessive
dimensional variations between contiguous points — for example, going from the
large head to the slender neck and then back to a wide torso.
The arms of the
aliens can measure as little as 0.25mm in diameter, with the neck not very much
thicker at 0.3mm. In comparison, the average grain of sand has a diameter of
0.5mm.
Depictions of aliens
are as varied as the stories that contain them, from the endearing, wide-eyed,
fit-in-a-bicycle-basket extraterrestrials of Spielberg to menacing Giger-esque
Xenomorphs. Having grown up in the late 1960s and 1970s, when popular
theorising about Roswell and Area 51 was at its peak, Maximilian Büsser had no
hesitation about what kind of aliens would inhabit Horological Machine N°6.
IN A CRYSTAL SHIP
Except for some
titanium reinforcing elements, which also serve as strap attachment points, the
case of Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation is made entirely of sapphire
crystal. Up until recently, sophisticated shapes such as those used in HM6
would have been impossible to achieve in sapphire crystal.
The creations of
MB&F have pushed the limits of possibility in this field ever since the
days of Horological Machine N°2 Sapphire Vision. Horological Machine N°3 Frog,
with its hemispherical “eyes” and Horological Machine N°4 Thunderbolt, with its
double-arched case window, followed with ever more ambitious designs in
sapphire crystal.
Horological Machine N°6
Alien Nation is formed out of 12 separate blocks of sapphire crystal, which
come together to present a seamless whole. The entire process takes up to 510
hours, not including their assembly.
During the incredibly difficult machining
and polishing process, breakage is unfortunately frequent; in one instance, a
crack appeared after more than 300 hours of work, instantly reducing months of
work to zero.
The final result is a
clear expression of technical and manufacturing success.
WITH A COSMIC
GLOW
Highlighting the
extreme transparency and smooth curves of the Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation
case are carefully placed bands of luminous material. At the top of the
luminosity scale are the AGT (Ambient Glow Technology) Ultra strips that run
along the inner peripheral edge of the case middle.
This high-tech material
— with its startling, near-electric levels of glow — was first exploited in
watchmaking by the designer James Thompson (aka Black Badger); it was previously
used by MB&F in the HMX Black Badger and Starfleet Machine Black Badger
editions.
The four unique pieces of HM6 Alien Nation each feature a different
colour of AGT Ultra: green, blue, purple and turquoise.
For smaller areas in
which precise application is required, Super-LumiNova is used. The upper
surfaces of the turbine fins, dial markings, friction wheel, the MB&F logo
and the upper tourbillon cage are lined with Super-LumiNova, coloured to match
the corresponding hue of AGT Ultra in each piece.
Even in strong light,
the different pieces of HM6 Alien Nation are distinguishable from each other.
The water-resistance gaskets, visible at the case joints, are coloured to
reflect the colour of the luminous material used within each piece. And at
night, Horological Machine N°6 Alien Nation comes to life with an intense glow
from out of this world.
HM6 ALIEN NATION – TECHNICAL DETAILS
4
unique pieces (blue, green, turquoise and purple)
Engine:
Three-dimensional
horological engine developed exclusively for HM6 by MB&F with David Candaux
Flying tourbillon with retractable semi-spherical
titanium shield
Platinum
950 battle-axe automatic winding rotor matching the version: green for the green version, blue for
the blue and turquoise and purple for the purple.
Twin
aluminium turbines with Super-LumiNova driven by winding rotor
Power
reserve: 72 hours
Balance
frequency: 2.5 Hz / 18,000 bph
Number
of components: 496
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
Specificity
of HM6 Alien Nation:
Aliens: manufactured in white gold. There are 5 different aliens inside the
movement and 1 on the case.
AGT
Ultra (Ambient Glow Technology): Internal
circumference highlighted by the 4 slats in solid AGT Ultra.
Super-LumiNova: applied on the turbines, dials, friction wheel, the MB&F logo on
the top of the movement and the tourbillon’s bridge battle-axe. Green
Super-LumiNova on the green version and blue on the purple, blue and turquoise
versions.
Gaskets: Gaskets matching the AGT Ultra colour. Blue gasket for the AGT blue,
green with the AGT green, purple with the AGT purple, and light blue for the
turquoise AGT.
Case:
Complete
sapphire crystal case with some reinforcing elements in grade 5 titanium.
Dimensions:
51mm x 50mm x 22.7mm
Number
of components: 95
Water
resistance: 30m / 3atm
Strap & Buckle:
Grey
hand-stitched alligator strap with stiches matching the gasket’s colours.
Custom designed folding buckle in titanium.
‘FRIENDS’ RESPONSIBLE
FOR HM6 ALIEN NATION
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
MB&F – GENESIS OF A CONCEPT LABORATORY
In 2015, MB&F
celebrated its 10th anniversary – and what a decade it was for the world’s
first ever horological concept laboratory: 10 years of hyper-creativity; 11
remarkable calibres forming the base of the critically acclaimed Horological
Machines and Legacy Machines for which MB&F has become renowned.
After 15 years
managing prestigious watch brands, Maximilian Büsser resigned from his Managing
Director position at Harry Winston in 2005 to create MB&F – Maximilian
Büsser & Friends. MB&F is an artistic and micro-engineering laboratory
dedicated to designing and crafting small series of radical concept watches by bringing
together talented horological professionals that Büsser both respects and
enjoys working with.
In 2007, MB&F
unveiled its first Horological Machine, HM1. HM1’s sculptured,
three-dimensional case and beautifully finished engine (movement) set the standard
for the idiosyncratic Horological Machines that have followed: HM2, HM3, HM4,
HM5, HM6, HM7, HM8 and HMX – all Machines that tell the time, rather than
Machines to tell the time.
In 2011, MB&F
launched its round-cased Legacy Machine collection. These more classical pieces
– classical for MB&F, that is – pay tribute to nineteenth-century
watchmaking excellence by reinterpreting complications from the great
horological innovators of yesteryear to create contemporary objets d'art. LM1
and LM2 were followed by LM101, the first MB&F Machine to feature a
movement developed entirely in-house.
The year 2015 saw the launch of Legacy
Machine Perpetual featuring a fully integrated perpetual calendar. MB&F
generally alternates between launching contemporary, resolutely unconventional
Horological Machines and historically inspired Legacy Machines.
As well as
Horological and Legacy Machines, MB&F has created space-age MusicMachines
(1, 2 and 3) in collaboration with music box specialist Reuge; and with L’Epée
1839, unusual clocks in the form of a space station (Starfleet Machine), a
spider (Arachnophobia), a rocket (Destination Moon) and three robot clocks
(Melchior, Sherman, and Balthazar).
In 2016, MB&F and Caran d’Ache created
a mechanical rocket-pen called Astrograph.
And there have been
distinguished accolades reminding us of the innovative nature of MB&F’s
journey so far. To name a few, there have been no less than 4 Grand Prix awards
from the famous Grand Prix d'Horlogerie
de Genève: in 2016, LM Perpetual won the Grand Prix for Best Calendar
Watch; in 2012, Legacy Machine No.1 was awarded the Public Prize (voted for by
horology fans) and the Best Men’s Watch Prize (voted for by the professional
jury); and in 2010, MB&F won Best Concept and Design Watch for the HM4
Thunderbolt.
In 2015 MB&F received a Red Dot: Best of the Best award – the
top prize at the international Red Dot Awards – for the HM6 Space Pirate.
1 comment:
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