MB&F makes some of the most complicated watches I’ve ever seen, not only do they have complicated mechanical components but the way they tell time is also a special event. As any true watch lover knows, with “complications” comes cost, and MB&F watches are not for the faint of heart, most of them are priced in the 6-figure range.
But MB&F decided to give us a treat and offer something more affordable, to celebrate the company’s 10 year anniversary. The watch is the MB&F HMX and is priced at “only” $30,000. Which is still expensive, but not “I’m going to re-mortgage my house” expensive, more like “I’m going to sell my new car or kidney” expensive.
For the last 10 years MB&F has been producing some incredible works of art that just happen to be mechanical and also tell time. I’ve been a huge fan of the company since the day I saw their first timepiece and I’m also a very big fan of the company’s founder Max Busser.
The HMX stands for “Horological Machine 10”, which is not a continuation of their regular HM line of watches, if it were, it would be called the HM7. The “10” celebrates the 10th year of operation of the company.
The MB&F HMX utilizes a wedge style case, it’s a driving watch, telling time on the side. Which makes it easy to read while your hand is on the steering wheel. The watch looks to be inspired by the HM5, but personally I find the HMX more attractive and it’s also half the price of the HM5. The HMX watches are limited to 20 pieces in each of the following colors: Black, Red, Blue, and Green; for a total production run of 80.
The HMX watches may not look as complicated as other watches from MB&F, but they’re stunning none the less. The watches are designed to look like Italian sports cars from the 60’s and 70’s. The cases are made out of steel and titanium and feature sapphire crystal on the top and at the front to show time. The view from the top does look like the engine bay of an Italian supercar, complete with cylinder heads and two caps for fluids. The sporty nature of the watch is completed with the addition of perforated calf leather, the perforation shows the fabric which matches the color of the dial/movement. The case back of the watch features a 22k gold rotor with the words “A creative adult is a child who survived”.
The MB&F HMX watches are powered by a Sellita automatic movement that has been modified with the discs for time telling. The watch comes with a 42 hour power reserve and beats at 4Hz. The case measures 46.8 mm (front to back), is 44.3 mm wide, and is 20.7 mm thick. Via: MB&F
