In watchmaking vocabulary, there is this expression that everyone endlessly revels in: the “bridge between tradition and modernity”. The phrase has passed through so many marketing brochures and commercial PowerPoints that it has truly lost all meaning.
Yet it will be difficult to avoid it when discussing MB&F’s new releases at the Geneva Watch Days. Consider this: on one side, a creation with the immense master watchmaker Vincent Calabrese, 82 candles on the dial; on the other, a collaboration with Maison Alcée, spearheaded by thirty something Alcée Monfort and her husband.
Half a century separates them. The latter could be the former’s grandchildren. Between the two, a link, almost 60 years in the making: Max Büsser and his collective of Friends, for MB&F. But make no mistake: the two pieces have nothing in common, except for the brilliant MB&F signature perceptible in each of them.
Calabrese, giant of Haute Horlogerie
For the M.A.D 3 designed with Calabrese, as MB&F points out, “the concept has always been that of a publishing house: different authors, different stories, different creative worlds brought together under the same editorial line. Projects are born from a meeting, a personality, a conversation or a shared fascination.”
Vincent Calabrese is responsible for monuments such as the Golden Bridge movement by Corum, the Spatiales, countless patents, the latest filed at the age of 80 for a new type of escapement. Tireless, passionate and therefore fascinating, Calabrese is above all a free spirit. His autobiography, Le Temps d’une Vie (Slatkine, 2016, 125 pages), is essential reading.
For his collaboration with MB&F, Calabrese chose his Baladin collection, which is aptly named: the hours are indicated in a window that rotates around the dial over 60 minutes. When it reaches noon, the hour jumps and moves on to the next one. Simple, playful and lively.
Calabrese’s original movement now rests on a La Joux Perret G111 calibre. It has been reworked to reduce the energy consumption of the wandering complication. The base calibre itself has been perfected, with tighter tolerances and better control of amplitude, to ensure a more stable power reserve. Then, in order to increase production volumes, the wandering hours module was completely redesigned and rebuilt.
When the watch is turned over, another element can be perceived slowly revealing itself through the rotor. Thanks to the openings, a phrase appears gradually as it rotates: “It is quite easy to please others, much harder to be proud of oneself.” A phrase chosen to discreetly represent Vincent Calabrese. An independent and uncompromising man, guided by his personal convictions far more than by the approval of others.
Two variations are offered, in pink and blue (the first reserved for people who already own an MB&F, the second by lottery), for CHF 2,900 excluding tax.
Time for dinner!
The project with Maison Alcée follows a different dynamic. It is still based on the principle of a mechanical table clock, to be assembled yourself. MB&F’s M.A.D.Gallery was the first boutique to champion the concept, because it sums up its philosophy: mechanical art, play and community. To celebrate the gallery’s 15th anniversary, the two companies have created a new kit called Nostromo (the name of the spaceship in the first Alien film).
Designed by Maximilian Maertens, designer at MB&F, and manufactured by Maison Alcée, the clock takes the form of an alien from outer space, in keeping with the extraterrestrial inspired creations that MB&F favors. In addition to displaying hours, minutes and seconds, the calibre incorporates an alarm that can be activated or deactivated. With a fourteen day power reserve, it was designed to be assembled by any fine watchmaking enthusiast, even a beginner, in around ten hours. Only the regulating organ is preassembled.
The new composition of the dial allowed Maximilian Maertens to give greater visibility to the movement and broaden the view of the clock’s gears. The discerning observer will also notice that the hands have been reworked and blackened, which reinforces the contrast with the calibre.
FAQ
What is a jumping-hour watch?
A jumping-hour watch displays the time in a window that changes instantly at the start of each new hour, rather than using a continuous hand. MB&F's M.A.D 3, co-created with Vincent Calabrese, uses this principle: a window rotates around the dial over 60 minutes before jumping to the next hour.
What is MB&F?
MB&F is a watchmaking manufacture led by Max Büsser and his collective of master artisans, the “Friends.” At Geneva Watch Days, the brand is presenting two co-creations: the M.A.D 3 with Vincent Calabrese and the Nostromo clock with Maison Alcée.
Who is Vincent Calabrese?
Vincent Calabrese is an 82-year-old independent master watchmaker, the holder of numerous patents and the creator of the movement used in Corum's Golden Bridge. For his co-creation with MB&F, the M.A.D 3, he chose his Baladin collection and its wandering-hours principle.
What is Maison Alcée?
Maison Alcée is a young company run by Alcée Monfort and her husband, specializing in self-assembly mechanical table clocks. Together with MB&F, it created Nostromo, an alien-shaped kit for the 15th anniversary of the M.A.D.Gallery, featuring a 14-day power reserve.
