Yannick Nardin, Worldtempus: MB&F has often explored particular sapphire forms, plays of volume, architecture, and transparency—leading up to the SP One, transparent and slim. From your perspective as a designer, involved with the brand for 20 years, what is the process to achieve this?
Eric Giroud, designer: MB&F has been making watches for 20 years, but we are always striving to explore new territories. We remain “big kids,” creative, inspired by worlds outside watchmaking.
Each project is a challenge. We go where we haven’t gone before—which then requires great adaptability from the teams. But it’s this constant pursuit of creativity that truly makes each piece interesting.
The SP One was named as such because it couldn’t fit into any existing collection. Max [Büsser – founder of MB&F, ed.] even imagined the Special Project collection for it—which also foreshadows other very “special” models to come!
Yannick: The SP One can be described as a “dress watch,” simple and elegant. Yet, it remains unique. How do you achieve that?
Eric: Three circles inside one circle: aesthetically, the SP One is indeed very simple. As an architect by training, I build starting from emptiness. I look at what remains beside the material, whereas a watchmaker focuses on the solid parts to build his watch. Emptiness had to dominate, while preserving finesse—which made the technical side much more complicated.
I first made a very pure drawing and 3D rendering. The mechanics are held on three arms. Then, the technical office added elements so the watch would work… which we lightened again as much as possible to regain finesse, transparency, emptiness. We had to strike a fine balance with reliability.
Yannick: Did you take inspiration from Corum’s Golden Bridge?
Eric: We thought about it, but only a little, and not directly. We wanted a singular watch, truly different, though simple.
Yannick: Visually, the SP One also has a figurative aspect, recurring at MB&F—here two eyes and smiling hands.
Eric: Yes, MB&F watches are often figurative because we work from drawings. Moreover, our inspirations are vast, outside watchmaking, and this shows.
Yannick: What challenges come with transparency and finesse?
Eric: This kind of watch must be beautiful from the front as well as the back: every component is visible—even the back of the dial! Corum also did this very well with its Golden Bridge. On the SP One, the level of finishing is extremely high, yet always in great simplicity, without superfluous details or ostentation. Thanks to its 20 years of experience, MB&F has reached an exceptionally refined level of finishing.
In the end, we achieve such simplicity only by taking the necessary time to create the watch, letting the project develop and mature. It also comes from a participatory dynamic within the teams: it doesn’t matter who brings the idea, what matters is reaching something that works perfectly—even if it means starting over several times.
Yannick: An intriguing detail: the case seems to float between the lugs.
Eric: Indeed, there is a slight gap between the case and the lugs, as the lugs are attached to the back. This allows for more refined finishing. Moreover, the arrow-shaped lugs incorporate a sharp inward angle near the strap.
Yannick: The SP One looks highly three-dimensional due to its transparency. But ultimately, isn’t it MB&F’s flattest watch, in order to meet the requirements of slimness?
Eric: Absolutely, every element required a lot of thought. For example, the dial, the size of a five-cent coin, is slightly domed, and the indexes are highly worked. It took many iterations to reconcile the idea with feasibility and achieve this “obvious” result.
Yannick: Like a good novel: fluid to read, but long to write!
Eric: Exactly. You no longer feel the effort, only the coherence of the final result.
Yannick: The SP One’s 38 mm diameter also contributes to its uniqueness, even within other MB&F collections.
Eric: We had already explored smaller diameters with a feminine piece, but very domed—the Legacy Machine Flying T with its 38.5 mm. This time, we added slimness to the equation for the first time. The result is truly unique.
Personally, I really like the SP One, because I prefer smaller watches. Max even told me about it: “That one, you’d wear!” And he’s right.
Yannick: So, which version would you wear? Platinum or rose gold?
Eric: I would choose the platinum model. This very precious metal can resemble steel, in absolute simplicity. And the bluish rehaut is beautiful. That would be my favorite… even though the rose gold model really stands out and has incredible presence!
