MB&F Horological Machine: Entry Point to Independent Collecting

Maximilian Büsser founded MB&F in 2005 with the premise that serious mechanical watchmaking could produce objects that weren't round, weren't traditional, and weren't even strictly watches in the conventional sense. Twenty years later, MB&F's Horological Machine series has established itself as the premier expression of that premise — three-dimensional sculptural objects that happen to tell time, produced in limited editions by a small team in Geneva with prices starting around $110,000 and extending past $400,000 for rare configurations.

The entry point to MB&F ownership, and by extension to serious independent watch collecting, is typically the HM10 Bulldog at $110,000 retail or the HM11 Architect at $115,000 retail. For most collectors who've owned multiple Rolexes or sport Pateks and are looking to step into independent watchmaking, one of these references is the right first purchase. They deliver the defining MB&F experience without requiring the $200k+ budgets of the more extreme HM references.

What MB&F Actually Makes

The Horological Machine concept separates the time display from the watch movement in ways traditional watchmaking doesn't. A conventional watch has a flat dial showing hours and minutes, with a movement hidden behind. An HM has the movement visible as architectural sculpture, with time display integrated into the sculpture at specific points — often showing through windows, domes, or rotating spheres rather than on a traditional dial surface.

The HM10 Bulldog, for example, has a three-dimensional case shaped like a bulldog's head, with hour and minute displays in the "eyes" (small rotating cones showing numerals through sapphire windows) and a power reserve indicator in the "nose" (a sliding indicator that moves like a bulldog's nose changing color during exercise). The movement occupies the entire case volume, with bridges and gears visible through sapphire panels from multiple angles. This isn't traditional watchmaking — it's sculpture that tells time.

• HM10 Bulldog: $110,000, 54mm × 45mm bulldog-shaped case, Stephen McDonnell movement
• HM11 Architect: $115,000, octagonal pavilion-shaped case, four rotating panels
• HM9 Flow: $195,000+, aerodynamic streamlined case, twin balance wheels
• Most other HM references: $150,000-$400,000+, varying configurations

The movements are developed in collaboration with named watchmakers — Stephen McDonnell designed the HM10, Eric Giroud designed the case concepts for multiple references, and MB&F's internal team (including Serge Kriknoff and others) executed the technical implementations. This collaborative approach is specific to MB&F's production model: they commission external talent for specific projects rather than maintaining a single in-house design team.

Why the HM10 Bulldog Is the Entry Point

Of the currently available HM references, the Bulldog represents the best balance of MB&F's design philosophy with buyable practicality. The 54mm case dimension sounds oversized but works on wrists above 6.75 inches because the case geometry distributes mass in specific ways that don't overwhelm the wrist. The price point at $110,000 is the entry-level for the HM series, and the production volume (approximately 33 pieces per year in various configurations) is high enough that acquisition is possible within 12-24 months of serious dealer relationship.

The Bulldog's defining feature is the automatic winding bulldog mouth — the movement has an integrated mechanism where the rotor turns a cam that opens and closes small jaw panels on the case bottom during winding. This is visible through the sapphire case back and becomes part of the watch's functional sculpture. When the watch is on your wrist and your arm moves, the "bulldog" literally moves in response, winding itself through the movement of the jaw animation.

Case finishing on the HM10 is substantial. The titanium case components (roughly 60 separate pieces machined and finished individually) are polished, brushed, and treated through multiple surface finishing steps. Sapphire windows on the case top (bulldog face) are curved specifically to match the sculpture geometry — this is specialized sapphire manufacturing that requires different processes than flat or domed sapphire production.

The Ownership Experience

Wearing an HM is different from wearing any other category of watch. The object sits on your wrist as a present sculptural element rather than a timepiece. People ask about it constantly — not in the "nice watch" register of conventional luxury but in the "what is that" register of genuine curiosity. Explaining what an MB&F is to someone who's never heard of independent watchmaking becomes a specific social function of ownership.

For collectors who've experienced the "invisible" luxury of a Nautilus or Royal Oak (watches that are recognized only by other watch people), an MB&F operates in the opposite direction — it's visible and unconventional enough that it communicates distinctiveness even to people who don't follow watches. This is the right choice for some collectors and wrong for others. If you wear watches in professional contexts where conventional luxury is appropriate and anything distinctive might register wrongly, an MB&F is probably not the right primary piece.

Service considerations are specific to MB&F. The manufacture services all HM references at its Geneva workshop, and service turnaround runs 8-16 months for complete services. Service cost is substantial — $3,500-$8,000 depending on the reference and the work required. Intervals are 5-7 years for regularly worn pieces. Because the movements are specific to each HM design and parts aren't interchangeable across references, service requires the manufacture's dedicated MB&F specialists.

How to Acquire

MB&F uses a limited distribution model through specific authorized boutiques. The main MB&F M.A.D.Gallery locations are in Geneva, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Taipei, with additional authorized dealers in major luxury watch markets. New MB&F customers typically need to establish relationships through one of these boutiques over 6-18 months before being offered the first allocation.

The acquisition path I've seen work most consistently: visit the relevant boutique, engage with the sales team about specific references you're interested in, express genuine collector interest in MB&F's design philosophy (not just investment positioning), and understand that the first piece you're offered may not be the specific reference you initially wanted. Flexibility helps — being willing to buy an HM11 when HM10 Bulldogs are unavailable signals that you're a serious MB&F collector rather than a speculator.

Secondary market considerations: MB&F references tend to hold retail value reasonably well, with some configurations appreciating modestly (10-25% over retail for popular references after 3-5 years) and others trading at retail or slightly below (10-20% below retail for less-preferred configurations). Unlike Patek Nautilus economics, MB&F secondary market isn't primarily driven by flippers — the buyer base is small and serious, which supports reasonable pricing without extreme premiums or deep discounts.

Comparing to Other Independent Options

At $110,000-$200,000, MB&F competes with several serious independent options: F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu or Élégante on the secondary market, Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveler, De Bethune DB28 variants, H. Moser Streamliner Flyback, and A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus or Lange 1 in steel. Each of these offers different versions of "serious watch collecting beyond mainstream luxury."

The MB&F differentiator is specifically the three-dimensional sculptural approach. F.P. Journe makes traditional-form watches executed at the highest level. Laurent Ferrier makes elegant minimalist dress watches. De Bethune makes avant-garde but still roughly round watches. Lange makes traditional German watchmaking. MB&F makes objects that don't resemble watches at all in their case geometry. If this design direction appeals to you, MB&F is the correct choice. If it doesn't, the other options are genuine substitutes.

For collectors considering their first piece in the $100k+ independent watchmaking tier, my recommendation order: (1) if you want traditional haute horlogerie, F.P. Journe on secondary market; (2) if you want elegant understated watchmaking, Laurent Ferrier; (3) if you want avant-garde sculpture, MB&F HM10 Bulldog or HM11 Architect; (4) if you want Germanic minimalism, Lange Saxonia or Odysseus. Each path leads somewhere legitimate — the question is which aesthetic resonates most strongly with how you want to engage with serious watch collecting.

The specific case for starting with MB&F: the emotional engagement with the object is different from traditional watchmaking in ways that some collectors find genuinely transformative. After owning an HM, buyers often describe the experience of returning to "conventional" watches as feeling limited by comparison. That's either the experience you want or the experience you don't want. For the collectors who want it, MB&F delivers exactly what it promises — watches that aren't watches, that become defining objects in a collection.