The MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt watch… sorry, did I say watch? The MB&F people call it a horological machine. As they say:
Horological Machines are as much, if not more, art and sculpture as they are micro-engineering: they are machines which tell the time rather than machines to tell the time.
For the sake of typing speed, I’ll stick with calling it a watch. And the mention of speed is apt. This watch just screams fast, like you could make it a little bigger and strap it on your back to use as a jet pack. If the Futurist art movement of the 1920s had the engineering and metallurgy chops, this is exactly the sort of watch that would have expressed their philosophy.
The MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt has been designed by Maximilian Büsser – the MB of MB&F. The ‘F’ by the way, stands for friends, a collective of artists who assist Maximillian in the design of his watches. This particular piece took three years to develop, and is comprised of more than 300 components.
As you can see in the operating instructions graphic below, one ‘turbine’ of the watch gives you time, the other indicates how much power is left in the watch’s battery.
MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt – video
This video is only just over a minute long, but it gives you a nice overview of the watch, views from a lot of angles, and close-ups of some of the mechanics of the watch.
Click play, enjoy!
Specifications
Case
- Silicium PVD coated titanium; limited edition of EIGHT pieces
- Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 59 x 38 x 13 mm
- Water resistant to 30 metres (3 ATM)
- Number of parts: 89 (case only)
Movement
- Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor designed functionality regulated and powered by a
- Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear train
- Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph
- 22K blued rose gold “Battle-AX” automatic winding rotor
- Number of components: 349 including 44 jewels
Functions
- Left dial: Retrograde Date and Moon Phase
- Right Dial: Jumping Hours and Concentric Retrograde Minutes
Dials
- Silvered
Sapphire crystals
- Dial side with anti-reflective treatment on both faces
- Display back with anti-reflective treatment on single face
Strap & Buckle
- Black hand-stitched calfskin with titanium custom designed buckle
Presentation box
- Precision engineered aluminium and leather instrument case featuring an integrated Rüeger thermometer
And the price?
Looking at the MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt, and at the specs list, I bet you’re thinking that it’s not cheap. You would be very, very correct. If you’d like to strap a MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt on your wrist, and feel time fly, you’ll have to part with US$158,000.
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