In the very select calendar of events that shape the year, MB&F’s creations are essential milestones. As the Atelier, synonymous with boundary-pushing horology and historic timekeeping, celebrates its 20th anniversary, it unveils an extraordinary new chapter in its Horological Machine saga: the HM11 Art Deco. This piece is not merely a high-precision instrument; it is wearable architecture, a manifesto of bold ambition paying tribute to the radical elegance of the 1930s.
The genesis of this masterpiece dates back to 2023 with the HM11 Architect, imagined by Maximilian Büsser and Eric Giroud. That model had already redefined watchmaking by transforming a timepiece into a piece of wearable architecture, inspired by the organic curves of 1960s and 1970s neo-futurism. Its concept was revolutionary: a Grade 5 titanium case shaped like a miniature house, four symmetrical “rooms” radiating from a central atrium capped by a flying tourbillon beneath a sapphire roof. Each room fulfilled a vital function of time display, power reserve, mechanical thermometer, and winding module.
For 2025, designer Maximilian Maertens reinterprets this foundation through a completely different lens. Drawing on early 20th-century architecture, he replaces the Architect’s organic fluidity with the taut lines and geometric rhythm of Art Deco. The HM11 Art Deco emerges as a structured, graphic miniature city. The sense of verticality is immediate: the dial adopts radiant motifs emblematic of the era, the bridges rise like decorative masonry, and the striations of the sapphire dome evoke the tiered silhouettes of iconic skyscrapers, including the Chrysler Building. The hands feature a red stained-glass effect achieved with translucent enamel, while the crown showcases subtle gradations inspired by vintage graphic posters.
Placed side by side, the HM11 Architect and HM11 Art Deco form a striking duo. The first recalls the experimental, sensual concrete curves of the 1970s; the second stands tall and meticulously structured, like a miniature metropolis. To mark two decades of creation, MB&F introduces two ultra-limited editions of just ten pieces each: one in deep blue with 3N yellow-gold bridges paired with a white lizard-skin strap, and one in green with 5N rose-gold bridges paired with a beige lizard-skin strap.
