SIHH 2018: MB&F And Sarpaneva Dream Up The MoonMachine 2
While MB&F can be a brand of radical changes, with horological creations that often tantalize the senses of watch connoisseurs by boldly going where no watch brand has gone before, they are also the brand of evolution. Once another whole new creation leaves they workshops they take time to explore the possibilities of this model, often with a little help from their friends.
In this case, that friend is Stepan Sarpaneva, who has already joined forces before with MB&F. Back then it was also a moon that played the star role (no pun intended) yet with the HM3 Frog as the canvas. This time it is the Horological Machine Nº8 that serves as the backdrop for this new model. It is surprising how well the looks of a watch that was originally designed to resemble a Can-AM race car, morphs into displaying the earth’s celestial companion.
To achieve this, the battle-ax rotor has been replaced by a blue titanium web, fitted with a gold moon face, a hallmark of Sarpaneva, in more than one way, as it is actually crafted to resemble his own face. The MoonMachine 2 also shows the phases of the moon, and does so between the jumping hours and the trailing minutes, which are still displayed vertically thanks to the use of a Horological Machine Nº8. Despite being very small, just 4.5mm wide and only 0.35mm thick, the moons show as many details as their larger counterpart on the winding rotor. In fact, they are even finished by hand! A task that requires not only a steady hand, but also great patience an incredible amount of craftsmanship.
What makes any MB&F, and especially the MoonMachine 2, so unique is that the DNA of both the brands is instantly recognizable. The rotor and the moon phase clearly indicate that this is the work of Stepan Sarpaneva, while the case can only be an MB&F. Of course, this is one of the key ingredients of the concept on which Busser founded his company, the F stands for Friends, yet to consistently move forward with this, and each time achieve synergy with the partners involved is quite an achievement.
MB&F and Sarpaneva will make three limited editions of the MoonMachine 2, each of only 12 pieces. One features a natural colored titanium case with white gold moon against a light blue sky, then there is a black titanium case with a white gold moon against a dark blue sky, and the final version has a red gold and titanium case, with a read gold moon against an anthracite sky.
