Swiss watchmakers H.Moser & Cie and MB&F have joined forces to create special versions of each other’s watch designs: The MB&F inspired H.Moser Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and the H.Moser inspired MB&F LM101.

Swiss watchmakers H.Moser & Cie and MB&F have just announced the release of two new watches and while this may look like a simple “collaboration” from the outside, it has been much more than that for the two passionate watchmaking companies.

In a world where “trade secrets” can often be jealously guarded, two CEO’s wanted a different experience and were open to pooling the skills of their Maisons in the spirit of openness and transparency, and creating something truly unique for each brand through the combining their expertise and DNA.

One CEO is Maximilian Büsser of MB&F, a watchmaker who left his role as CEO at Harry Winston Timepieces in 2005 to create MB&F – a watchmaking laboratory dedicated to art, micromechanical engineering and the design and creation of small editions of exciting watches.

The other is Edouard Meylan, CEO of H.Moser & Cie, who was tasked with turning the company around after his family acquired it in 2013. Originally founded in 1828 by watchmaker Heinrich Moser, the watchmaker’s clients included Russian princes and members of the Russian Imperial Court but it disappeared for many years before being reborn in 2005 with the help of a great-grandson, although it struggled to remain profitable until the MELB Group stepped in with their expertise in watchmaking.

Having worked with H.Moser & Cie for over ten years already (their sister company Precision Engineering AG supplies the balance springs for MB&F watch pieces) Maximilian Büsser initially reached out to his friend Edouard Meylan.

“When I called Edouard to tell him that I wanted to collaborate on a creation, I mentioned that I really liked the double balance-spring, the Moser fumé dials and the Concept watch series,” Maximilian Büsser recalled. “Edouard immediately told me that he would let me borrow these features, but on condition that he could also reinterpret one of my machines. After an initial moment of surprise, I gave it some thought. Being 50% Indian and 50% Swiss, I am firmly convinced that mixing DNA creates interesting results, so why not try the experiment in watchmaking? I therefore agreed and suggested the Flying T model, which is particularly dear to my heart.“

The result? Two jointly created H. Moser & Cie x MB&F models that include a unique features used by each watch brand for the first time: the first use of a double hairspring in an MB&F watch and the first use of a cylindrical hairspring in a H.Moser & Cie watch.

Both versions of the watches will be available in several dial color versions, and issued in 15-piece limited series to celebrate the 15th year anniversary of both MB&F and the relaunch of H.Moser & Cie.

The Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H.Moser x MB&F Watch

The H.Moser Cylindrical Tourbillon could best be described as a mash-up of the H.Moser and Cie Endeavour Concept and MB&F’s Legacy Machine FlyingT.

For H.Moser & Cie’s Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon the watchmakers decided to use the eye-catching “clutter-free” dial of the Endeavour Concept as a starting point, add in their iconic smokey look fumé dials and incorporate MB&F’s distinctive three-dimensional use of movements that sees a one-minute flying tourbillon sitting above the dial at 12’o clock and a sapphire tilted subdial at 6’o’clock. All of which are housed under a large sapphire crystal dome.

Like many of MB&F’s three-dimensional designs, the tilted subdial is designed to be read only by the user and is mounted on a conical gear train ensuring optimal torque transmission from one plane to the other.

As Edouard Meylan describes it, “We have “Moserized” the MB&F universe by developing a sapphire subdial, which melts into the background so as to highlight the beauty of our fumé dials. And to preserve the purity and elegance of this true work of horological art, we have inscribed our logo like a watermark on the sapphire subdial, thereby underlining the personal character and intimate relationship binding it to its owner”.

For H.Moser & Cie, this also marks the first time the brand has featured a cylindrical hairspring in a watch design. Using the same Precision Engineering AG made cylindrical hairspring as MB&F’s LM Thunderdome, the cylindrical hairspring is reminiscent of a corkscrew, rising perpendicularly around the upper rod of the balance staff and beating steadily like a heartbeat.

Invented in the 18^th century by English watchmaker John Arnold, the cylindrical hairspring was created with the goal to improve isochronism, the ability of the hairspring to maintain constant regardless of movements due to external forces.

By holding the shape of a cylinder and being fitted with a Breguet overcoil at both attachment points, it reduces the friction at the balance staff’s pivot and greatly improves isochronism.

Due to its specific shape, the cylindrical hairspring requires more space in a watch design and is extremely difficult to produce, taking ten times longer than a traditional hairspring. With very few companies having the expertise and skill required to produce cylindrical hairsprings, they tend to be produced only in very small numbers for highly exclusive watches.

Limited to 15 pieces of each design, the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser × MB&F is available in 5 different fumé colors: Funky Blue, Cosmic Green, Burgundy, Off-White or Ice Blue.

The LM101 MB&F × H. Moser Watch

Revisiting one of MB&F’s most beloved designs, the Legacy Machine 101 has been given the H.Moser Concept treatment, stripped back to its simplest by the removal of the two floating subdials, logos and engravings on the dial.

Instead of the original Kari Voutilainen designed dial of the Legacy Machine 101, the LM101 MB&F x H.Moser collaboration watch features the smoked fumé dials of H.Moser & Cie and display the small watch hands directly on the dial, indicating the hours, minutes and the 45-hour power reserve.

Like the original LM101, the suspended flying balance wheel is the star of the show although it has been completely redesigned for this new edition and features a Straumann® double balance spring for the first time in an MB&F watch.

By utilizing a pair of matching balance hairsprings, one turning clockwise and the other anti-clockwise, the displacement of the point of gravity undergone by each hairspring as it expands is corrected, significantly improving precision and isochronism. In addition, the paired balance springs also reduce the friction effect normally encountered with a single balance spring, resulting in optimized isochronism.

Available in four different fumé dial colors: Red fumé, Cosmic Green fumé, Aqua Blue fumé and, Funky Blue fumé, the LM101 features a steel case (only the third time an MB&F watch has been made in steel) and will be limited to 15 pieces of each color.

Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H.Moser x MB&F Watch Technical Specifications

Watch Models

• Ref 1810-1200: Funky Blue fumé dial edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref 1810-1201: Burgundy fumé dial edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref 1810-1202: Cosmic Green fumé edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref 1810-1203: Off-White fumé edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref 1810-1204: Ice Blue fumé with sunburst pattern (limited to 15 pieces)

Movement

• HMC 810 three-dimensional automatic Manufacture calibre
• Diameter: 32.0 mm or 14 1/4 lignes
• Height: 5.5 mm
• Balance Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour
• Number of jewels: 29
• Number of components: 184
• Automatic bi-directional pawl winding system
• Oscillating weight in 18-carat gold with engraved H. Moser & Cie. logo
• Power reserve: minimum 72 hours
• Cylindrical hairspring
• One-minute flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock with skeletonised bridges

Functions/Indications

• Hours and the minutes displayed on a 40° vertically tilted sapphire dial at 6 o’clock
• Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands

Case

• Steel case topped by a high domed sapphire crystal
• Diameter: 42.0 mm
• Height: 19.5 mm (9.4mm without crystal sapphire dome)
• Crown at 9 o’clock, engraved with an “M“
• See-through sapphire crystal case back

Strap

• Hand-stitched black alligator leather with steel folding clasp engraved with the Moser logo.

Price

• Price of the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser x MB&F: USD$79,000 (CHF 79,000)

For more information visit the website.

LM101 MB&F x H.Moser & Cie Watch Technical Specifications

Watch Models

• Ref LM101: Funky Blue fumé dial edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref LM101: Red fumé dial edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref LM101: Cosmic Green fumé edition (limited to 15 pieces)
• Ref LM101: Aqua Blue fumé edition (limited to 15 pieces made for retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons)

Movement

• Three-dimensional horological movement developed inhouse by MB&F
• Movement aesthetics and finishing specifications: Kari Voutilainen
• Manual winding with single mainspring barrel
• Power reserve: 45 hours
• Balance wheel: Bespoke 14mm balance wheel with four traditional regulating screws floating above the movement
• Balance spring: Straumann® double hairspring
• Balance frequency: 18,000bph/2.5Hz
• Number of components: 221
• Number of jewels: 23

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes and power reserve indicator
• Large balance wheel suspended above the dial

Case

• Steel case topped by a high domed sapphire crystal
• Diameter: 40.0 mm
• Height: 16 mm

Strap

• Hand-stitched calfskin strap with steel folding clasp with titanium folding clasp

Price

• Price of the LM101 MB&F x H.Moser & Cie: USD$52,000 (CHF 53,000)

For more information visit the website.