MB&F Watches

MB&F, short for Maximilian Büsser & Friends, is an independent Swiss haute horlogerie company founded by Maximilian Büsser in 2005. The brand was created as a horological concept laboratory rather than a conventional watch manufacturer.

Before founding MB&F, Büsser served as managing director of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces. His experience collaborating with independent watchmakers on the Opus series helped shape the idea of creating watches through a network of specialist “Friends.”

MB&F unveiled its first watch, Horological Machine No.1, in 2007. Its sculptural case and three-dimensional mechanical architecture established the design philosophy that would define subsequent Horological Machines.

The Horological Machine collection explores themes ranging from science fiction and aviation to automobiles, animals, robots, and architecture. These watches frequently position displays and mechanical components in unconventional orientations rather than relying on traditional flat dial layouts.

Current Horological Machines include creations such as HM8 Mark 2, HM9, HM10 Bulldog, HM11 Architect and Art Deco, and HM12 The Guardian.

The 2026 HM12 The Guardian is shaped like a robotic face. It combines instantaneous jumping hours, trailing minutes, a flying tourbillon, automatic winding with twin micro-rotors, and an approximately 84-hour power reserve.

The HM11 approaches a watch as wearable architecture. Four display chambers radiate from a central flying tourbillon, while rotating the entire case winds the movement. Separate displays provide the time, power reserve, and temperature.

The second major collection, Legacy Machines, reinterprets traditional nineteenth-century watchmaking through MB&F’s three-dimensional design language. Large suspended balance wheels, sculptural bridges, tilted displays, and exposed mechanical systems are recurring features.

The Legacy Machine 101 concentrates on the basic elements of mechanical watchmaking: hours, minutes, power reserve, and a large suspended balance wheel. Its movement was the first calibre conceived entirely by MB&F’s in-house engineering team, with finishing specifications developed with independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen.

The newer LM101 EVO adapts the concept for more active use with a titanium case, 80 metres of water resistance, screw-down crown, integrated rubber strap, and MB&F’s FlexRing shock-absorbing system.

Legacy Machine Perpetual, developed with independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, uses a fully integrated 581-component perpetual-calendar movement. Its mechanical processor architecture was designed to reduce the risk of incorrect date changes and protect the mechanism during calendar adjustment.

The LM Sequential family represents one of MB&F’s most important technical achievements. Its twin column-wheel chronographs can operate independently or together through the patented Twinverter control system.

In 2022, the LM Sequential EVO won the Aiguille d’Or, the top prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The mechanism can provide independent timing, split-second-style timing, sequential lap timing, and cumulative timing modes.

For 2026, MB&F introduced the LM Sequential Flyback EVO, adding flyback operation to the twin-chronograph architecture. The movement contains more than 600 components and is housed in a grade 5 titanium EVO case.

The Legacy Machine FlyingT places a flying tourbillon vertically above the movement beneath a domed sapphire crystal. Its automatic movement provides approximately 100 hours of power reserve and displays hours and minutes on a dial inclined toward the wearer.

In 2025, MB&F created a third wristwatch category called Special Projects. The first model, SP One, uses a compact 38mm case and a suspended mechanical architecture built around three visual elements: the barrel, balance wheel, and tilted time display.

MB&F frequently develops movements internally but also works with independent watchmakers and specialist movement manufacturers. Different Machines have involved collaborators such as Stephen McDonnell, Kari Voutilainen, Eric Coudray, Jean-François Mojon, and established Swiss movement specialists.

Hand finishing remains fundamental throughout the collection. Depending on the calibre, movements feature polished bevels, internal angles, Geneva waves, frosting, hand engraving, polished screws, guilloché, and other traditional haute horlogerie techniques.

Production is intentionally limited. Individual references may be produced in small series of only a few dozen examples, while some Performance Art editions and special collaborations are even more restricted.

MB&F also operates M.A.D.Editions, a separate and significantly more accessible label. M.A.D.Editions shares the creative universe of MB&F but should not be confused with MB&F’s main haute horlogerie watches when comparing pricing or positioning.

Current MB&F wristwatches generally begin around the high five-figure range and extend well into six figures. Core Legacy Machines start around $75,000 to $85,000 in the U.S. market, while complex Horological Machines such as HM12 can approach $400,000.