MB&F HM12 The Guardian Green

MB&F’s HM12 The Guardian is a total horological concept: a wristwatch conceived as the brain of a mechanical robot, and a mechanical robot built around the wristwatch. Developed entirely in house over four years by the creative partnership of Maximilian Büsser and Maximilian Maertens, HM12 brings together a 646-component flying tourbillon movement featuring jumping hours, trailing minutes on rotating discs, and a double-sided micro-rotor with a face shield system of over 200 dedicated components actuated via the left crown. The shield mechanism, fully independent from the movement, allows the wearer to progressively reveal or conceal the dial. The rear of the calibre is finished with a guilloché dome executed in collaboration with Kari Voutilainen, applied to a curved, spherical surface. Power reserve is 84 hours.

The watch is designed to be read as a face. Two eyes carry the time display. A flying tourbillon sits where the brain would be. One side of the battle-axe micro-rotor occupies the position of the mouth. The skull is largely sapphire, allowing light to enter from multiple angles and illuminate the movement from the front and sides. Together with The Guardian, a 38-centimeter-tall mechanical companion developed by L’Epée 1839 comprising 755 components, the full unit approaches 1,500 components. The Guardian houses a mechanical thermometer at its chest, a loupe shield on one arm, and a detachable UV-capable torch on the other. The watch mounts onto the robot via a quick-release system; the strap stores in a hidden drawer at the robot’s base.

HM12 The Guardian is produced in three limited editions of 12 pieces each, in blue, purple, and green. It represents a deliberate recalibration at the opening of MB&F’s third decade, drawing on the sci-fi aesthetic of the early Horological Machines, the mechanical experimentation of the Legacy Machine line, and the collaborative spirit of the brand’s co-creation projects. Part watch. Part robot. Entirely MB&F.