Three watches for people who think differently – like, say, Elon Musk
MB&F, Urwerk and HYT offer up timepieces that are as innovative, creative and technically brilliant as they are bonkers
If the average person spends well over 200,000 hours of their life sleeping, how many hours do you think we spend aimlessly browsing Wikipedia? The answer to that question isn’t on Wikipedia, by the way. I was left pondering it after one of my regular deep dives the other day, on this occasion to read about billionaire mad scientist Elon Musk.
I’ve got to admit, I find Musk fascinating, even though he comes across as an oddball, and really he’s obsessing too much about colonising other planets when perhaps he should help to save this one. So what did I find out on the Musk trail? Well, did you know that Robert Downey Jnr’s Tony Stark was partially based on Musk? And, did you know that Musk’s lusty hair is a result of implants? Solid nuggets of info there to impress your friends with.
Anyway, I could go on about Musk and his oddness but I should get to the watches, so this week we’re going to look at some wacky timepieces as a tribute to those, like ol’ Elon, who think a bit differently about the world.
If ever there were a Musk-like figure in the watch business then that man would be Max Büsser, the founder of MB&F, who similarly possesses imagination and creativity but unlike Musk is immensely likeable and a much snappier dresser. I think Büsser’s hair is real, too.
MB&F is at the bleeding edge of horology and the company has almost created a category on its own – collectible, collaborative mechanical art timepieces. MB&F watches are all about challenging how we present time and that mantra informs the alien-looking HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red. Created in collaboration with celebrated watchmaker Eric Giroud, the HM7 is an eye-catching riot of dials, colour and creative thinking. The domed glass is inspired by jellyfish and the red is a nod to the colour most prevalent as you go deep into the ocean. The dome also means that the time indication, via two marked rings, appears to float inside the glass and the eye is drawn to the flying tourbillon at the centre, adding more three-dimensional drama to proceedings.
The huge 53.8mm case is platinum and inside is an in-house movement with 72 hours of power reserve. With all the allusions to the sea, the watch also has a healthy 50 metres of water resistance. Limited to 25 pieces, the HM7 Aquapod Platinum Red is priced at 155,000 Swiss francs (HK$1.24 million).
Urwerk is another company that comes up in any discussion of avant-garde watchmakers, although, if I’m brutally honest, its output over the past few years has veered towards the Chrome Hearts-Ed Hardy end of the design spectrum, which I don’t need to spell out is a bad thing. Very bad. But the company still has its aces and one of those is the UR-105 CT Bronze. This bronze piece taps into the hot trend for the metal in watches, and the use of bronze ties in with the industrial look of the UR-105.
The time is indicated by a rotating hour marker and a seconds bar at the bottom, but the picture perhaps doesn’t do justice to how forward thinking this watch was when it came out. On top of the watch is a lid that flips up to show the movement underneath and on the back are two rotating levers that look like exhaust fans. A truly revolutionary piece that has been given a lovely tweak with the bronze case. The case is 39.5mm by 53mm and inside is a UR 5.03 movement with 48 hours of power reserve. Hong Kong prices for the UR-105 CT Bronze haven’t been confirmed but judging by previous pieces in the collection expect something north of HK$500,000.
Finally, we have a piece from HYT, which is a company I didn’t think would still be making watches, but boy was I wrong as they are now being sold on Mr Porter of all places. I had my doubts about HYT because its use of liquid in movements seemed a bit gimmicky and also, I assumed they would be liable to break, but I guess it’s ironed out the kinks.
The H0 model was the original HYT and still its best, and very briefly the way it works is that the blue liquid moves through capillary tubes and indicates the hours. It’s all very clever, of course, and the sleek styling gives the watch added cool points. The H0 is priced at HK$263,905.
