In this crowning expression of the ties binding H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F for more than ten years, Edouard Meylan and Maximilian Büsser have composed a duet recital in the form of an exceptional concerto for devotees of fine watchmaking. For the first time in its history, MB&F is contributing to a Performance Art endeavour flowing in both directions in an entirely reciprocal manner. Within this framework, the two Maisons are co-signing a pair of creations whose DNA blends the main characteristics of each. A story of friendship between two men against a backdrop of shared values, for the pleasure of building and sharing, and then of jointly presenting the results of this extraordinary project.
H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F are both independent, human-scale Swiss companies. They are run by two passionate personalities, longstanding acquaintances who both appreciate and respect each other on both a personal and professional level. The brands have in fact been working together for more than ten years, with Precision Engineering AG – a sister company of H. Moser & Cie. – notably supplying MB&F’s balance springs.
Maximilian Büsser and Edouard Meylan
It is therefore not surprising that MB&F asked Edouard Meylan to take part as a „friend“ to help create a Performance Arts piece. The latest aspect of this collaboration lies in its being a two-way street. Maximilian Büsser says: „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. 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 FlyingT model, which is particularly dear to my heart.“
In a spirit of sharing and openness, while cultivating the notion of strength in unity, H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F have thus jointly created two models, available in several versions and issued in 15-piece limited series. This number is a nod to the 15th anniversary of MB&F as well as honouring the 15th anniversary of the relaunch of H. Moser & Cie. By pooling their strengths, these two competing yet friendly brands are working to harness the combined strengths of talented artisans, entirely in keeping with the philosophy adopted by MB&F.
Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser × MB&F
H. Moser & Cie. has borrowed from MB&F the concept of three-dimensional movements, a strong element of the Geneva Maison’s identity, protected by a sapphire dome and featuring a one-minute flying tourbillon that rises above the main dial through a ventricular opening appearing at 12 o’clock. Benefiting from the expertise of its sister company Precision Engineering AG, H. Moser & Cie. has equipped its tourbillon with a cylindrical balance spring, the same as that developed by Precision Engineering AG for MB&F’s LM Thunderdome.
Invented in the 18th century, the cylindrical balance spring is reminiscent of a worm- or corkscrew, rising perpendicularly around the upper rod of the balance staff. Commonly used in historical marine chronometers at the time, it offers the advantage of developing concentrically, and therefore geometrically, since it works perfectly along the axis of its pivots. This gives it a significant advantage over the flat balance spring, whose opposite ends tend to exert forces on the pivots, despite the Philips or Breguet terminal curves which were specifically developed to partially correct the non-concentric opening of the balance spring.
Fitted with a Breguet overcoil at both attachment points, the cylindrical balance spring reduces pivot friction and greatly improves isochronism. Due to its specific shape, the cylindrical balance spring is far more difficult to produce and takes ten times longer to make than a traditional balance spring.
Another reference to MB&F’s identity lies in the tilted dials, which H. Moser & Cie. has adopted for its hour and minute subdial. This is inclined at 40° so that the owner of the watch is the only one to whom it reveals the secret of time, and mounted on a conical gear train ensuring optimal torque transmission from one plane to the other.
As Edouard Meylan explains: „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“.
Available in five different versions, the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser × MB&F model comes in a steel case topped by Funky Blue, Cosmic Green, Burgundy, Off-White or Ice Blue dials, all of the fumé variety.
The Legacy Machine 101 distils the very quintessence of mechanical watchmaking: the balance wheel, the power reserve and the passing of time. It is therefore no coincidence that MB&F has chosen to revisit this model – one of the purest and „simplest“ in its collection – since it is indeed minimalism that guided the creation of the LM101 MB&F × H. Moser model.
Like H. Moser & Cie. and the “back to basics” approach embodied in its Concept watch series, MB&F has chosen to remove its logo and return to its roots and indeed to the very origins of horology, when only the movements were signed. In the same understated spirit, it has abandoned the floating domed subdials to display the hours and minutes as well as the 45-hour power reserve by means of hands placed directly on the main dial.
The fumé dials borrowed from H. Moser & Cie. can thus be expressed in complete freedom, also enhanced by a refined bezel. Four fumé dials have been chosen for the LM101 MB&F × H. Moser: Red fumé, Cosmic Green fumé, Aqua Blue fumé and, of course, the famous Funky Blue fumé. Topped with a domed sapphire crystal, the case is made of steel, for only the third time in the history of MB&F.
The mesmerising large suspended balance wheel continues to take centre stage, albeit completely redesigned on the LM101 MB&F × H. Moser in order to highlight the beauty of the fumé dials. This beating heart, which represents the quintessence of watchmaking in the eyes of Maximilian Büsser, has been fitted with a double balance spring produced by Precision Engineering AG.
Thanks to this pair of matching balance springs, the displacement of the point of gravity undergone by each spring as it expands is corrected, significantly improving precision and isochronism in a continuous quest for perfection. In addition, the paired balance springs also reduce the friction effect normally encountered with a single balance spring, resulting in optimised isochronism.
Through the case back, the curved sapphire crystal reveals the ‘engine’ driving this timepiece. Unlike the base movement of the Legacy Machine 101, of which the finishes were determined by co-creator Kari Voutilainen, the aesthetics of the calibre that powers the LM101 MB&F × H. Moser is more contemporary, with a subtle NAC treatment to enhance its beauty.
Edouard Meylan and Maximilian Büsser are delighted with this rewarding collaborative project, which has achieved results far exceeding their expectations. In addition to the beauty of the models created in tandem, two bodies of expertise and two sets of DNA have been blended and mutually enriched. The two different communities of the two Maisons have also pooled their skills in a wonderful spirit of openness and transparency. This experience leaves Edouard and Maximilian with a keen sense of coming back to a sense of pleasure: the pleasure of working together and of creating.
Maximilian Büsser and Edouard Meylan
H. Moser X MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Technical Specifications
Steel model, Funky Blue fumé dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 15 pieces
Steel model, Burgundy fumé dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 15 pieces
Steel model, Cosmic Green fumé dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 15 pieces
Steel model, Off-White fumé dial, blued hours and minutes hands, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 15 pieces
Steel model, Ice Blue fumé dial, black alligator leather strap, limited edition of 15 pieces
Steel topped by a high domed sapphire crystal
Height without crystal sapphire: 9.4 mm
Crown at 9 o’clock, engraved with a “M“
See-through sapphire crystal case back
Main dial: Funky Blue fumé, Burgundy fumé, Cosmic Green fumé, Off-White fumé or Ice Blue fumé with sunburst pattern
Hours and the minutes displayed on a 40° vertically tilted sapphire dial at 6 o’clock
The leaf-shaped hour and minute hands, blued on the reference 1810-1203
HMC 810 three- dimensional automatic Manufacture calibre
Diameter: 32.0 mm or 14 1/4 lignes
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Automatic bi-directional pawl winding system
Oscillating weight in 18-carat gold with engraved H. Moser & Cie. logo
Power reserve: minimum 72 hours
One-minute flying tourbillon at 12 o’clock with skeletonised bridges
Hand-stitched black alligator leather
Steel folding clasp engraved with the Moser logo
MB&F × H. Moser LM101 Technical Specifications
Reference LM101 MB&F × H. Moser
limited edition of 15 pieces for each reference
Three-dimensional horological movement developed in-house by MB&F
Movement aesthetics and finishing specifications: Kari Voutilainen
Manual winding with single mainspring barrel
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
Chatons: gold chatons with polished countersinks
Fine finishing: superlative 19th century-style hand finishing throughout; internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings, NAC black bridges
Hours, minutes and power reserve indicator
Large balance wheel suspended above the dial
Available in 4 limited editions of 15 pieces in stainless steel 316, including a special edition with Aqua Blue fumé dial made for the retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons.
High domed crystal sapphire on top and box sapphire crystal on back, both with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Aqua Blue fumé with sunburst pattern
Hand-stitched calfskin strap
Steel 316L and titanium folding clasp
H. Moser & Cie. was created by Heinrich Moser in 1828. Based in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, it currently employs around 60 people, has developed 14 in-house calibres to date and produces more than 1,500 watches per annum. Through its sister company Precision Engineering AG (PEAG), H. Moser & Cie. manufactures parts such as regulating organs and balance-springs, which are used for its own production as well as to supply its partner companies. Independent company incorporated into Moser Watch Holding in 2012, Precision Engineering AG specialises in watch components for escapements, from their initial design to the production of a quality product ready to be integrated into the watch movement it must regulate. H. Moser & Cie. is honoured to have a Moser family member with the company as Honorary Chairman and President of the Heinrich and Henri Moser Foundation. The aim of the Moser Foundation, created by one of Heinrich Moser’s descendants, is to keep the family history alive and seek out antique pieces for the Moser Museum, located in Charlottenfels Manor, Heinrich Moser’s family home. With its substantial watchmaking expertise and highly acclaimed experience in the sector, MELB Holding holds shares in H. Moser & Cie. and Hautlence. MELB Holding is an independent family group, based in the heart of the legendary Vallée de Joux.
After a 15-year career in management at prestigious brands, Maximilian Büsser left his role as CEO of Harry Winston in 2005 to create MB&F – Maximilian Büsser & Friends. MB&F is a laboratory dedicated to art and micromechanical engineering, set up to design and create small editions of radical watches, the fruit of collaboration with exceptional professional watchmakers, chosen by Maximilian Büsser for their talent and working methods.
In 2007, MB&F unveiled the HM1, its first Horological Machine. With its sculptural three-dimensional case and finely decorated movement, the HM1 set the tone for the Horological Machines that were to follow – Machines which symbolise time rather than merely Machines used to read it.
In 2011, MB&F released the Legacy Machines collection. These round pieces are more classic than MB&F’s other creations, and pay tribute to the watchmaking excellence of the 19th century, reinterpreting the complications from innovative key watchmaking figures as objects of contemporary art.
H. Moser X MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and MB&F X Moser LM101 Image Gallery
Maximilian Büsser and Edouard Meylan
Maximilian Büsser and Edouard Meylan
H. Moser X MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon and MB&F X Moser LM101 In this crowning expression of the ties binding H. Moser & Cie. and MB&F for more than ten years, Edouard Meylan and Maximilian Büsser have composed a duet recital in the form of an exceptional concerto for devotees of fine watchmaking.
