Dear Friends,

How have you been during this very active autumn?

Just days after my last newsletter, we introduced our fifth table clock co-creation with our partners in crime, clock specialists L’Epée 1839: a new robot-clock named Balthazar. A big brother to previous robot-clocks Melchior and Sherman, Balthazar is not just significantly bigger; he has an extra complication, a moon-phase indicator precise to 122 years (yes, you will need to make a small one-day correction in a few decades). But perhaps more importantly, Balthazar is very human. Why? Because like all of us mere mortals, he has two sides: a friendly one and… have a look at the short video to find out :)

A few weeks later, we presented Horological Machine No.8, aka HM8 Can-Am, our third automotive-inspired piece after HM5 and HMX. If like me you were growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, you may remember the Can-Am racing championship. The insanely powerful – and beautiful – automobiles conceived back then by the likes of McLaren, Lola or Porsche often featured an open engine behind the driver, protected by chrome roll bars… You’ll find the same construction on HM8, which features an inverted automatic movement protected by a generous sapphire crystal – allowing you to admire the powerful winding rotor – and real roll bars crafted from grade 5 titanium.

Get the full story here.

As if that wasn’t enough, a few weeks later we presented an entirely new creation, in an unexplored product category for MB&F: a rocket-pen, co-created with Swiss writing instrument specialists Caran d’Ache. If like me, you remember transforming your pen into a rocket during a particularly boring class at school, then you will understand the idea behind Astrograph…

Quite simply the most complex pen Caran d’Ache has ever created, Astrograph is of course a wonderful writing instrument, available as a fountain pen or roller. But that’s just the beginning. The pen is designed like a rocket, complete with shock-absorbing landing gear, a central rocket engine, a launch pad… and its own little astronaut. Check out the video, and more info here.

Finally, you may have heard that we won one of the most prestigious prizes in the watchmaking world, at the recent Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Against a long list of distinguished competitors, we won Best Calendar Watch for the ground-breaking Legacy Machine Perpetual, just in time for the launch of two new editions in white gold: a stunning purple-faced edition and a more subdued version with a contrasted black face. Perfect timing also, because the previous LM Perpetual editions – in platinum and red gold – have been sold out for several months now!

If you own an MB&F, this is for you – especially if your MB&F wristwatch is no longer under warranty. Join The Tribe, our MB&F owners’ club, by registering your timepiece – and the immediate benefit you’ll get is an additional 2 years of warranty, on top of the warranty you currently have… In other words, if you just bought a piece with its original 2-year warranty, joining The Tribe will extend the warranty to 4 years!

But perhaps more surprisingly, this also applies to older models, for which the original 2-year warranty is no longer valid. To take an example, if you own one of our very first HM1s, sold in 2007, by simply registering the piece at The Tribe you will kick off a new 2-year warranty, valid from the date you register. No questions asked. And this also applies of course if you purchased the piece from another collector.

However, for those older pieces no longer covered by our warranty, you only have 10 days to go before this offer expires: the 2-year extension is only valid if you register before the end of December. Go for it!

I hope to see you soon; perhaps at SIHH in Geneva in January? We’ll be exhibiting there for the second time, inside the official fairgrounds, along with 12 other independent brands in the Carré des Horlogers.

Last but not least, have you had a look at our new website? Next to improved, device-responsive navigation and sharper content, you’ll find a bunch of goodies like the photos of our team and workshops by Hasselblad Award-winning photographer Jake Reeder – or for a quick 3-minute break, sit back and have a look at the short video we just put online.

Have a great holiday season, and see you soon in 2017!