Designed by MB&F, Arachnophobia is as extreme as it comes… but the eye-catching three-dimensional sculpture is also an impeccably finished cum-table-clock-cum-wall-clock, engineered and manufactured by L’Epée 1839.
The spider’s body is outfitted with a black dome with white numerals depicting the hours and minutes. The head houses the regulator with its oscillating balance wheel, while the other end contains the mainspring barrel, which powers the movement.
Attached to the abdomen are eight legs articulated where they join the body by ball-and-socket joints. The legs can be rotated so that Arachnophobia can stand tall or splayed flat. A third position provides an optical treat for fans of large arachnids: the front legs can be moved forward while the six others maintain the standing position, an interesting and alarming posture that says, look out!
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Hours and minutes are read on a polished dome representing the spider's body, with rotating curved hands indicating hours and minutes in MB&F’s signature numerals.
To really make a statement, L’Épée has also developed an innovative system enabling Arachnophobia to be either clipped to a wall or standing on a table.
The spider’s head houses the regulator with its oscillating balance wheel and a set of jaws in case it gets peckish at night.
For more live pics, wristshots and other cool images, check out our Instagram account.
« Maman » by Louise Bouregoise, Zürich, SwitzerlandArachnophobia was inspired by Maman (mother in French), a giant spider sculpture created by Louise Bourgeois (1911 - 2010) in bronze, stainless steel, and marble. Measuring 9.27 x 8.91 x 10.24 metres (more than 30 x 33 feet), the monumental sculpture has been installed in a variety of locations around the world.
MB&F developed the highly unusual concept with L’Epée 1839, selecting a high-end L’Epée clock movement and re-imagining it as the mechanical head and torso of a spider. The body is outfitted with a black dome with white numerals depicting the hours and minutes. The araneae’s self-sufficiency is to be admired: the finely-finished, highly-visible movement boasts a power reserve of eight days.
L’Epée 1839 has been a prominent clockmaking manufacture for 185 years. Today, it is the only manufacture in Switzerland to specialize in the production of high-end clocks. Founded in 1839 by Auguste L’Epée in Sainte-Suzanne, France, the company originally focused on producing music boxes and watch components. Even at this early stage, the brand was synonymous with entirely handmade pieces.
Starting in 1850, the manufacture became a leader in producing escapements and began to develop special regulators for alarm clocks, table clocks, and musical watches. It gained wide recognition and filed numerous patents for special escapements, particularly for use in its anti-knocking, auto-starting, and constant force systems. L’Epée 1839 became the principal supplier of several famous clockmakers and went on to win many gold medals at World Fairs.
Today, L’Epée 1839 is based in the Swiss Jura Mountains (Delémont), under the direction of CEO Arnaud Nicolas. The manufacture still upholds this incredible know-how in the passionate creation of unique horological sculptures manufactured entirely in-house.
In 2023, L’Epée 1839 wins the “Mechanical clock” award at the Grand Prix de L’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) with Time Fast II in chrome, a creative and technical challenge.
www.lepee1839.chArachnophobia is available in black PVD or 18k yellow gold-plated editions.
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