Hands On: MB&F Horological Machine 9 Sapphire Vision HM9-SV Watch
Over the past few years, Geneva-based replica MB&F Watches has transformed from a leader in the haute horlogerie industry's underdog league to a company with a years-long watch waiting list. Due to a variety of factors, brands like MB&F, which have been making uncompromisingly outlandish products for loyal niche fans for 20 years, have now achieved enough critical momentum to become established names with a wider base of luxury buyers . In this new phase, MB&F has been fortunate to have maintained its original enthusiasm, as well as Max Busser's high standards for product novelty and quality, understandably. It still likes to be weird, which is great too. This rare MB&F Horological Machine Number 9 Sapphire Vision is a great example.
To understand the history of this glass penis, let's go back to 2018 when MB&F originally released the HM9 Flow. Horological Machine No. 9 Flow, imagined as a small wearable aircraft (with dive aerodynamics), is a throwback to the HM4 concept, but with more interesting movement (perhaps less refined looking). An interesting whimsical feature of the HM9 movement is the twin rotating balance wheels connected via a planetary differential. Their rate results averaged, theoretically, to help the movement be more accurate. Visually, you can see a truly satisfying visual animation of the dual-oscillation regulation system.
In 2019, HM9 launched in 18k red gold, and in 2021, MB&F launched the HM9-SV series of watches with colorful movements, mostly sapphire crystal cases. If the HM9 was designed to look like a flying object, the HM9-SV imagines itself as an underwater exploration vehicle - now equipped with propellers. In fact, the "new" mechanical feature of the HM9-SV is a set of geared turboprops mounted on the bottom of each adjustment system. At first glance this appears to be a self-winding system - Urwerk does something similar - but in reality, the rotating turbine, moved by a cogwheel counterweight, is just an interesting feature that has nothing to do with the movement or the self-winding system . Romain Jerome did something similar a long time ago with his Titanic DNA Chronograph watch, but MB&F wholesale replica watches clearly took the gold for the best visuals. The movement is manually wound again.
In the world of MB&F, "SV" stands for Sapphire Vision, a special version of its watch whose vital case parts are made of sapphire crystal. Sapphire crystal is increasingly popular in high-end watches these days, but MB&F was an early innovator, using it as a case material. Considering the overall assembly, the HM9-SV may be the most ambitious Sapphire Vision watch to date. For example, MB&F needed to develop a "three-dimensional gasket" to connect certain parts of the sapphire case. This is how watchmakers keep dust and water out of their watches. Typically, these washers are flat, but in this case MB&F needed to develop a novel three-dimensional washer.
I've said long ago that sapphire crystal cases require different assembly techniques compared to metal cases when it comes to how cases are made today. The rigidity of sapphire means you can't screw it down (like you can with metal) because it would cause the sapphire to shatter. Interestingly, the HM9-SV seems to have tried some new ways of securing the sapphire crystal case in the watch. The MB&F designers actually seem to have been inspired by how some submersible engineers wrap their hulls around large, smooth materials like glass. In addition to the sapphire crystal, the HM9-SV case also uses gold metal segments. The case metal of the purple version of the HM9-SV here is 18k white gold, but the other two versions of the HM9-SV (four color versions in total) use 18k red gold metal in the case construction.replica Grand Seiko Elegance
Despite all special construction and engineering, the waterproof rating is 30 meters. The HM9-SV housing measures 47mm wide by 23mm wide with a lug-to-lug distance of 57mm. In a sense, these numbers mean garbage, they're just max values for a given angle. In fact, the HM9-SV case, while looking long, is oddly comfortable to wear. Then there's its fun shape, which shows how big MB&F's ball really is. We tend to think that when an item simultaneously brings adult watch lovers like us to tears in admiration...the wrist.
No, MB&F didn't try to make such a men's watch, but if you look at the world of engineering and architecture, there happens to be some regularity to this similarly shaped object. From the phallic-shaped construction to the form of your next luxury watch, MB&F knows implicitly "If you build it, they will come." Wearing one of these proudly sends... a message. The HM9 Flow just hinted at this message. The new, more spherical and unified shape of the HM9-SV takes this hint and hints at it more openly. So not only is the HM9-SV a stunning piece of wearable watch art, it also provides endless fun for the horny 13-year-old in us.Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II 126720 VTNR
Although beautiful to see and appreciate through the sapphire case, the hours and minutes are provided by the mechanical movement designed in-house in the HM9-SV. It does this with a horizontally oriented display that indicates the time via hours and minutes on a small dial that points to the user's face. The same transparent dial is still legible, with a circle of Arabic hour numerals and sporty hour and minute hands. Consisting of 301 parts, the movement is designed to be as symmetrical as possible, and features MB&F's now unique raised balance bridge. Each double balance wheel operates at a frequency of 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations/hour) and the movement has a power reserve of 45 hours. I think a power reserve indicator somewhere in the movement would be a good idea - and that's exactly what you find in some other hand-wound MB&F watches.
While most MB&F high quality watches replica are made in small batches, this limited edition of only five pieces in four different colors is really limited.
Comments
Post a Comment