Fingers-On: MB&F HM10 ‘Bulldog’ Watch

In 2020, Geneva-based high-end watchmaker MB&F debuted the tenth model of its Horological Machine timepiece collection often called the HM10 “Bulldog” on aBlogtoWatch right here. I bought an opportunity to go hands-on with the all-titanium model of the MB&F HM10, which I talk about for you right now. Along with this titanium-cased mannequin (HM10 Bulldog TI reference 100.TL.BL), MB&F additionally produced a titanium and red-gold model often called the HM10 Bulldog RT (reference 100.RL.B). I, after all, need to additionally point out the one-off pièce distinctive model of the HM10 that MB&F produced for the OnlyWatch public sale often called the HM10 Panda, which you’ll be able to learn extra about right here.

I’ve lengthy been a fan of MB&F’s Horological Machine watch collection as a result of it represents a “no holds barred” strategy to advancing the notion of what a luxurious wristwatch might be. Max Busser, discovered of MB&F, has lengthy stated that HM watches are “wearable mechanical artwork,” versus being positioned as a instrument watch or purely purposeful merchandise like a sports activities watch. Creativity and novelty are on the coronary heart of the idea, and, for a very long time, every new Horological Machine watch actually provided one thing spectacular and recent. Extra just lately, Busser and his staff have turn out to be a bit extra commercially minded, which is a logical end result of being in enterprise as an avant-garde high-end watch model for practically 20 years. What we see right now is a mix of recent concepts in addition to a combination of now-familiar MB&F design and mechanical themes that prospects have signaled they like.

I say all this to assist place the HM10 Bulldog watch throughout the pantheon of different MB&F creations since, for my part, this cool collection of watches is extra an amalgamation of current MB&F themes reasonably than one thing fully novel. Does that make the HM10 any much less particular? No, I wouldn’t say that. But it surely does illuminate the extra modern technique of a model that, for the primary 10 years or so of its existence, was deeply concerned with pushing the bounds the place ever it may.

Let’s first speak about a number of the current MB&F watches and themes that discovered their method into the HM10, which helps clarify the place this idea got here from. Largely, the HM10 case and actions are a mix of the MB&F HM3 Frog’s creature-like eye “domes” that point out time, the LM1’s floating 2.5Hz stability wheel that sits over the dial by way of a particular V-shaped bridge, and the HM4’s case fashion, which offered lengthy articulating lug constructions and their corresponding look when worn on the wrist. Don’t overlook that in 2011, MB&F even provided a panda-themed one-off piece of the HM4 for that 12 months’s installment of the OnlyWatch public sale too. Accordingly, at greatest, you’ll be able to name the HM10 Bulldog watch a collective homage to a few of MB&F’s attention-grabbing historic work, and at worst, you’ll be able to accuse MB&F of a bit an excessive amount of conceptual recycling. No matter your emotions in regards to the unique HM10 watch, it’s nonetheless a really charming factor to put on on the wrist and embodies a enjoyable, animal-like design.

MB&F understands that connecting its merchandise to creatures (each precise or imagined by tradition) is a really clever method of capturing the hearts and minds of fans. We not solely just like the act of interacting with our mechanical creatures (one thing that’s a lot much less out there in, say, a easy quartz watch), and we additionally like machines with lifelike components together with “eyes, ft, and a heartbeat.” The HM10 does all of this effectively, with a design that was roughly meant to appear to be a small creature sitting in your wrist. One of many enjoyable and truly utilitarian components of the HM10 watch is the opening and shutting “jaws” place within the decrease half of the case, which is seen via the underside domed sapphire crystal. How are the “jaws” utilized for purposeful functions? That is truly the ability reserve indicator, and I imagine the jaws absolutely open when the manually wound motion is absolutely wound.

Different capabilities embody telling the time by way of hours and minutes utilizing the 2 eye domes, which is a design factor from the HM10 that could be very laborious to not affiliate with the HM3 Frog, despite the fact that the execution is simply barely completely different. Now the eyes function with a 14mm-wide stability wheel “halo” on high that makes for a superb look. The motion is fully developed in-house by MB&F, is comprised of 301 components, and has an influence reserve of 45 hours. The comparatively sluggish 18,000 bpm charge of the regulation system is deliberately designed to present a pretty view of the oscillation in motion. An excessive amount of quicker and the elegant animation impact is misplaced a bit. There’s Tremendous-LumiNova painted on the time-telling domes to permit for higher legibility at nighttime, and the motion presents twin crowns. One crown is used for winding the motion whereas the opposite is used for adjusting the time.

Most individuals will in all probability just like the Horological Machine No. 10 higher on the wrist than in photos. The case and its kind are very unusual, however on the wrist, the composition is snug and well-conceived. MB&F as soon as once more made certain that refinement and ergonomics are an integral a part of the product sporting and working expertise. The articulating lug constructions transfer in order that they’ll adapt to the form of most any wrist, and the included customized strap (right here in blue textile with a black leather-based liner) is snug and hip-looking in fashion. The strap closes by way of a Velcro-style system, which, since Richard Mille, has been one thing that luxurious watches aren’t snug with.

I don’t actually see the watch as being a bulldog in form, however then once more, I’m not a fan of such creatures as I choose extra historically lovely animals. Then once more, I’ll readily admit that the “little monster” canine appreciation market is reasonably strong and, from a advertising perspective, this works for MB&F. Given the adaptability of the HM10 to appear to be different creatures (resembling a panda), I absolutely anticipate future variations of the Horological Machine No. 10 to take the type of different animals or creatures. I can’t wait to see what MB&F has in thoughts for us subsequent with this collection.

Finishing the “Bulldog” theme is a stylized identify plaque on the rear part of the watch, which makes your entire gadget appear to be some stylish equipment from the Nineteen Fifties.  Beneath the watch can be an engraved assertion that reads, “Overlook the canine, watch out for the proprietor.” I suppose anybody who enjoys the playful attract of an avant-garde luxurious watch priced at over $100,000 is somebody you don’t readily need to mess with.

When speaking about dimensions in a watch case like this, it’s best to only view the way it appears on my wrist, as it may be laborious to think about its precise dimension from the measurements. The HM10 Bulldog case is 45mm-wide, 54mm-long (lug-to-lug distance), and 24mm-thick at its widest level. The case can be water resistant to 50 meters. Once more, that sounds massive, however as you’ll be able to see on my arm, the HM10 Bulldog truly sits on the wrist very politely. It’s crtainly price placing on merely to understand the expertise. As MB&F continues to mature as an organization, we see plenty of adjustments and diversifications to present market circumstances. The model has a sensible long-term strategy to market attraction, in addition to fleshing out its product catalog with each recent and acquainted faces. The HM10 is one in every of many interesting flavors from the corporate and is a satisfying high-end timepiece when judged from most angles. MB&F is perhaps in a part the place recycling ideas is sensible, however I hardly see the corporate shying away from new concepts in different areas, and I absolutely anticipate followers of the model to be wowed with novelty once more within the close to future. Worth for the MB&F HM10 Bulldog TI watch as seen right here in titanium is $105,000 USD. Be taught extra on the MB&F web site.