MB&F unveils new HM8 Mark 2 Edition with sapphire blue bodywork

0 0 Friday, 26 April 2024 Edit this post

With its instantly recognizable speedometer-style display on the side of the case, the HM8 by MB&F openly reveals the automotive inspiration behind these horological machines, developing a concept introduced in 2012 with the HM5 and continued with the HMX in 2015 and the HM8 in 2016.

After the two editions launched in 2023 – with white or green body panels, MB&F introduces a new interpretation of the HM8 Mark 2.

Again limited to 33 pieces, this edition features a sapphire blue bodywork which recall luxurious car paints thanks to their metallic pigments and a translucid material.

The sparkly sapphire blue is achieved through a meticulous process involving metallic pigment powder of mineral origin, meticulously incorporated into resin following precise protocols regulating temperature, duration, and mixing procedures.

This solid composite material, developed specifically for MB&F and named CarbonMacrolon, offers remarkable strength and rigidity while weighing eight times less than steel.

In addition to these attributes, this high-tech material can be coloured, polished, bead-blasted, lacquered, and finished with great versatility, making it extremely versatile and interesting from both technical and design perspectives.

In consideration of the small production quantities, the CarbonMacrolon body panels could only be milled from a block, adding another layer of complexity to the watch’s construction.

Measuring 47 x 41.5 x 19 mm, the HM8 Mark 2 is built with a water-resistant chassis to which the body panels are seamlessly integrated. Crafted from Grade 5 titanium, the chassis presents machining challenges due to the alloy's hardness.

Another challenge came from the creation of the double-curved sapphire producing which was 30 to 40 times more expensive than a dome sapphire.

Because of its thinner section, measuring only two-tenths of a millimetre, the 22-carat gold blades of the battle axe rotor could not be machined; instead, they had to be stamped, with the engraving already integrated into the stamp.

To release the crown and adjust the time, it is sufficient to push it and perform three-quarters of a turn. Water resistance is ensured up to 3 ATM (30 metres / 100 feet).

Powered by a Girard-Perregaux base movement and featuring a jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed in-house by MB&F, the three-dimensional horological engine of the HM8 Mark 2 operates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour), with a power reserve of 42 hours.

The hour and minute discs lay horizontally and are optically magnified and projected 90 degrees to the vertical display thanks to high-precision prisms crafted in sapphire crystal.

Completed by a sporty and comfortable white calfskin strap with a titanium tang buckle, the new MB&F HM8 Mark 2 in titanium with blue CarbonMacrolon body panels has a retail price of CHF 68,000 plus VAT / Euro 70,000 plus VAT / USD 78,000 including sales taxes. mbandf.com