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Dear Friends,
Since our last newsletter in November, what has happened ?! The HM4 “Razzle Dazzle” and “Double Trouble” limited editions were launched during a very successful Belles Montres show in Paris, the Geneva watch fair kick-started the year at a very fast pace, the M.A.D.Gallery officially opened… and Baselworld is just around the corner!
You may have read a few articles in the press recently about the new M.A.D.Gallery – the positive feedback has been so motivating for our team! You probably also noticed that we sent you a few weeks ago a newsletter focused entirely on the gallery; this will run in parallel to our classic MB&F newsletter which you’re reading now. In case you missed it, don’t hesitate to sign up.
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On November 24th, at Belles Montres in Paris, the mystery was finally revealed: “Razzle Dazzle” and “Double Trouble” are in fact the names of two pinups, inspired by real pinups who adorned the noses of aircraft during WW2 – and who made their way all the way to the fuselages of two HM4 limited editions.
Most people would agree that the HM4 Thunderbolt is already a pretty extreme Machine… but with these limited editions, we took “extreme” just a bit further: think HM4 in battledress!
Their titanium cases are studded with real rivets. The dual dials glow and sparkle with a warm vintage patina, created using a special blend of paint mixed with very fine copper particles and cream-coloured Super-LumiNova. The period look is further enhanced by the distinctive strap, which has been crafted from genuine antique Swiss military bags.
And of course, the highlights of these very special aircraft are the two pinups – cut out of the titanium fuselage with micro-drills and then individually hand-painted by award-winning miniature painter Isabelle Villa – just like those which aircraft crews lovingly painted on the nose of their aircraft.
Find the full story about the limited editions of eight pieces each here.
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At about the same time last year, in our February 2011 newsletter, we had proudly written that our Friends on Facebook had reached 8’500… Today the community of Friends has almost doubled: there are more than 15’000 fans who follow us on Facebook. We are constantly amazed – and extremely pleased! – by the quantity and quality of interaction this channel allows. Don’t hesitate to “like” our page to stay in touch, get the latest MB&F news and comment as much as you’d like!
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In 2012, the Geneva and Basel fairs are very close – just six weeks separate the two events. It feels like we just got out of the Geneva frenzy… during which our just-opened M.A.D.Gallery was the star of the show: close to 200 journalists, clients and retail partners from around the world visited our concept store. Baselworld opens on the 7th of March, so look out for some exciting new Machines!
For the third year, we will be exhibiting together with our buddies from Urwerk, Peter Speake-Marin and Christophe Claret as “The Dream Factory”, in the Palace Hall (opposite the Ramada Hotel). If you’re in Basel between March 7th and 15th, don’t hesitate to visit us to view the collection on display. And if you’d like to make an appointment, please contact us at info@mbandf.com
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Simon Peers’ and Nicholas Godley’s superb, golden spider-silk cape has been wowing visitors to London’s V&A Museum – and with good reason. It took no fewer than 1.2 million golden orb spiders to make the amazing naturally-coloured yellow silk needed to create this sumptuous hand-woven and embroidered garment.
Peers and Godley also had to create a hand-operated machine for extracting the silk from the spiders, based on a design over a hundred years old. Once collected, each spider was harnessed to the machine and ‘milked’, producing up to 50 metres of brightly-coloured material, before being released back into nature. Learn more about this sensational creation on our weekly blog, A Parallel World.
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I look forward to a very multidimensional 2012. On the horological side, you’ll discover new Machines at Baselworld, an unexpected series of Performance Art pieces in May, Horological Machine N°5 in the Autumn… and there’s a lot coming from the M.A.D.Gallery side too. Sit back and enjoy – we’ll keep you posted!
With our very best regards,
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Maximilian Büsser
Owner and Creative Director
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