Horological Machine N°3 Frog
Overview
Haute horlogerie is (usually) a very restrained and serious business; however one of Maximilian Büsser’s main goals in creating MB&F was to bring a child's sense of awe and playfulness into high-end watchmaking… mission accomplished with the HM3 Frog, first presented in 2010..
Two globular “eyes” that rotate to give the hours and minutes. A widely grinning “mouth” revealing the occasional bright flicker of the signature MB&F battle-axe rotor. A glistening “skin” of titanium, red gold or exotic zirconium... HM3 Frog may have been small as a specimen of amphibious pond life, but it was mighty on the wrist as it leapt to iconic status at the crossroads of kinetic art and horology.
10 years after its debut, HM3 Frog makes its comeback with three ‘FrogX’ anniversary editions: radiantly exposed in a full sapphire crystal case, yet still with a hidden message to be discovered.
What's so special about this machine?
Rotating sapphire domes, a widely grinning “mouth” revealing the occasional bright flicker of the signature MB&F battle-axe rotor, HM3 Frog is the queen of the amphibious pondlife.
Machine in action
To create the secret battle-axe signal, MB&F worked with light-sculpting techniques pioneered by Rayform, a Swiss company whose technology has various applications, from design to anti-counterfeiting measures.
By micro-forming a metal surface at levels nearly imperceptible to the human eye, Rayform technology is able to direct incident light beams to be reflected in customised ways, creating a light-encoded message or design that can be viewed on any relatively uniform surface.
THE MACHINE
The engine of HM3, built by award-winning master watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, is based on a Girard-Perregaux calibre, which has been literally turned upside down to allow for an uninterrupted view of the enlarged 22k gold and titanium winding rotor and the oscillations of the balance wheel.
Time indications are usually located on the top, or dial side, of a movement. As the HM3 engine is inverted to display its operation, an efficient solution was needed to bring power from the bottom of the movement to the time-indication domes at the top. Standard pinions set in jewels would have required complex, friction-generating gearing, and would require support top and bottom — a factor which would increase the height of the movement, and thus the watch.
- HM3 Frog: Ti in grade 5 titanium, 18k red gold or black PVD zirconium
- HM3 FrogX: Full sapphire crystal with gasket in blue, purple or turquoise matching the battle-axe rotor
- Dimensions: HM3 Frog: 47 x 50 x 18 mm / HM3 FrogX: 48.3 x 52.7 x 17.5 mm
- Three-dimensional horological engine designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor,
- powered by a Girard-Perregaux base.
- 22k gold battle-axe shaped automatic winding rotor (gold and titanium for FrogX).
- Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to rotating domes.
- Components: 304 (HM3 Frog) / 277 (FrogX) / 36 jewels
- Hour on one dome (aluminium dome rotating in 12 hours)
- Minutes on second dome (aluminium dome rotating in 60 minutes)
- HM3 Frog: Date around the movement
- HM3 FrogX: “Secret message” crown reflects light rays to project the MB&F battle-axe icon (Rayform technology)
Inspiration
Two globular “eyes” that rotated to give the hours and minutes. A widely grinning “mouth” revealing the occasional bright flicker of the signature MB&F battle-axe rotor as it swept past a date scale.
A glistening “skin” of titanium, red gold or exotic zirconium. HM3 Frog may have been small as a specimen of amphibious pondlife, but it was mighty on the wrist as it leapt to iconic status at the crossroads of kinetic art and horology.
