Introducing the new MB&F HM8 MARK 2

MB&F Continues its Decade-Long Race to Perfect the Automotive-Inspired Luxury Watch

Unconventional design is one of our favorite aspects of the independent watch lineup we have carefully curated at Stephen Silver. And of all our brands, MB&F is the undisputed master of this kind of creativity.

We’d like to offer you a closer look at the independent Swiss watchmaker’s just-released horological marvel, the HM8 Mark 2. The timepiece follows the brand’s decades-long quest to fuse high-octane automotive inspiration and high-performance horology and is in fact, the fourth such watch the brand has created.

All the brand’s watches bear the personal stamp of founder Maximillian Büsser, and it’s no wonder so much energy has been devoted to automotive themes. As a youngster, Max dreamed of becoming a car designer, but while this particular ambition never came to pass, he has made up for it with his watches. The brand’s new HM8 Mark 2 once again draws on Büsser’s appreciation for automotive lines to inspire a wholly modern three-dimensional timepiece.

Race Ready

The exterior of the HM8 Mark 2 showcases the same meticulous craftsmanship of its inner workings. Rather than the monobloc chassis employed for the HMX and HM8, HM8 Mark 2 features a water- resistant chassis to which the body panels of the watch are affixed.

The robust Grade 5 titanium chassis has been crafted in CarbonMacrolon® body panels in a choice of white or British racing green CarbonMacrolon® with matte finishes on top and high polished sides. The British racing green version (limited to just 33 pieces) boasts a red gold rotor and balance wheel with turquoise minute markers, while the white version features a green CVD rotor and light green minute markers.

CarbonMacrolon® is a super-strong, highly rigid new composite material designed specifically for MB&F, composed of a polymer matrix injected with carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes offer superior tensile strength and stiffness than that found with traditional carbon fiber reinforcing, and this ultra-hard, super- strong materials offers endless design applications and finishes – while weighing eight times less than steel.

Milling and processing super-strong materials-CarbonMacrolon® and titanium- presented the MB&F team with the ultimate challenge, as did the creation of the double-curved sapphire crystal and the 22-karat gold battle axe rotor blades.

Designed for the Driver

The unique prism display concept common to all MB&F’s car-themed watches draws inspiration from an obscure 1970s era watch by Amida, the Amida Digitrend, which resembled an old-fashioned speedometer and allowed a vertical time reading specifically designed with car drivers in mind. While the Amida’s display discs lay parallel, the new HM’s discs lie atop one another. MB&F achieves the vertical reading by means of a clever prism that emphasizes the dials’ size and legibility.

The disks of the HM 8 Mark 2 are coated in black “metallization” – leaving the striking numerals clear, essentially carving their forms out of negative space. To impart an effect akin to a digital or electronic display, the discs are treated with Super-LumiNova® on the underside to render them completely flat – not bulbous as with most luminous surface treatments. The numerals were created back to front in reverse to render properly through the prism. Light filtering through opening and closing slats dictates the level of luminescence: a feature that recalls Marcello Gandini’s louver design for the Bertone Lamborghini Miura.

Under the Hood

At the heart of the HM8 Mark 2 beats a three-dimensional horological that features a jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed in-house and powered by a Girard-Perregaux base movement. With 247 meticulously crafted components and 30 jewels, this mechanical masterpiece offers a power reserve of 42 hours and operates at a frequency of 28,800 beats per hour.

Here, MB&F returns to the HM8 ‘Can-Am’ concept’s sapphire crystal views of its spinning rotor. This movement also provides the base for the brand-new HM8 Mark 2. In the case of the HM8 Mark 2, MB&F moves away from Can-Am car in favor of new inspirations – with its body modeled after the iconic Porsche 918 Spyder and its sapphire crystal recalling the Zagato double bubble.

Double De-Clutch

MB&F also draws on the automotive world to inspire the name of its groundbreaking new “double de- clutch” crown system. The crown is released by pushing it in and turning it three-quarters of a turn. This innovation offers twin benefits to sports watch fans who appreciate additional space and improved security.

As Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area’s destination for the most coveted luxury timepieces from leading independent watchmakers and heritage brands, Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry is proud to be a long-time MB&F brand partner and authorized MB&F retailer.

We invite you to discover the creative artistry and craftsmanship that make these MB&F timepieces so highly coveted by the world’s leading collectors.

Contact the Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry team today to inquire about allocations and to find out more information about our MB&F offerings, including the new HM8 Mark 2 timepieces.