MB&F has never treated the wristwatch as a conventional object, but HM12 The Guardian pushes that philosophy into unusually theatrical territory.
The new Horological Machine is both a complex watch and the detachable head of a mechanical robot, created with L’Epée 1839 as a complete horological sculpture rather than a watch with a display stand.
It’s playful, mechanically serious and unmistakably in the MB&F orbit.
At a glance
- MB&F has introduced HM12 The Guardian, a watch-and-robot concept limited to 36 examples.
- The wristwatch features jumping hours, trailing minutes, a flying tourbillon and a 200-plus-component face-shield system.
- Three accent colours are offered in 12 pieces each, with pricing set at CHF 280,000 plus VAT.
A watch designed as a robot’s face
The HM12 wristwatch is conceived as the head of The Guardian, and that idea shapes almost every visible decision.
The time display sits where the eyes would be, with instantaneous jumping hours on the left and trailing minutes on the right, both shown by rotating discs.
Below the eyes, one side of the automatic winding system’s double-sided micro-rotor appears in the position of a mouth, shaped in MB&F’s familiar battle-axe form.
Above it all, a flying tourbillon takes the place of the forehead, exposed under sapphire to bring light across the regulating organ from several angles.
The face can also change expression through a pair of movable shields controlled by the crown on the left side of the case.
This face-shield mechanism operates separately from the timekeeping movement and contains more than 200 components, with continuous travel rather than set open or closed positions.
When the shields reach the end of their travel, a declutching system disengages the crown to protect the mechanism.
The movement balances futurism with traditional finishing
Inside HM12 is an automatic calibre developed by MB&F, made from 646 components and fitted with 86 jewels.
The front presents the science-fiction character, while the back is more classical in its language.
Through the sapphire caseback, the movement follows the shape of the case with curved bridges, hand-finishing and a grained mainplate.
The rear winding rotor carries a guilloché dome created with the involvement of Kari Voutilainen and his team, a demanding detail because the pattern is applied to a curved surface.
The calibre runs at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and stores 84 hours of power reserve.
The Grade 5 titanium case measures 49.3 mm long, 43.6 mm wide and 13.8 mm high, with sapphire crystals at the front, back and upper section.
Super-LumiNova accents add a practical low-light element, while mobile lugs at 12 o’clock and fixed lugs at 6 o’clock reinforce the machine-like architecture.
The Guardian turns the watch into a mechanical character
The companion robot is built and manufactured by L’Epée 1839, the Swiss clockmaker that has collaborated with MB&F on earlier kinetic objects including Arachnophobia and Orb.
Here, The Guardian is not treated as decoration after the fact.
The watch can be removed from its strap with a quick-release system and mounted directly onto the robot as its head.
The strap is stored in a hidden drawer within the robot’s base, which keeps the whole concept neatly self-contained.
The Guardian itself consists of 755 components and includes several functional details beyond its role as a host for the watch.
A mechanical thermometer sits at the centre of the chest, one arm carries a shield with an integrated magnifying glass for examining the movement, and the other houses a detachable UV torch to charge the Super-LumiNova on both the watch and the robot.
Including its base, the robot measures 22 cm in diameter and 38.2 cm tall, with a weight of approximately 15 kg.
Three colours and 36 pieces in total
HM12 The Guardian arrives in blue, green and purple launch editions, each limited to 12 pieces.
Those 36 pieces represent the full planned production for the project.
The design was led by Maximilian Büsser and Maximilian Maertens over more than four years, moving away from the familiar Eric Giroud-led chapter of many earlier Horological Machines.
Originally imagined around MB&F’s 20th anniversary, the concept took additional time to reach production, which is not surprising given the scale of the two-part construction.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | MB&F |
|---|---|
| Model | HM12 The Guardian |
| Collection | Horological Machines |
| Launch editions | Blue, green or purple accents |
| Production | 36 pieces total, 12 pieces per colour |
| Case material | Grade 5 titanium |
| Case dimensions | 49.3 mm long, 43.6 mm wide, 13.8 mm high |
| Display | Instantaneous jumping hours and trailing minutes on rotating discs |
| Complication | Flying tourbillon |
| Movement | Automatic calibre developed by MB&F |
| Movement components | 646 components |
| Jewels | 86 |
| Frequency | 4 Hz, 28,800 vibrations per hour |
| Power reserve | 84 hours |
| Additional mechanism | Face-shield system with more than 200 components |
| Robot maker | L’Epée 1839 |
| Robot components | 755 components |
| Robot dimensions | 22 cm diameter including base, 38.2 cm height |
| Robot weight | Approximately 15 kg |
| Price | CHF 280,000 plus VAT |
For collectors who respond to MB&F at its most imaginative, HM12 The Guardian is less about everyday wear and more about owning a miniature mechanical universe with a watch at its centre.
