MB&F celebrates a new chapter with its most architectural creation yet. The Horological Machine No. 11, first launched in 2023, already challenged every assumption about what a watch could be. Now, the Maison reimagines the concept through the glamour and geometry of the Art Deco era. Introducing the HM11 Art Deco: a sculptural, 20-piece series inspired by the soaring skylines and ornamental design of the 1930s.
A Machine You Don’t Just Wear, You Inhabit
The original HM11 Architect redefined horology by turning a watch into a “place.” Designed by Maximilian Büsser and Eric Giroud, it borrowed its curves from the neo-futuristic architecture of the ’60s and ’70s. Four symmetrical “rooms” radiated from a central atrium crowned by a flying tourbillon beneath a double-domed sapphire roof. Each room had its own purpose — time display, power reserve, a mechanical thermometer, and the time-setting module. The watch transforms into a micro-home for mechanics.
The entire case could rotate by 45 degrees. Every turn delivered 72 minutes of winding, making the act of wearing it a daily ritual. Its 42mm grade 5 titanium case, wide crown with an “airlock” gasket system, and aerospace-inspired steel springs showed the level of engineering needed to bring architecture to the wrist.
A New Chapter: The HM11 Art Deco
For 2025, designer Maximilian Maertens shifts the creative lens. The soft, biomorphic lines of the Architect give way to the bold geometry of early 20th-century design — the era of Manhattan skyscrapers, Parisian cinemas, and ornamental stonework.
The new HM11 Art Deco replaces the original’s conical rods with radiating sunbeam motifs. Two-tone rings and vintage-inspired typography give each display a period warmth. The hands echo stained glass with translucent red enamel, while vertical, stepped bridges recall the profiles of icons like the Chrysler Building. Even the crown carries subtle Art Deco “steps”, tying the entire structure into a miniature skyline.
The tourbillon bridge is newly aligned to the base plate, creating a strong visual axis that anchors the design. Viewed from above, the watch feels like a tiny city rising from the wrist; viewed from the side, it shows the layered depth of architectural relief work. The result is structured, graphic, and unmistakably Deco — yet unmistakably MB&F.
Two Editions, 10 Pieces
To mark its 20th anniversary, the MB&F HM11 Art Deco arrives in two editions of 10 pieces each, both crafted in grade 5 titanium and priced at RM1,069,200:
- Blue dial plate with 3N yellow-gold-toned bridges, paired with a white lizard strap.
- Green dial plate with 5N rose-gold-toned bridges, paired with a beige lizard strap.
Both versions carry the same soul: a mechanical metropolis that is lived rather than worn.
A Tale of Two Machines
Side by side, the HM11 Architect and HM11 Art Deco feel like chapters in an evolving architectural saga. One speaks the soft, experimental language of 1970s concrete. The other rises with the precision and ambition of the 1930s. Yet both share a deeper purpose: to transform timekeeping into a form of habitation — where every view, every angle, and every turn reveals another layer of imagination.
With the MB&F HM11 Art Deco, the brand doesn’t just revisit a design. It builds an entire era and places it on your wrist.
