MB&F Horological Machine N°2.2 Black Box Limited Edition – Developed In Collaboration with Alain Silberstein

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Swiss luxury watch maker MB&F presents their new high end timepiece – Horological Machine N°2.2 Black Box in association with high-end watch designer Alain Silberstein, the French master of glorious colour. An entirely original HM2 featuring an all-black case epitomising Bauhaus purity and restraint.

This new model, called Horological Machine N°2.2, is known in-house affectionately as “the black box” and will be issued in a limited edition of only eight watches. The new case by Alain Silberstein houses the same groundbreaking “engine” as Horological Machine N°2, first introduced in 2008, featuring the world’s first mechanical movement combining an instantaneous jumping hour, concentric retrograde minutes, retrograde date, bi-hemisphere moon phase and automatic winding.

While the twin porthole dials are still the focal point – though now with the jumping hours in an aperture for the first time – the watch’s personality has changed completely – gone is the science-fiction look of the original. Silberstein says that his aim was for Horological Machine N°2.2 to combine the pure geometry of the Bauhaus with the user-friendliness of the miniature box cameras of the 1940s.

The rectangular case top is carved from a solid block of titanium that is mounted on HM2’s original titanium substructure. This multi-layered construction gives the watch its powerful, richly engineered profile. The simplicity of the case is deceptive: like a precision diamond-cutter, Alain Silberstein works with light so that it continually plays across the matte and polished surfaces when the watch is worn.

The titanium case is treated with a special silicon oxide PVD coating that provides a softish tactile touch and has a very intense black colour. The vibrant red numerals, markers and hands are all coated in Superluminova for high visiblity at night. Alain Silberstein also designed all of the characters on the twin displays, including the moon’s expressive face which was inspired by a treasured cartoon from the Art Nouveau period.

Inscribed on the side of the case are the words: “Le vrai bonheur est d’avoir sa passion pour métier” (“True happiness is having one’s passion for a profession”). That is Alain Silberstein’s motto and he found his soul mates in MB&F.

Technical details
Model: Horological Machine No2.2

Movement
Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor designed functionality regulated and powered by a Girard-Perregaux oscillator and gear train
Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph
22 k blued rose gold “Battle-AX” automatic winding rotor
Number of components: 349 including 44 jewels

Functions
Left dial: Retrograde Date and Moon Phase
Right Dial: Jumping Hours and Concentric Retrograde Minutes

Case
Silicium PVD coated titanium; limited edition of EIGHT pieces
Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 59mm x 38mm x 13mm
Water resistant to 30 meters (3 ATM)
Number of parts: 89 (case only)

Sapphire crystals
Dial side with anti-reflective treatment on both faces. Display back with anti-reflective treatment on single face.

Dials
Silvered

Strap & Buckle
Black hand-stitched calfskin with titanium custom designed buckle

Presentation box
Precision engineered aluminium and leather instrument case featuring an integrated Rüeger thermometer