MB&F‘s Horological Machine No.9 (HM9) is a unique timepiece for too many reasons to count.
One of the first that comes to mind on simply looking at it is how it manages to incorporate design inspiration from the gorgeous curves of cars and planes designed in the 1940s and 50s—sometimes said to be a “golden era” in transportation aesthetics—with 21st-century microengineering to create a unique futuristic feel.
As a celebration of that golden era, MB&F has—a year after the release of company co-founder Maximilian Büsser’s improbable and stunning original Horological Machine No.9 AKA HM9 Flow—unveiled the HM9 ‘Flow’ Red Gold.
The first timepiece came in a pair of titanium editions at just 33 pieces per model. The Red Gold follows that model with its own limited editions, the “Air” and the “Road.” But it is poised to become an even more valuable investment, as MB&F will only craft 18 units per model.
That’s understandable when you consider both Air and Road have been created with precious 18 karat gold.
As to what differentiates the models, MB&F said in their announcement that it’s all about the dials—at least where visible differences are concerned. One has been designed with midcentury airplane instrument gauges in mind while the other is reminiscent of a classic car’s speedometer.
Under the hood, however, there are more subtle variations. The movements in one are darkened metal while the other is plated with rhodium. And in one model the balance wheel is rhodium, but the other is red gold.
Aside from the HM9’s striking appearance, it sets itself apart with those balance wheels, which are key to the watch’s mechanical functioning. Each wheel is beating at a different rate while an internal sapphire averages between them—providing the HM9 Red Gold with what amounts to twinned “heartbeats.”
Read more about the Horological Machine No. 9—both the titanium original and the new Red Gold—here. The HM9 Red Gold retails for $198,000.
