Introducing the MB&F Horological Machine N°9 ‘Sapphire Vision’

The latest in MB&F’s series of celebratory, colourful releases is the mighty Horological Machine N°9 ‘Sapphire Vision’. First released in 2018, this watch, commonly called the HM9 ‘Flow’ is a watch that, by Max Busser’s own estimation, is powered by the brand’s most beautiful movement to date. Inspired by the aerodynamic lines that dominated plane and automobile design in the 1940s and 50s.

Before we talk about the stunning and complex assembly that is this Sapphire Vision, take a moment or three to indulge the beauty of the HM9 engine. MB&F’s 18th movement is conceived and assembled in house. There are double balances, located in the uppermost hemispheres, operating independently for a stable chronometric rate. At the heart of the movement is the iconic battle-axe, and a single barrel that can hold up to 45 hours of power, and the time display is in the form of a single vertical dial.

The good news is that, with this new version, every millimetre, and most of the 301 components are on full display, thanks to the structurally complex sapphire case, which, at 52 parts is plenty complex on its own. Each of the sapphire components is attached, thanks to an in-house high-tech bonding compound to the metallic ‘frame’ of the case, made from either white or red gold. This bonding process allows for practically invisible joins between metal and sapphire, and water resistance of 3ATM. The working and polishing of the sapphire components takes around 350 hours per watch, and is, of course, virtually scratch-proof.

MB&F has created a total of 20 of these new HM9 Sapphire Visions, in four editions of five. Two in red gold frames with a NAC-coated black or blue engine and two in white gold with PVD-coated purple or red-gold plated engines. The effect is, as we’ve come to expect from MB&F, stunning.