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MB&F

Maximilian Busser's creative lab - roughly 300 watches a year, every one of them an argument that a watch can be a sculpture. Haute Time covers the Horological Machines, the Legacy Machines and the L'Epee clocks.
118Stories published
2005Maison founded
4Current collections
MB&F Horological Machine sculptural case and movement
The Answer
Block

MB&F - Maximilian Busser & Friends - is an independent Swiss watchmaker founded in Geneva in 2005 by Maximilian Busser, the former managing director of Harry Winston Rare Timepieces. It produces roughly 300 watches a year across two families: the Horological Machines, which abandon conventional watch form entirely, and the Legacy Machines, which reinterpret nineteenth-century watchmaking in round cases. MB&F has no in-house factory in the traditional sense - it credits the independent watchmakers, designers and suppliers who build each calibre by name, and also produces mechanical clocks in co-creation with L'Epee 1839.

MB&FFounded 2005GenevaIndependentMaximilian BusserHorological MachineLegacy MachineL'Epee 1839

The Collection

Horological Machines
Sculptural · HM1-HM11
Bespoke calibres
Legacy Machines
Round · 40-44mm
LM calibres, suspended balance
LM Perpetual
Perpetual calendar · 42mm
Mechanical processor, S. McDonnell
Performance Art / Co-creations
Clocks and collaborations
With L'Epee 1839 and others

Latest MB&F Coverage

All 118 Stories ›
If You’re Interested in Independent Watch Brands
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By Andre Frois · July 28, 2026
Max Büsser Discusses the New HM12 ‘The Guardian’ and Reveals His Plans for MB&F
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Max Büsser Discusses the New HM12 ‘The Guardian’ and Reveals His Plans for MB&F

By Andre Frois · June 19, 2026
The Best New Watches Unveiled at Dubai Watch Week
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The Best New Watches Unveiled at Dubai Watch Week

By Andre Frois · November 21, 2025
16 Timepieces Dedicated to Seddiqi’s 75th Anniversary
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16 Timepieces Dedicated to Seddiqi’s 75th Anniversary

By Andre Frois · November 4, 2025
Chromatic Chaos: MB&F’s Mad New Trio by Yinka Ilori
News

Chromatic Chaos: MB&F’s Mad New Trio by Yinka Ilori

By Andre Frois · August 28, 2025
Bvlgari And MB&F Unveil Second-Ever Collaboration: The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti
News

Bvlgari And MB&F Unveil Second-Ever Collaboration: The Bvlgari x MB&F Serpenti

By Adrienne Faurote · February 10, 2025
All 118 MB&F Stories

Milestones

2005
Maximilian Busser leaves Harry Winston and founds MB&F in Geneva.
2007
Horological Machine No.1 launches - a watch that does not look like a watch.
2011
Legacy Machine No.1 introduces the suspended flying balance over the dial.
2015
LM Perpetual, engineered by Stephen McDonnell, rebuilds the perpetual calendar around a mechanical processor.

Frequently Asked

What does MB&F stand for?
Maximilian Busser & Friends. The name is the business model - Busser conceives each machine and credits the independent watchmakers, designers and specialists who realise it, rather than presenting the work as anonymous in-house output.
What is the difference between a Horological Machine and a Legacy Machine?
Horological Machines are three-dimensional sculptural objects with no reference to traditional watch shape. Legacy Machines are round and classical in outline, imagining what Busser would have built as a nineteenth-century watchmaker - the LM1 suspended flying balance is the signature.
How many watches does MB&F make?
Roughly 300 a year. That scarcity is structural, not marketing - each machine is a limited series built with outside specialists, which is why secondary-market demand consistently exceeds supply.
Where can I read MB&F reviews from a watch publication?
Haute Time has published around 60 MB&F stories, covering Horological and Legacy Machine launches, L'Epee clock co-creations and interviews with Maximilian Busser.
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