THE PANDA, EMBLEM OF CHILDHOOD
For its 6th participation in the biennial Only Watch auction, the Geneva-based watch brand is delving into its own past, as well as that of its founder, to create a watch design based on the most charming of plantigrades: the panda.
“The panda is, for me, the symbol of childhood. Actually, my little teddy bear, when I was a kid, was a panda” explains Maximilian Büsser when presenting MB&F’s latest creation. Like most of the watches and clocks from this Geneva-based brand, the unique Horological Machine N°10 (or HM10) Panda created for Only Watch is inspired by the memories, both distant and recent, of its founder. The charming plantigrade, who first appeared in 2011 on the HM4 Flying Panda, returns for the 9th edition of the biennial auction. The benefits from this will be donated to the fight against neuromuscular diseases.
A mammal with a plump physique and a love of bamboo, his watchmaking rendering retains this good-naturedness thanks to the voluminous case of the HM10 Bulldog unveiled in 2020. Indeed, its casing measures 45mm wide and 54mm long for a thickness of 12mm including the sapphire bubble that represents its head punctuated by two blackened titanium ears and its ceramic ball tail. It is composed of two sections, the upper one in steel to accommodate several layers of black and white lacquer and varnish, and the lower one in titanium covered with matte black PVD and engraved with the words “Only Watch – create beauty to do good”. Two crowns complete this silhouette to wind the watch at 11 o’clock and to set its displays at 1 o’clock, while the mobile and ergonomic attachments symbolize the animal’s legs. The driving mechanism – an in-house manual winding caliber running at 2.5hz – is located in the head with its flying balance and two rotating domes that turn as the hours and minutes tick by. The jaw serves as a 45-hour power reserve indicator, similar to the HM10 Bulldog.
Equipped with a two-tone leather strap, the HM10 Panda will go on sale in Geneva on November 6th.
One of a kind mb&f.com
By Sharmila Bertin