MB&F MELCHIOR ONLY WATCH

MB&F Melchior Only Watch is a friendly robot best buddy with a mission to help and protect. Only Watch is a biennial charity auction of unique timepieces under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco to raise money for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration affecting young children, primarily boys. With his broad shoulders protected by bright red anodised aluminium pads, strong metallic arms and legs, and a personality highlighted by an animated brain and blinking eyes, Melchior is ready to play with his friends. And he also has a small arsenal at his disposal, just in case any bad guys turn up and try to spoil the party!

Melchior is also a high-end table clock crafted by L’Epée 1839– Switzerland’s only specialised high-end clock manufacture featuring jumping hours, sweeping minutes, double retrograde seconds, and an impressive40- day power reserve drawing from five mainspring barrels. Hours and minutes are displayed via discs on Melchior’s chest, while a dial on his abdomen indicates the state of wind of that long power reserve. Melchior’s eyes blink through a combination of fixed vents and revolving discs, endowing the robot with a playful touch of human-like personality. Melchior’s brain, which is actually the movement’s precision regulator, provides further animation as it gently pulsates under the polished glass dome on his head. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, man’s best friend was his robot,” says Büsser. “As a 10-year-old fan of Star Wars, I knew Luke Skywalker could never have prevailed had it not been for droids like R2-D2 – a loyal, resourceful, and brave robot who was always saving his friends. As an only child, I imagined having my own robot companion. Melchior makes that childhood fantasy a reality.” The unique piece Melchior Only Watch is the 100th and final piece in the Melchior series. Clothed in palladium-plated brass and steel with bright red shoulder pads, Melchior is sure to put smiles on children’s faces and melt the hearts of adults.

In 2015, MB&F celebrates its 10th anniversary and what a decade it has been for the world’s first ever horological concept laboratory: 10 years of hyper-creativity; 10 remarkable calibres forming the base of the critically acclaimed Horological Machines and Legacy Machines for which MB&F has become renowned. After 15 years managing prestigious watch brands, Maximilian Büsser resigned from his Managing Director position at Harry Winston in 2005 to create MB&F – Maximilian Büsser & Friends. MB&F is an artistic and microengineering laboratory dedicated to designing and crafting small series of radical concept watches by bringing together talented horological professionals that Büsser both respects and enjoys working with.