With the SP One, MB&F ventures into unexpected territory. Originally named “Three Circles”, this singular creation rests on a striking mechanical trinity: the barrel, the balance and the dial. Three elements that seem to float weightlessly at the heart of the case, giving rise to a horological spectacle as fascinating as it is mysterious.
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Protected by two imposing sapphire crystals, they appear suspended at the centre of a genuine mechanical amphitheatre. The balance seems to dance in the void while the deliberately tilted dial reveals an ingenious conical gear developed by MB&F. The SP One thus turns the wrist into a miniature stage where mechanics appear to have escaped the laws of gravity.
Housed in a 38 mm case with soft, rounded lines, this new creation takes on a silhouette reminiscent of a pebble smoothed by time. With no bezel, it seems to wrap naturally around the movement, while its lugs, delicately detached from the upper part of the case, heighten the sense of lightness even further.
The SP One is now the smallest and thinnest of all MB&F creations. Yet it gives up nothing of the three-dimensional architecture and mechanical daring that form the brand’s DNA.
It sits somewhere between the radical, spectacular Horological Machines and the more classically expressed Legacy Machines. Above all, it marks MB&F’s entry into a new creative territory: the “Special Projects”.
To understand the philosophy behind this extraordinary watch and the reason for its remarkable staging, we need to go back to its origins.
DIGGING INTO THE PROJECT BIN
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, MB&F, like many companies, feared the worst. In that period of uncertainty, the team chose to turn to an unusual resource: the vast collection of playful and sometimes utterly unreasonable projects accumulated over the years.
Among them was the M.A.D.1. This watch had originally been conceived simply as a gift for friends, family and those close to the brand. It would go on to become a spectacular success and one of MB&F’s most iconic creations.
Over the years, the momentum grew with new launches and numerous awards, including several from the prestigious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Success had arrived.
But Maximilian Büsser, founder, owner and creative director of MB&F, also knows the dangers that can come with success. It can breed complacency, gradually distance a brand from what its clients expect and, above all, erode its ability to take risks and keep innovating.
Rather than take the easy road, the MB&F team chose to do exactly the opposite: go back and rummage through the bottom of that famous “bin” of dormant projects.
This decision would bring home a truth dear to the brand: the most interesting ideas are sometimes the ones that never featured in a business plan.
MB&F’s story has always been written off the beaten track. No conventional, market-driven strategy, but a desire to surprise, to take risks, to create differently and to preserve a proudly nonconformist streak.
The bin of special projects was particularly rich. It held sketches gathered over the years, some deemed completely unrealistic at the time they were drawn. There were watch ideas, of course, but also concepts as unexpected as skateboards and razors.
A genuine laboratory of ideas for Max Büsser to draw from.
Among this multitude of concepts, one project caught his attention for the way it embodied the very spirit of MB&F.
Its code name: “Special Project One”, or SP One.
NOTHING CLASSIC ABOUT A CLASSIC WATCH
“What if we did something nobody expects from MB&F: a classic, elegant watch?”
The idea might have seemed paradoxical. Yet it was perfectly consistent with the brand’s philosophy.
As with the first Legacy Machine, the M.A.D.1 and several other iconic MB&F creations, the project answered no clearly identified market demand. The team had to accept the risk without knowing exactly how the public would react.
For Max Büsser, it is precisely this risk taking that fuels a creator’s pride. Playing it safe has never been what drives MB&F. What matters is daring, even at the risk of a resounding failure.
The first sketches of the SP One date back to 2018. True to form, Max began with a quick, deliberately imperfect drawing. Yet the essentials were already there.
Three circles, like a smiley face, gave birth to the founding concept of the future watch.
These three shapes symbolise a true mechanical trinity: the barrel, the balance and the dial. Three elements destined to be suspended at the heart of a case that itself seems to float on the wrist.
From the very first sketches, the personality of the future watch was clearly defined. The SP One was not meant to grab every eye at once. On the contrary, it had to cultivate a discreet, almost classic elegance, while keeping the touch of strangeness that defines MB&F.
Striking that balance promised to be particularly tricky.
The drawing was then taken up, developed and gradually refined with Eric Giroud, designer and loyal “Friend” of MB&F. After many iterations, the concept reached its final form.
It was then time to hand over to the engineers, tasked with turning this appealing idea into a genuine watchmaking construction. A stage that would demand as much precision as imagination.
LEVITATING IN THREE DIMENSIONS
First named “Three Circles”, the SP One movement was designed around the three fundamental elements of a mechanical watch: the barrel, the balance and the dial.
But at MB&F, simply showing them was obviously not enough. They had to be given the illusion of floating.
The two sapphire crystals framing the movement contribute to this spectacular impression. Yet the levitation effect relies above all on the meticulously studied architecture of the calibre.
The principle is close to “Less is more”. The bridges are deliberately reduced and concealed to leave the spotlight to the three main elements. Screws, wheels and secondary components almost vanish from view.
The result is striking: the eye is drawn to the barrel, the balance and the dial, as if they were truly suspended in space.
With three identical circumferences, designing the movement posed an additional challenge. The single barrel system is suspended with calculated elegance to further enhance the feeling of lightness.
At 2 o’clock, the balance immediately catches the eye. Its shape almost evokes a flying saucer hovering in space.
The dial, too, plays a full part in this staging.
It is tilted at a precisely calculated angle that showcases MB&F’s expertise in crafting conical gears. This architecture, very rare in watchmaking, adds a new dimension to the movement while remaining discreet.
The feat is all the more remarkable given that it must preserve flawless reliability.
The technical complexity of the SP One thus contrasts with the apparent simplicity of its presentation. At a glance, the workings of a mechanical watch become almost intuitive.
Around the movement unfolds what Max Büsser poetically calls an “amphitheatre”. Its generously bevelled wall evokes the architecture of Greco-Roman theatres and turns the calibre into a true show.
At the heart of this arena, the movement takes the lead role.
THE ART OF FINISHING IN THE SERVICE OF THE SHOW
Behind this apparent simplicity lies particularly meticulous finishing work.
The SP One fully embraces the artisanal heritage of MB&F, a brand that remains committed to traditional hand finishing techniques. Every detail of the movement contributes to this quest for balance between mechanical sophistication and visual elegance.
The wheels, fitted with prominent jewel settings, are hand bevelled. The various components alternate satin brushed, polished and microblasted surfaces, while the inward angles bear witness to the handwork of the artisans.
The bridges feature an anthracite ruthenium finish, and some engravings are done by hand.
The whole never seeks to flaunt its complexity for its own sake. On the contrary, MB&F chooses to conceal it, the better to highlight the three protagonists of the SP One.
It is precisely this restraint that gives the watch its character.
Behind an almost pared back appearance lies an extremely sophisticated mechanical architecture.
A HOROLOGICAL PEBBLE
After the movement, the case is the other big surprise of the SP One.
Its shape evokes a perfectly smooth pebble, gradually polished by the waters of a river. A sensation you feel the moment you pick up the watch.
With its 38 mm diameter, 12 mm thickness and three-dimensional architecture, the SP One plays on particularly well balanced proportions.
The case, inspired by a spaceship, has no bezel. The sapphire crystals, antireflective coated on both sides, appear to be integrated directly into its structure.
The impression of levitation is further reinforced by the strap attachments.
The hand polished lugs are not directly connected to the upper part of the case. They emerge from its base, creating a subtle gap between them and the upper structure.
This detail, almost imperceptible at first glance, nonetheless plays a full part in the feeling of lightness.
The SP One thus seems to float above the wrist.
To the touch, its soft curves strengthen this impression even further. The watch almost evokes a small object from elsewhere, a sort of miniature spacecraft resting on the wrist, at the crossroads of sculpture, mechanics and timepiece.
With the SP One, MB&F also delivers its thinnest watch. But the goal was never to break a slimness record.
Thinness here is simply one element serving an overall harmony. Proportions, volume and wrist presence were conceived as a whole.
Ultimately, it is the notion of balance that best sums up this creation.
The SP One shakes up conventions while remaining deeply faithful to MB&F’s identity. It explores a new path without disowning the three-dimensional architecture, the appetite for risk and the traditional savoir-faire that define the brand.
A classic MB&F watch, in a way.
But a classic watch that is, precisely, anything but classic.
TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF ONE VISION
For its launch, the MB&F SP One is offered in two editions.
The first pairs a 950 platinum case with a sky blue bevelled wall.
The second opts for an 18k rose gold case complemented by an anthracite bevelled wall.
In both cases, the same mechanical architecture takes centre stage within a 38 mm case.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
| Movement | |
|---|---|
| SP One movement developed in-house by MB&F, featuring a balance and a tilted dial | |
| Manual winding | |
| Power reserve | 72 hours |
| Frequency | 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour) |
| Number of components | 189 |
| Number of jewels | 31 |
| Hand finishing | inward angles, polished bevels, hand engravings, anthracite bridges with ruthenium finish |
| Tilted dial with black DLC treatment | |
| Functions | Hours and minutes displayed on the tilted dial at 6 o’clock |
| Case | |
| Materials | 950 platinum or 18k rose gold |
| Diameter | 38 mm |
| Thickness | 12 mm |
| Lug to lug | 41.9 mm |
| Number of components | 19 |
| Water resistance | 30 metres, 3 ATM, 100 feet |
| Sapphire crystals with antireflective coating on both sides | |
| Strap and buckle | |
| Calfskin leather strap | |
| White gold or rose gold pin buckle | |
| Lug width | 18 mm |
Frequently asked questions
Two versions of MB&F’s SP One, a watch from the Special Projects collection born from the “Three Circles” project. The barrel, the balance and the dial seem to levitate at the centre of the case, beneath two sapphire crystals.
The first pairs a 950 platinum case with a sky blue bevelled wall, the second uses an 18k rose gold case. Both share the same movement and the same dimensions.
A manually wound movement developed in-house by MB&F: 189 components, 31 jewels, 2.5 Hz (18,000 vibrations per hour) and a 72 hour power reserve. Hours and minutes are shown on a tilted dial with black DLC treatment, positioned at 6 o’clock.
38 mm in diameter, 12 mm thick and 41.9 mm lug to lug, for a 19 component, bezel-free, pebble-shaped case water resistant to 30 metres.
During the pandemic, the MB&F team dug out dormant projects from its “project bin”, the same source that had already produced the M.A.D.1. The SP One came from there, built on the idea of a watch that is classic in spirit, but not in construction.
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