MB&F has had a long and meaningful presence in sunny Singapore since its nascent days, wholly because of its longstanding partnership with the local purveyor of fine timepieces, The Hour Glass. In the words of the founder and creative director of MB&F, Maximilian Büsser, “Singapore, even though a small country, has garnered the largest community of MB&F collectors in the world. This is as much due to the sophistication and passion for artisanal watches from the Singaporean public as to the incredible energy The Hour Glass has put into educating collectors about high-end independent watchmaking.”
With the trust of the community and an excellent retail partner superbly in place, MB&F is taking further steps to set deeper roots in the Southeast Asian Island nation, with the opening of the inaugural MB&F Lab at the prestigious Raffles Hotel Singapore.
Raffles Singapore was established in 1887. The hotel stands today as a national monument and one of the most exclusive hotels the island state has to offer. Explaining the location chosen for the inaugural MB&F Lab, Büsser says, “A strong tree needs strong roots, and the Raffles very elegantly reminds us of that. It is a landmark not only for Singapore but for the whole world. I am therefore so happy that it will showcase the very first MB&F Lab, a concept which will see the opening of five more locations around the world over the next twelve months.”
MB&F Lab takes a page out from the brand’s well-established M.A.D Galleries, whose concept was recently refined and redesigned in collaboration with Swiss-based agency Swiss-based agency Voltige Design & Architecture. Located on the ground floor of the Raffles Hotel Arcade, MB&F Lab is a more intimate variation of the M.A.D Gallery, to showcase MB&F Machines, MB&F Co-creations as well as kinetic and mechanical creations from curated artists around the world.
Some of the MB&F Lab’s identifying features include a giant blue reflective lens that forms an arresting centrepiece within the space, as well as bespoke domed showcases to display the watches. Lastly, because Büsser wanted the space to be filled with furniture that would beckon the term, home, it is decked out in originally designed mid-century-styled furniture.
To appropriately mark the occasion, MB&F and The Hour Glass will jointly host the MB&F – 20 Calibres in 17 Years exhibition from Nov 18 to Dec 7 at — where else, but — the MB&F Lab, in Singapore. What must be appreciated about the numbers stated within the title of the exhibition is that, not even the greatest of names in the luxury watchmaking sphere can boast about creating a new mechanical movement for every new timepiece creation. MB&F, however, within the 17 years that it’s been making timepieces, has already designed and produced 20 mechanical movements. There is more to this amazing feat than just bragging rights.
MB&F’s unique vision of watchmaking often requires the development of a completely original movement for it to fit inside the otherworldly timepieces and tell time as well. Further enabling this daring vision and the dizzying number of calibres that MB&F has to its name, have been the countless partners and master watchmakers who have been there to provide consultation and production capabilities, through various projects. MB&F has never shied away from making this fact known that while the people behind the brand are there to keep the ship steady and sail the vision ever forward, many others join them along the way to turn their various projects into realities. This is where MB&F finds inspiration for its name: Maximilian Büsser & Friends.
The MB&F – 20 Calibres in 17 Years exhibition will showcase examples of every movement that was created to give life to each Horological and Legacy Machine that the brand has produced to date. For lovers of contemporary independent watchmaking, the exhibition is sure to be a hall of fame not to be missed.
Of course, making great timepieces would all be a moot effort if not for great retail partners who are able to do right by the labour of love. In this regard, MB&F found the best when it forged its partnership with The Hour Glass in its earliest days. Büsser summarises, “I have been working with The Hour Glass for soon 24 years. It has not only been a pleasure but a real privilege to be partnering with the Tay family and their fantastic team. The opening of the MB&F Lab in Singapore is one more great step in our amazing journey.”
MB&F – 20 Calibres in 17 years Exhibition
18 Nov – 7 Dec 2022 | MB&F Lab
Monday to Saturday: 11.00am to 8.00pm; Sunday: 11.00am to 6.00pm
MB&F Lab
Raffles Hotel Arcade
28 North Bridge Road, #01-19
Singapore 188719
