MB&F adds two new versions of its aerodynamic Horological Machine No.9 Sapphire Vision (HM9-SV), now offering models with a blue CVD movement in a white gold frame and a green CVD movement with a yellow gold frame. The clear case fully exposes the watch’s dual cantilevered balances, planetary differential and free-spinning twin turbines.

Both new models expand the HM9-SV series, which debuted in 2021 with four clear sapphire editions of the original HM9.

With its sapphire livery, the watch joined a family of MB&F models with significant clear sapphire customization, including the HM8,  the HM3 FrogX and the ten-sapphire-crystal HM6.

The pioneering independent watchmaker debuted its first HM9 Flow in 2019 as a tribute to 1940s and 1950s automotive and aeronautic designs.

Re-engineered

MB&F culls from its wide-ranging experience of creating with sapphire when re-engineering the HM9 with its clear case. On these SV models, MB&F seals the outer hull with a proprietary three-dimensional gasket and specialized high-tech compound bonding process. The result is new type of water resistant seal (to 30 meters) that is practically invisible.

MB&F explains that its designers were also required to rework a few the original HM9 dimensions with smoother lines and fewer edges to account for the property differences of sapphire crystal.

While quite hard, sapphire can fracture under pressure, which means the smoother lines on this HM9-SV limited this possibility. At the same time the rounded edges only enhance the organic aesthetic of the full watch.

Also new to the HM9-SV is an enhanced shock-resistance system made of laser-forged springs placed between the movement and the case.

As a reminder, the ‘flow’ of time begins on the HM9-SV with two fully independent cantilevered balances that dominate the top of the HM9-SV channel data into the central, spiky differential.

This effectively melds the information sent by the dual balances to a single time-pulse. High-tech conical gears then transmit that energy to through a 90° angle, which in turn makes its way to the HM9-SV’s perpendicular sapphire crystal dial.

MB&F is offering both new editions to the HM9 Sapphire Vision family (PVD-coated blue movement with a white gold frame and a PVD-coated green movement with a yellow gold frame) as a limited edition of five pieces. Price: $490,000. 

Specifications: MB&F Horological Machine No.9 – Sapphire Vision

Movement: Manual-winding in-house with two fully independent balance wheels with planetary differential, frequency of 18,000 bph, single barrel with 45-hour power reserve. Hours and minutes on vertical dial display, dual spherical turbines under the movement,  shock-absorbing helicoidal springs linking the movement to the case.

Case: ‘SV’ editions in 57mm x 47mm x 23mm sapphire crystal with frame in 18-karat white, yellow or rose gold (5N+). Hour/minute dial in sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment and Super-LumiNova on the numbers and indexes. Water resistant to 30 meters. Unique assembly process of the three sapphire crystal case parts with a patented three-dimensional gasket and high-tech bonding compound. Total of five sapphire crystals treated with anti-reflective coating: three crystals for the main components of the case, one crystal covering the dial, and one crystal for the dial itself.

Strap: Hand-stitched brown or black alligator strap with red, yellow or white gold folding buckle matching the case.

Price: $490,000.