The Ultimate Table Clock: MB&F's Starfleet Machine [WITH VIDEO]
Founded in 1839, L’Epee is Switzerland’s most august clockmaker. The name L’Epee goes hand in hand with elegance and grandeur. In the days of supersonic air travel, L’Epee was even selected by Concorde to equip the entire fleet with their flawless timing instruments.
At this year’s Baselworld, in collaboration with L’Epee, MB&F has unveiled the Starfleet Machine, “an intergalactic spaceship-cum-table clock.” MB&F is highly regarded for their intricate creations, but this “machine” truly is something else. The Starfleet Machine is really geared toward someone who kind of has everything, but wants something extraordinary in his or her collection.
Though it may seem like an objet d’art, the contraption is fully functional. Hours, minutes, seconds come standard; it’s the 40-day power reserve indicated by five bars on a rotating “radar” disc that distinguishes this timepiece from all others. Over that 40 days, the watch will only gain or lose two minutes, max. How’s that for precision? Furthermore, the center of the Starfleet Machine, housed within the “biosphere” dome, is a regulator, and is inspired by the core of a spacecraft. With the exception of the (manual wind) movement’s 48 jewels, every component is composed of palladium-treated brass.
The Starfleet Machine is produced in two versions: 100% steel structure, being the first, and steel with a ruthenium treating, as the second. Although there are two versions, the dimensions for the overall structure (21cm height/29cm diameter) are the same. For more details on the new MB&F Starfleet Machine, please visit www.mbandf.com. The list price is $28,000 and the machine will, as expected, be retailed in limited numbers.
Luke Rottman (Executive Editor: thewatchadviser.com)