Some watch launches ask collectors to admire a new dial colour or an updated movement architecture. MB&F’s latest creation asks a far stranger question: what if a robot’s head was also a six-figure wristwatch? That improbable concept sits at the heart of the new MB&F HM12 “The Guardian”, a limited-edition mechanical sculpture that arrives not simply as a watch, but as an entire universe of engineering, nostalgia, and unapologetic imagination.
In an era where many luxury brands are leaning heavily on vintage reissues, MB&F continues to push in the opposite direction. The HM12 “The Guardian” is futuristic, theatrical, and delightfully over-the-top—exactly the sort of release that reminds collectors why independent watchmaking remains one of the industry’s most exciting corners.
The Brand That Turned Childhood Dreams Into High Horology
To understand the HM12, it helps to understand MB&F itself. Founded in 2005 by Maximilian Büsser, the brand’s name stands for Maximilian Büsser & Friends, reflecting a collaborative philosophy that brings together designers, engineers, independent watchmakers, and artisans under a single creative banner. Before launching MB&F, Büsser earned widespread recognition as the head of Harry Winston’s Rare Timepieces division, where he spearheaded the influential Opus series and helped redefine the role of independent creators within modern haute horlogerie.
From the beginning, MB&F was never interested in making conventional watches. Its Horological Machine collection transformed childhood fascinations—spaceships, fighter jets, supercars, and science-fiction robots—into wearable mechanical sculptures. Alongside long-time collaborators and designers, including the celebrated Eric Giroud, the brand built a reputation for creating objects that challenge every traditional idea of what a wristwatch should look like.
The HM12 “The Guardian” carries that philosophy to its logical extreme.
A Robot With a Mechanical Heart
The central idea behind the project is surprisingly simple: the watch itself forms the head of a 38-centimetre-tall robot companion, developed with Swiss clockmaker L’Epée 1839. The watch can be detached from the robot’s body via a quick-release mechanism and worn on the wrist, then returned to its mechanical guardian for display. It is part watch, part sculpture, and part collectible object, sold only as a complete set.
Far from being a gimmick, the robot is packed with details that mirror MB&F’s playful approach to engineering. A mechanical thermometer occupies its chest, one arm conceals a magnifying loupe for inspecting the movement, and the other houses a detachable UV torch designed to illuminate the Super-LumiNova details across both the watch and the sculpture itself.
It is exactly the sort of extravagant, wonderfully unnecessary complication that has become a hallmark of the brand.
The HM12: Technical Theatre on the Wrist
Beneath the sci-fi exterior lies an impressively serious piece of watchmaking. The HM12 is housed in a Grade 5 titanium case measuring 49.3mm by 43.6mm, with a thickness of 13.8mm. Extensive sapphire crystal construction exposes the movement from multiple angles, allowing the owner to peer directly into what MB&F describes as the robot’s “mechanical brain.”
The display is unconventional even by MB&F standards. An instantaneous jumping-hour display sits on the left, while a trailing minutes indication occupies the right, creating the appearance of a pair of robotic eyes. Above them, visible through a dedicated sapphire aperture, is a flying tourbillon that anchors the entire visual composition. Power comes from a fully in-house automatic calibre comprising 646 components, beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour and delivering a robust 84-hour power reserve.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature is the elaborate mechanical face-shield system. Activated by a secondary crown, coloured titanium panels gradually emerge to cover portions of the watch’s “face,” mimicking the protective visor of a transforming robot. Remarkably, this mechanism alone incorporates more than 200 components and functions independently from the movement itself.
The HM12 “The Guardian” will be produced in three colourways—blue, green, and purple—with just 12 examples of each, making a total production run of only 36 pieces worldwide. The official retail price is CHF 280,000, placing it firmly within the upper echelon of independent haute horlogerie.
More Than a Watch: A Statement About Independent Horology
For all its eccentricity, the HM12 feels like more than another headline-grabbing concept piece. It arrives at a moment when collectors increasingly value authenticity and creative independence over familiarity. MB&F has built its reputation by refusing to chase trends, and “The Guardian” doubles down on that identity with absolute conviction.
There is also a sense that the watch encapsulates two decades of the brand’s evolution. It combines the sculptural ambition of the early Horological Machines, the technical sophistication of MB&F’s in-house calibres, and the whimsical storytelling that has always separated the company from more traditional maisons. Rather than simply commemorating the brand’s history, it distils its DNA into a single object.
Will everyone want to wear a robot’s head on their wrist? Certainly not. But that has never been the point. The HM12 “The Guardian” exists to provoke conversation, inspire wonder, and remind the watch world that mechanical creativity still has room to surprise us. In an industry increasingly defined by safe commercial bets, MB&F has once again delivered something gloriously uncompromising—and that alone makes this one of the year’s most significant releases.
