Introducing The New MB&F HM9 'Sapphire Vision' In White And Yellow Gold

MB&F is bringing back what the eponymous brand's founder Max Büsser called "the most beautiful movement we've created to date," and doing so in the package that best shows off that movement, the HM9 Sapphire Vision, or HM9-SV, now in white and yellow gold. They're big, they're bold, they're beautiful, and they're extremely limited.

The "case" – as much as you can call it that – is made of an outer hull in three parts, made of sapphire crystal and precious metal, curved and bubbled, and measures 57mm x 47mm x 23mm. The case is sealed both with a patented three-dimensional gasket and and high-tech compound bonding. That gives you a view of the top side where you can see the two fully independent cantilevered balances, which feed into a differential that makes one coherent pulse. Then conical gears relay that energy and speed at a 90° angle to move the time display on a sapphire crystal dial, marked with Super-LumiNova. On the backside is the co-axial beneath each of the balances made as propellers, playing off the inspiration of automotive and aeronautic designs of the 1940s and '50s.

The brand has made the HM9-SV before in 2021, with blue, purple, black, and rose gold dials and plates – or "engines" as MB&F calls him. This time, the watch comes with a PVD-coated blue engine with a white gold frame or a PVD-coated green engine with a yellow gold frame, in five pieces each. Are you ready for the price? Better sit down. Either watch will run you $490,000.

Wow. Just wow.

That tends to be my reaction when I look at MB&F watches in general – and yes, I know they made this watch before back in 2021 – but man, I never ceased to be amazed at the mad genius of Max Büsser and his friends. This is a wild watch and the blue and white gold package is particularly striking. It's maybe my favorite way they've showcased this manual-winding in-house movement of the HM9.

I love the lifestyle photos of this worn with a jacket because my first thought is "what kind of cuff allowance do I need to be able to wear this?" Luckily I think the price tag is going to make it so I don't have to rush to buy new shirts. All that to say that yes, this is not a small watch. This may be the thickest watch I've ever written about – as thick as the Rolex Deepsea Challenge – but you're buying horological sculpture and art more than anything.

My understanding is that MB&F is going to be continuing to move further up-market price-wise. The near $500,000 price here is pretty jaw-dropping and a sign that the brand will forever be out of my reach. But I imagine that demand will stay high for such a small number of pieces that affords Büsser and the team more chances to do incredible and creative watchmaking.

Brand: MB&F
Model: HM9 "Sapphire Vision"

Diameter: 57mm x 47mm
Thickness: 23mm
Case Material: White or yellow gold and sapphire crystal body
Dial Color: PVD-coated blue or green engine
Indexes: Sapphire crystal dial with Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 30 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Hand-stitched brown or black alligator strap with red, yellow or white gold folding buckle matching the case

Caliber: In-house movement
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 45 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 18,000 bph
Jewels: 52
Additional Details: Two fully independent balance wheels with planetary differential; shock-absorbing helicoidal springs linking the movement to the case; 301 components

Price: $490,000
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, five pieces each

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