Collector series Todd Searle and his MB&F HM7 Aquapod Titanium Blue

A rare opportunity to see one of MB&F’s most brutal watches.

Today, we are talking to people who bought MB&F. Although MB&F’s design has been very “popular” (remember the gorgeous falling LM1 owned by @winewhiskeywatches), today’s collectors have become one of the most unusual designs in the watch world. Today’s collector is not necessarily a long-term watch collector, but he focuses on the extraordinary and creative side. His name is Todd Searle, and his business card says “general creator”. He is both a writer, a content creator, and a sales specialist. Todd must be MB&F Horological Machine HM7 at first glance. Let’s find out why this bold watch attracted this collector from Chicago, Illinois.

Have you always been a fan of MB&F?

Todd Searle – Since the first time I saw the product online, I have fallen in love with MB&F. I am a relatively new collector, and the concept of watches at the time prevented me from considering owning MB&F. Too many people tell me that this watch will lose its value, and if I decide to sell it, I will never make money. I continue to be attracted by Max’s amazing products and have always been fascinated by the creativity of watches and how they differ from other products on the market. I know Max Büsser’s creativity is incredible, so I want to learn more about his watches.

When writing the book “32 Regrets: A Guide to Creativity”, I had the opportunity to communicate and interview with Max, and I was immediately attracted by his watchmaking methods. It is obvious to me that Max wants to make the watches he wants to see in the world, regardless of whether other people like them. He wanted to create because he had a vision, that is, to use traditional watchmaking technology and expose it to the human eye for observation instead of putting it on the bottom cover. Max’s vision is to create 3D mechanical art that can also explain time. In our interview, Max’s passion and creative drive were so clear. I am absolutely obsessed with this.

What makes this brand so special?

As I became a more confident fake watch collector, I started to research and add more independent brands to my collection. I began to understand the spirit, the product, and the reasons why independent watches are so different from mass-produced watches. When I became more satisfied with my series, I knew that I wanted to add MB&F to the series. There are a lot of great works, I’m not sure where to start.

In an interview with Max, I talked to him about his creative process. His answer touched me, and I still think he performed equally well on HM1 today. He told me: “The creative process is my vision for watchmaking. This is a very, very personal vision involving three-dimensional works of art. I want to fundamentally deconstruct and reconstruct the traditional watchmaking industry that I like. For 3D sculpture, by the way, this gives you time.

I admire Max’s willingness to rethink traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and look at it with a new perspective, seeking new shapes and sizes that are not suitable for traditional watchmaking craftsmanship. The brand I just liked has traces of rebellion.

Why is this special watch so prominent to you?

At this point, I started searching for my first MB&F. I like the more traditional Legacy Machines and think the LM1 is an excellent watch. The LM1, despite being different, still has the feel of other more traditional watches in my collection. I like the rest of the Legacy Machine series and think that these watches represent a beautiful and innovative series, but I know that my first MB&F cannot be similar to any other watch.​​​ You would not go to MB&F to buy traditional watches, would you?

For me, it depends on the watch mechanics. For starters, these are the craziest designs of MB&F. Max’s ideal of 3D mechanical art embodies as much time as the Horological Machine series. There were nine options at the time, and I was taking the time to decide which one I liked. I happened to see that there are several watch machines on the market and would like to know about buying other watch straps from MB&F.

At that time I was fortunate to be able to contact Thibault Verdonckt, MB&F’s International Sales Director. We started a conversation, started talking about this book, how he found the way of MB&F, and why he was so fascinated by my product. Thibault helped solidify my appreciation for the MB&F team and its work.

I have limited my choice to just two watches. This is no longer a question of whether to ask, but when to ask. I know I have a difficult decision-I feel very painful between HM5 and HM7. Then, as a grown-up swimmer, learned to dive and like to be in the water whenever possible, I know what watch I must own: HM7.

We ended our conversation with Thibault and asked if I needed to look for any watches in particular. When I mentioned HM7 Aquapod Titanium Blue, I could almost hear his smile on the phone. He just participated in the game. The timing couldn’t be better.

Tell us more about the watch of your choice.

The origin story of this watch is the story of Max’s wife being stung by a jellyfish, which is really great. I like how these moments and details of his life fit into his watchmaking industry. This is a great design inspiration, whether on the wrist or on the wrist, the watch does have a jellyfish feel. The antennae of the winding rotor does indeed play a role in the bulbous shape of the watch. The tourbillon at the top of the watch is the icing on the cake. It is fascinating to watch its spinning. I can watch the ticking of this watch all day long. I found that HM7 is not too busy visually, I can check the time quickly, but if I have time to distract, the rotor, tourbillon and night light will attract me. The glow of this watch is crazy. The light is not only everywhere, it also adds depth to you. It feels like you are watching sea fish swimming.

I chose the blue titanium version because I am a big fan of blue and I like the way the watch is read. It has the feel of a nautical compass, and although it is a large watch, it can be worn perfectly on your wrist. In addition, since it is titanium, its presence is hardly noticed. I like everything about this watch and how it is worn. And I wear it often. For me, this is the perfect embodiment of MB&F’s design spirit and execution. It feels like a sculpture, no matter where I go, I can take it with me and appreciate it whenever I look at my wrist. When I see it on my wrist, I smile without hesitation. I often joked with my friends that this is my favorite weekend watch, and I can hardly say that it is more outgoing than the AquaPod watch.

All in all, I can completely transform into Max’s thoughts. I think Max has successfully completed his vision of deconstructing the traditional watchmaking industry, reconstructing it into a three-dimensional mechanical art and exposing the watchmaking industry to everyone’s appreciation. I am deeply grateful for the introduction of Max&Max and MB&F, and for bringing such a unique, well-thought-out and outstanding performance product to the market.

What reaction will I get when I wear HM7?

I received interesting responses from collectors and friends. Many people regard it as a statement of personality, and although I do not disagree, I think everyone can appreciate the depth and beauty of this watch. Some watch collectors immediately knew what this watch was and had a strong response to it. Collectors often say that they like watches, but they cannot wear them because of their size. Friends commented that it is very different from other watches. They want to know how to use time to tell the time and understand the story behind the watch. I like to tell the inspiration story of this watch. Most of the time, I wear a watch for myself, but it feels like a watch, allowing me to become an ambassador for watch enthusiasts and novices, and share why watches are so special and beautiful.

How about the rest of your collection, will it expand with other watches?

As for the future, replica MB&F has more watches that I am interested in. I like the idea of ​​adding Legacy Machine to my collection. I often think of the traditional machine No. 1. It was created for very practical purposes. It can distinguish the time in two different time zones, one of which includes half-hour shifts. I also like Legacy Machine Perpetual. Stephen McDonell (Stephen McDonell) designed an ingenious movement to prevent damage to the watch, and there is no need to use a stylus to set any functions of the watch. The completely hollow movement feels that the machine is still alive on the wrist, and I personally like it very much. The combination of LM Perpetual YG gold and blue chassis is my favorite among current products.