Sameera Gamage 
A supercar for the wrist, MB&F’s HM8 Mark 2 Purple brings together automotive passion and independent watchmaking brilliance. Bold, technical, and daring, it’s a machine that turns every glance into a joyride.
MB&F and the automotive world are a connection that runs deep, with the independent watchmaker having made a series of timepieces dedicated to cars. MB&F’s HM series is one such collection, first starting in 2012 with the HM5 model, followed by the HMX model in 2015, and then the HM8 introduced in 2016. Each of these timepieces took design inspiration from the automotive world, such as the instantly recognisable speedometer-style display on the side of the case. This particular design is a throwback to the daring and futuristic design of the 1970s.
To understand MB&F’s connection to the car world, we have to step back in time to 1985, when founder Maximilian Busser had a deep passion for the automotive world. As a young teen, he was smitten with the idea of car designs, drawing and sketching various cars with their aerodynamic lines and sleek forms. While he couldn’t get into the Art school due to the astronomical fees, he chose to pursue engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). From then on, as we know he founded MB&F, and through this he had an outlet for his passion for cars, where he could finally tackle car design, but in a timepiece!
“I lost my way, I lost my marbles, and ended up in the watchmaking industry,” he shares with a smile. “So, when I decided to tackle car design in a timepiece, this was humungous for me. It was everything I had ever dreamed of.”
-Maximilian Büsser-
More than 11 years since the release of the first automotive-inspired MB&F machine, the HM5, the brand unveiled another remarkable timepiece in 2023, this time inspired by the supercar world. Named the HM8 Mark 2, MB&F introduced two variants of this model: a white body panel or a green body panel timepiece, with the latter being limited to 33 models. Then in 2024, MB&F reintroduced the HM8 Mark 2, another limited-edition release, this time featuring a glossy sapphire blue bodywork.
Now, keeping on track with the various colour updates for the HM8 Mark 2 panels, MB&F unveils the latest limited-edition of the timepiece in a stunning purple shade. The purple case pays homage to luxurious car paints, both technically and aesthetically, thanks to the metallic pigments and translucid material on the body panels!
Case Design
The HM8 Mark 2 comes fitted with a 47mm x 41.5mm x 19mm thick grade 5 titanium case, with the “outer” panels done in CarbonMacrolon® in colours green, white, blue, or this latest edition, purple. Developed specifically for MB&F, CarbonMacrolon® is a composite material that is composed of a polymer matrix that is injected with carbon nanotubes. When compared to standard carbon fibre, carbon nanotubes offer superior tensile strength and stiffness, while also weighing eight times less than steel! This makes for a perfect choice as the strength and durability of the case are increased immensely, while wearability is also improved due to the lightness of the material.
The new purple colour of the case is achieved from metallic pigments, the same as those found on metallic car paints. The titanium side panels, along with the white rubber strap, help to contrast with the purple CarbonMacrolon® panels, making the watch very aesthetically pleasing!
Dial Design
One of the signature elements to this series of HM timepieces from MB&F is the unique display of time. Taking inspiration from the Amida Digitrend unveiled in 1976, MB&F created a sapphire prism that would display time vertically, showcasing the jumping hours and sweeping minutes through two separate sapphire panels. The way the time is displayed is a reference to old-style speedometers. When the watch is worn while driving, time can be read directly from the wrist as the side panels are facing towards you! With the black background and numerals done with Super-LumiNova, the contrast is crisp and clear regardless of lighting.
Movement
As we know, with MB&F, one of their signature designs is to showcase the technical marvels of the movement on the dials for all to see, and this is perfectly curated through the HM timepieces. Like some supercars where a glimpse of the engine can be seen through the rear panels, the HM8 Mark 2 employs the same aesthetic, with the movement visbile through the top part of the dial. Unlike traditional watches which show the movement through the caseback, this has been reveresed in the HM timepieces, with a complex double curved sapphire giving view to the three-dimensional horological engine sitting inside.
Powered by a Girard-Perregaux base movement, the engine is able to push out a power reserve of approximatley 42 hours, while performing at a high frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH) to ensure a high level of timekeeping precision. The movement also features a brand new world-premiere crown, which as MB&F states “features a sort of “double de-clutch” system, to coin an automobile term. It works by pushing the crown in and turninig it three-quarters of a turn to release it. This has the advantage of gaining space and providing additional security to the system, which is a genuine advantage for a sports watch.”
Initial Thoughts
While it may seem like a simple colour update to the HM8 Mark 2 collection, this latest purple edition is a statement of how deeply passion, design and engineering can come together in the world of independant watchmaking. From Maximilian Büsser’s childhood passion and drawing sketches of beautiful car silhouettes, to this now audacious horological machine, the HM8 Mark 2 captures his lifelong love for the automotive world, while showcasing MB&F exceptional ability to create masterpieces of engineering.
For those that want something that challenges the norm while paying homage to both the automotive and watchmaking worlds, the HM8 Mark 2 is the perfect addition, because lets face it, if you’re going to add a supercar to your’s wrist, this is exactly how it shoud look!
Specification: MB&F Horological Machine N°8 Mark 2
- Dimensions: 47mm x 41.5mm x 19mm thick
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium with purple CarbonMacrolon®
- Dial: Side panel shows bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes, displayed by dual reflective sapphire crystal prisms. Front of dial showcases MB&F movement.
- Water Resistance: 30m (3 Bar)
- Movement: Automatic MB&F horological engine
- Movement Power reserve: 42 hours operating at 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Crystal: Sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coating on both faces
- Bracelet/Strap: Rubber strap – white for the British green, sapphire blue and purple models and green for the white model with a titanium tang buckle.
