In collaboration with Maison Alcée, MB&F releases the Nostromo, a limited-edition clock inspired by SCi-Fi, & the movie Alien, & available exclusively through M.A.D. Galleries & MB&F LABs around the world!
Time flies! Last year, MB&F celebrated its 20th anniversary, and this year, M.A.D. Gallery is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and as you would expect from MB&F, the celebrations involve something a little more than simply putting together a birthday cake. Actually, I wouldn’t put it past them to make something resembling a birthday cake!
The latest creation is the result of a collaboration with French horological house, Maison Alcée, and the inspiration? None other than Ridley Scott’s 1979 Sci-Fi movie: Alien, and named after the ship Sigourney Weaver’s character, Ripley, was on – The Nostromo.
So, Who, And What Is Maison Alcée?
Maison Alcée was founded in 2021 by the husband-and-wife team Alcée and Benoît Montfort, with the company taking a rather different approach to clockmaking. Instead of buying a finished clock, customers are given the opportunity to assemble one themselves, with the experience designed to turn the owner into a budding watchmaker. It is a great concept and allows the customer to become part of the overall experience.
The company’s first creation, the Persée, came as a kit containing 233 components, along with a 250-page illustrated book, watchmaking tools, video explanations and access to a private discussion group for additional support. The idea is to make high-end mechanical clockmaking something that enthusiasts can experience for themselves, which, having done several watchmaking classes in the past, really gives you a greater appreciation for the art!
It is this approach that also explains why Maison Alcée and MB&F, along with M.A.D. Gallery make such natural partners. The gallery has always had a strong connection with mechanical art, creativity and play, and was one of the first to support Maison Alcée’s concept.
Meet The Nostromo
Designed by Maximilian Maertens, MB&F Creative Designer, and successor to founder Max Büsser, and produced by Maison Alcée, the Nostromo takes its inspiration from the world of outer space, with the clock transformed into something resembling an alien creature. The name itself comes from the spaceship in the first Alien movie, while Maertens has also cited his appreciation for the work of H.R. Giger, the artist behind the dsign of the alien xenomorphs in the aforementioned film, as part of the inspiration behind the design.
Maximilian Maertens, MB&F Creative Director and co-creator of The Nostromo
The basic mechanical architecture remains similar to the Persée, with the movement based on that of a wristwatch but enlarged for use inside the clock. It displays the hours, minutes and seconds and also features an hour chime that can be switched on or off.
The movement has a 14-day power reserve and has been designed so that even someone without previous watchmaking experience can assemble it. According to Maison Alcée, the complete assembly should take around 10 hours, with only the regulating organ arriving pre-assembled.
Even though the design was based on the Pursée, the clock has been turned onto its side and given three organic-looking feet, which allow the completed Nostromo to be rotated. The time display has also been angled upwards, making it easier to read once the clock is sitting on a desk or shelf.
The design changes also open up more of the movement, giving the owner a better view of the gears and other mechanical components while assembling and using the clock. The dial, which was previously constructed as a complete ring on the Persée, has been separated into individual sections for the Nostromo.
A Mechanical Art Project
The Nostromo measures 160mm wide, 135mm deep and 123mm high, and weighs 760 grams. Its construction combines stainless steel, brass and German silver, with the brass gears and stainless-steel components forming the mechanical and structural foundation of the clock.
The dial has also been given a new look, finished in the M.A.D.Gallery’s signature peacock blue. This is the same colour used on the decorative wall orb found in MB&F retail spaces, creating a connection between the Nostromo and the gallery itself. Separating the dial into individual pieces also allows more of the movement to be seen, while the hands have been redesigned in black to provide stronger contrast against the mechanism.
As with the Persée, the emphasis here is as much on the process of making the clock as it is on the finished object. Maison Alcée’s philosophy is built around the idea that luxury can be experienced through the act of creation, with the owner learning how the mechanism works while gradually putting it together themselves. That approach was recognised at the 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, where Maison Alcée won the Audacity Prize.
For MB&F, this philosophy also fits with the original idea behind the M.A.D. Gallery, which has always been about mechanical art and giving people an opportunity to engage with unusual mechanical creations outside the traditional world of watches.
The Maison Alcée x MB&F Nostromo will be produced as a limited edition of just 50 pieces, with each clock accompanied by the 250-page instruction and art book used to guide the owner through the assembly process. The book also includes QR codes providing additional video content specific to the Nostromo
Initial Thoughts
The collaboration forms part of a wider series of limited-edition mechanical creations being released throughout 2026 to mark the M.A.D.Gallery’s 15th anniversary. The celebrations have already included collaborations with other mechanical artists, with further creations planned throughout the year, and we can’t wait!
For anyone familiar with MB&F, the Nostromo seems to be right up its alley. It takes the mechanical curiosity that sits at the heart of M.A.D. Gallery and combines it with Maison Alcée’s rather clever idea of letting the collector become part of the watchmaking process.
Add in a design inspired by Alien, three feet that allows the clock to rotate, and a 14-day mechanical movement, and you end up with a desk clock that is about as far removed from the average office accessory as you can get. I, for one, now want one!
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Limited Edition | 50 pieces |
| Dimensions | 160mm wide × 135mm deep × 123mm high |
| Weight | 760g |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, hour chime |
| Movement | Mechanical, based on a wristwatch movement |
| Power Reserve | 14 days from a manual winding mechanism |
| Materials | 316 stainless steel, brass, nickel silver |
| Components | 222 |
| Book | 250-page illustrated instruction manual with QR-linked video content |