Amphitheater inside MB&F’s transparent watch SP One
MB&F introduces SP One, a transparent watch with an ‘amphitheater’ and a floating dial encased between sapphire crystal domes. Initially named ‘Three Circles,’ the timepiece design has a trinity of levitating elements: the barrel, the balance wheel, and the dial. Because of the transparent crystal, they appear to float from the wearer’s wrist and even from the casing itself. The amphitheater here is more of an ensemble of the three levitating elements.
When the wearer flips the transparent watch, MB&F’s SP One isn’t shy to display its visible mechanisms. The balance wheel performs as it rotates and ‘dances.’ Then, around the timepiece, there’s a feel and look of a bezel-less design. So far, MB&F’s transparent watch SP One is the slimmest and smallest design from the brand’s repertoire. It also inaugurates the new collection of the brand named Special Projects, hence the acronym SP.
all images courtesy of MB&F
Hidden components under the three levitating elements
Under the levitating elements, the components hide and peek through at times. It’s an intentional design for the brand because, for the team, the fewer bridges, screws, and wheels seen, the better. These three elements – the barrel, the balance wheel, and the dial – have identical circumferences. Unlike the conventional timepiece designs, MB&F’s transparent watch SP One tells time through the circular piece at the bottom of the three elements. It is here that the hours appear, alongside the triangular-like watch hands that indicate the time’s position.
Turning the watch over means watching the gears and springs that power it come to life. Around this movement is a ring named a flange, slightly raised and shaped with beveled edges. It is through this that the MB&F founder Max Büsser assigns it the name amphitheater. Its shape and design recall the ancient Greco-Roman theaters, where crowds would sit in circular tiers to watch events. The artisans who make MB&F’s transparent watch, SP One, angle every tiny gear by hand, so it can achieve a polished and refined look individually. They also use chatons, which are decorative metal settings that hold jewels in place, as the brand’s nod to traditional watchmaking.
initially named ‘Three Circles,’ the timepiece design has a trinity of levitating elements
Case shaped Shaped like a smooth pebble
The surfaces around MB&F’s transparent watch SP One use a mix of finishes. They range between satin, polished, and microblasted. Another feature to look at in the timepiece is its case. Shaped like a smooth pebble, the bezel-free design allows the crystal sapphire glasses to stand out. The lugs, or the parts that hold the strap, don’t connect directly to the watch’s case. Instead, they rise gently from the bottom, creating a tiny, elegant gap that makes them look like they’re hovering. The MB&F team describes the transparent watch SP One as wearing a tiny piece of sculpture that tells time. It looks traditional, yet still future-forward with its almost saucer-shaped crystal body.
when the wearer flips the transparent watch, it isn’t shy to display its visible mechanisms
so far, MB&F’s transparent watch SP One is the slimmest and smallest design from the brand’s repertoire
it also inaugurates the new collection of the brand named Special Projects, hence the acronym SP.
the watch is at the bottom of the dial
under the levitating elements, the components hide
the artisans who make MB&F’s transparent watch, SP One, angle every tiny gear by hand
the gears and springs remain visible
the surfaces around the timepiece use a mix of finishes
project info:
name: SP One
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