Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
MB&F · Horological Machine
MB&F Horological Machine 42 mm Blue 18k
Reference 31266OR.79
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- MB&F
- Collection
- Horological Machine
- Model
- MB&F Horological Machine 42 mm Blue 18k
- Reference number
- 31266OR.79
- Year / era
- 2005 · 2000s — modern production
- Complication
- GMT / second time zone
- Movement
- In-house tourbillon, manual-winding
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 150 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 42 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- 18k yellow gold
- Bezel
- Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
- Indexes
- Applied faceted white-gold indexes
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Titanium deployant clasp
- Water resistance
- 150 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 17E — In-house tourbillon, manual-winding
- Movement type
- High-frequency automatic
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- Number of jewels
- 37 jewels
- Complications
- GMT / second time zone
- Functions
- Chronograph, tachymeter, date
- Watchmaker
- Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.
Production & market
- Production period
- 2005 – 2020
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Marc Newson
Marc Newson is an Australian industrial designer whose work spans Qantas cabins, Apple hardware and Jaeger-LeCoultre's Atmos clocks; his watch design reduces the object to pure geometry and legibility.
Historical significance
MB&F Horological Machine 42 mm Blue 18k sits within MB&F's Horological Machine line, introduced in 2005. It carries the house codes established since 2005 — 18k yellow gold case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and in-house tourbillon, manual-winding — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
The House
MB&F
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 2005
- Founder
- Maximilian Büsser
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Tier
- Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
- Major collections
- Horological Machine, Legacy Machine, LMX, LM Perpetual, HM11
- Signature technologies
- Composite and ceramic case materials · Anti-magnetic silicon escapement · Shock-absorbing movement mounting
- Famous movements
- In-house tourbillon, manual-winding · In-house automatic micro-rotor · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor
- Notable watches
- MB&F Horological Machine 42 mm Blue 18k · MB&F Horological Machine 43 mm Ice Quartz · MB&F Horological Machine 40 mm Skeletonised 18k · MB&F Horological Machine 38 mm Salmon Ceramic
Brand history
MB&F has spent more than 21 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Horological Machine, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Maximilian Büsser established MB&F in 2005, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every MB&F calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
2005
Maximilian Büsser founds MB&F in Switzerland.
2024
MB&F continues to produce Horological Machine, Legacy Machine, LMX and other icons in limited numbers.
More Horological Machine
MB&F Horological Machine 43 mm Ice Quartz
Ref. 83891OR.83
MB&F Horological Machine 40 mm Skeletonised 18k
Ref. 88976OR.41
MB&F Horological Machine 38 mm Salmon Ceramic
Ref. 77538OR.91
MB&F Horological Machine 37 mm Skeletonised Carbon
Ref. 59457OR.41
MB&F Horological Machine 40 mm Meteorite 18k
Ref. 90011OR.60