Only 36 people on Earth will ever own the MB&F HM12 The Guardian. It is not just a watch. It is a flying tourbillon robot, a collector’s landmark, and MB&F’s boldest statement in 20 years. Miss it, and it is gone. Forever.
There are watches. And then there is whatever MB&F just built.
Five years ago, founder Maximilian Büsser walked into his Geneva lab with one idea: “What if a robot’s head were a watch?” What came out the other side is the MB&F HM12 The Guardian — a flying tourbillon wristwatch that is literally the head of a 38cm mechanical robot, limited to 36 pieces worldwide, and sold only as a complete set. You cannot buy just the watch. Büsser himself confirmed it: “They are conceived and sold as a set. We won’t sell one without the other.”
That detail alone changes everything about how rare this truly is.
The Watch That Thinks It’s a Transformer — And Looks Like One Too
Forget every luxury watch you’ve ever seen. The HM12 is shaped like a robot’s head — deliberately, obsessively, completely. Two subdials form the eyes: jumping hours on the left, trailing minutes on the right. An open mouth below reveals a battle-axe micro-rotor that moves constantly on your wrist. At the top, like a mechanical brain exposed beneath a sapphire dome, sits a 60-second flying tourbillon.
It tells the time. It also stares back at you.
And when you’re ready for battle? Turn the left crown. Mechanical armour slides across the dial, deploying like a visor to shield the robot’s face. Stop it anywhere mid-motion. The watch changes its expression. Over 200 precision components dedicated purely to this one feature — more parts than most complete watches. This is what MB&F calls serious horology. Everyone else calls it the coolest thing they’ve ever seen.
646 Components. Built from Zero. Finished with a Legend
The brand-new in-house Calibre HM12 packs 646 components and 86 jewels into a Grade 5 titanium case measuring 49.3mm × 43.6mm × 13.8mm. It handles jumping hours, trailing minutes, a flying tourbillon, a double-sided micro-rotor, and the full face shield system — all on an 84-hour power reserve.
Three sapphire crystals flood the movement with light from every angle. Flip it over, and the classical side surprises you — symmetrical bridges, hand-finished architecture, and a guilloché domed rotor crafted in direct collaboration with master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. Front to back, not a single surface was left unfinished.
The Robot That Makes the Watch Complete
Here is what no competitor is saying loudly enough: you cannot have one without the other.
The Guardian — developed by L’Epée 1839 — stands 38.2cm tall, weighs 15kg, and is built from 755 components. A mechanical thermometer beats in its chest. One arm hides a magnifying loupe. The other holds a detachable UV torch that charges the Super-LumiNova on both the robot and the watch. The strap stores in a hidden drawer at the base. Detach the HM12 from your wrist, click it onto The Guardian’s head, and something shifts — you’re no longer looking at a watch. You’re looking at the complete vision Büsser had five years ago, finally alive.
Place it on your desk, and it wouldn’t look out of place in a Pacific Rim command room.
A New Chapter — And Only 36 Seats at the Table
This is not just a new watch. It is MB&F’s 20th anniversary statement and the first Horological Machine designed entirely by Maximilian Maertens — Büsser’s chosen creative heir and the brand’s future. The collectors who own these 36 pieces will own the exact moment MB&F’s next era began.
Three colours: green, blue, and purple. Twelve pieces each. Thirty-six total. Priced at CHF 280,000 (~$384,000 USD, excl. VAT) and sold only as a complete watch-and-robot set.
There is nothing else like it. Not at this price. Not at any price. And once the 36 are gone, that is the end of the story — permanently, irrevocably, forever.
MB&F HM12 The Guardian — Full Specs
| Case | Grade 5 Titanium · 49.3 × 43.6 × 13.8mm · 84 components |
| Functions | Jumping hours · Trailing minutes · Flying tourbillon · Face shield · Double-sided micro-rotor |
| Movement | In-house auto · 646 parts · 86 jewels · 84hr power reserve |
| Finishing | Guilloché rotor by Kari Voutilainen · Hand-finished bridges |
| Robot | L’Epée 1839 · 38.2cm · ~15kg · 755 parts |
| Robot Features | Mechanical thermometer · Magnifying loupe · UV torch · Strap storage drawer |
| Sold As | Watch + Robot set only — not sold separately |
| Colours | Green · Blue · Purple |
| Edition | 12 per colour · 36 total worldwide |
| Price | CHF 280,000 / ~$384,000 USD (excl. VAT) |
For collector enquiries, visit mbandf.com
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