Time for a spin

By Tracey Llewellyn

When Maximilian Büsser decided seven years ago to create his first table clock, he was inspired by the space-age toys of his childhood in the 1970s. Büsser was already known for his unusual and collaborative creations: MB&F, the company he founded in 2005, stands for Max Büsser and Friends.

His first clock looked like an intergalactic spaceship: he named it the Starfleet Machine. Three years in development, it consists of a C-shaped steel ring, held by three supporting arcs. Sitting in the middle, instead of a dial a large aluminium dome shows hours and minutes via two orbital scales and rotating hands. The clockwork is visible beneath the dome, with a pair of hands in constant motion. A second, smaller, turning dome indicates the clock’s 40-day power reserve. For the Starfleet Machine, as with almost every piece MB&F makes, a brand new customised movement was developed with French and Swiss clockmaker L’Epée 1839.