SIHH is a great opportunity for watch brands to kick off the year with a bang, and we usually see some of their boldest – and in some cases weirdest – concepts.

At last year’s show, for example, MB&F impressed with its Horological Machine No. 7, the so-called “Aquapod”, which looked like it was straight out of a science fiction movie.

For this year’s show, the brand has teamed up with Reuge, a company renowned for its music boxes that has also helped develop MB&F’s MusicMachines. Reuge, in turn, partnered with automaton specialist Nicolas Court for the brand’s latest creation.

Based on that partnership alone, you might already have a better idea of what’s new from MB&F at SIHH 2018.

It’s called the Kelys and Chirp, and it’s an impressive example of the brand’s creativity and craftsmanship. On the surface it looks somewhat simple: a tortoise with a chirping bird. Appearances, however, can be deceiving.

For starters, the piece has 480 components (enough for a minute repeater), which is a testament to the complexity of the piece. Weighing in at approximately 1.4 kg, the piece also operates rather effortlessly with minimal power from the mainspring, thanks to an optimized low gear ratio.

The tortoise moves with a realistic tortoise-like gait, with its head moving slowly from side to side. Those movements have been synchronized with the little bird, which springs from its nest, opening and closing its beak, flapping its wings, and wagging its tail.

All that happens to the tune of a melodic bird song, which is supposed to be a sound to behold given the accuracy and volume of the song emanating from such a small object.

The tortoise, too, is more clever than it first appears. It features an integrated mechanical sensor and a friction clutch security system, which ensures that it doesn’t walk off table tops and into the abyss.

Not only is this automaton an excellent example of craftsmanship, but it also demonstrates MB&F’s artistic chops. For example, the tortoise is made from rhodium-plated brass, while stainless steel and 18K white gold have been used for the bird.

The scales on the tortoise shell are individually hand made from high quality leather in 4 different colours, thus creating a more natural and realistic feel.

The new Kelys and Chirp is available in 4 highly limited editions of 18 pieces each. They come in blue, green, yellow, and ochre and retail for around 49,000 Swiss fancs each.