www.worldwatchweb.com - The two latest interpretations of Horological Machine No. 4 from MB&F, Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble, are inspired by the so-called “nose art” that featured on aeroplanes in World War II.

Maximilian Büsser explains: “When I was making model airplanes as a boy, they were mainly WW2 aircraft. HM4 Thunderbolt is an aviation-inspired Machine with its roots in those model plane kits, so it was only natural to start imagining what might HM4 have looked like in that era. Hand painted nose art, real rivets, vintage-look dials, authentic military leather strap and the metamorphosis of the Thunderbolt is complete.”

To set the scene and provide further authenticity, real titanium rivets have been hand applied to the Thunderbolt’s titanium fuselage. The dual dials glow and sparkle with a warm vintage patina created using a special blend of paint mixed with cream-coloured Super-LumiNova and very fine copper particles. The period look is further enhanced by the distinctive strap, which has been crafted from leather obtained from genuine antique Swiss military bags.

Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble’s authentic vintage accoutrements adorn a thoroughly modern, state-of-the-art Horological Machine featuring a 311-component, in-house movement developed specifically and exclusively for the Thunderbolt. The case is also a masterpiece of complication, since it takes over 185 hours (the equivalent of four weeks work for one person) to transform the opaque solid block of sapphire crystal into the sophisticated transparent curves of the central case section!

Razzle Dazzle and Double Trouble are limited editions of eight pieces each. And as each mildly subversive illustration is individually hand painted, each is unique.

Source: MB&F