Collector Series Todd Searle and his MB&F HM7 Aquapod Titanium Blue
A rare opportunity, one of MB&F’s most brutal watches.
Today, we are talking to people who bought MB&F. Although MB&F’s design has been very “popular” (remember the gorgeous falling LM1 owned by @winewhiskeywatches), collectors today have become one of the most unusual designs in the watch world. Today’s collector is not necessarily a long-term watch collector, but he focuses on the extraordinary and creative side. His name is Todd Searle, and his business card says “general creator”. He is both a writer, a content creator, and a sales professional. Todd must be MB&F Horological Machine HM7 at first glance. Let’s find out why this bold watch attracted this collector from Chicago, Illinois.
Todd Searle – Since the first time I saw the product online, I have fallen in love with MB&F. I am a relatively new collector, and the concept of watches at the time prevented me from considering owning MB&F. Too many people tell me that this watch will lose its value, and if I decide to sell it, I will never make money. I continue to be attracted by Max’s amazing products and have always been fascinated by the creativity of watches and how they differ from other products on the market. I know Max Büsser’s creativity is incredible, and I want to learn more about his watches.
When writing my book “32 Regrets: A Guide to Creativity”, I had the opportunity to communicate and interview with Max, and I was immediately attracted by his watchmaking methods. It is obvious to me that Max wants to make the watches he wants to see in the world and doesn’t care if other people like them. He wanted to create because he had a vision, that is, to use traditional watchmaking technology and expose it to the human eye for observation instead of placing it behind the back cover. Max’s vision is to create 3D mechanical art that can also explain time. In our interview, Max’s passion and creativity were very obvious. I am absolutely obsessed with this.
What makes this brand so special?
As I became a more confident watch collector, I started to research and add more independent brands to my collection. I began to understand the spirit, the product, and the reasons why independent watches are so different from mass-produced watches. When I became more satisfied with my series, I knew that I wanted to add MB&F to the series. There are a lot of great works, I’m not sure where to start.
In an interview with Max, I talked to him about his creative process. His answer touched me, and I still think he performed equally well on HM1 today. He told me: “The creative process is my vision for watchmaking. This is a very, very personal vision involving three-dimensional works of art. I want to fundamentally deconstruct my beloved traditional watchmaking industry and rebuild it into 3D sculpture, by the way, this gives you time.”
I appreciate Max’s willingness to rethink traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and look at it with a new perspective, seeking new shapes and sizes that are not suitable for traditional watchmaking craftsmanship. The brand I just liked has traces of rebellion.
Why is this special watch so prominent to you?
At this point, I started searching for my first fake MB&F. I like the more traditional Legacy Machines and think the LM1 is an excellent watch. The LM1, despite being different, still has the feel of other more traditional watches in my collection. I like the rest of the Legacy Machine series and think that these watches represent a beautiful and innovative series, but I know that my first MB&F cannot be similar to any other watch. You would not go to MB&F to buy traditional watches, would you?
For me, it depends on the watch mechanics. For starters, these are the craziest designs of MB&F. Nothing better reflects Max’s ideals of three-dimensional mechanical art than the “Watch Machinery” series. There were nine options at the time, and I was taking the time to decide which one I liked. I happened to see that there are several watch machines on the market and would like to know about buying other watch straps from MB&F.
At that time I was fortunate to be able to contact Thibault Verdonckt, MB&F’s International Sales Director. We started talking, started talking about the book, how he found MB&F’s way, and why I was so fascinated by their products. Thibault helped solidify my appreciation for the MB&F team and its work.
I have limited my choice to just two buy fake watches. This is no longer a question of whether to ask, but when to ask. I know I have a difficult decision-I feel very painful between HM5 and HM7. Then, as a grown-up swimmer, learned to dive and like to be in the water whenever possible, I know what watch I must own: HM7.
We ended our conversation with Thibault and asked if I needed to look for any watches in particular. When I mentioned HM7 Aquapod Titanium Blue, I could almost hear his smile on the phone. He just participated in the game. The timing couldn’t be better.
The origin story of this watch is the story of Max’s wife being stung by a jellyfish, which is really great. I like how these moments and the details of his life fit into his watchmaking industry. This is a great design inspiration, whether on the wrist or on the wrist, the watch really has the feel of a jellyfish. The antennae of the winding rotor does indeed play a role in the bulbous shape of the watch. The tourbillon at the top of the watch is the icing on the cake. It is fascinating to watch its spinning. I can watch the ticking of this watch all day long. I found that the HM7 is not too busy visually and can quickly check the time, but if I have time to distract myself, the rotor, tourbillon and night light will attract me. The luminous on this watch is crazy. The light is not only everywhere, it also adds depth to you.
I chose the blue titanium version because I am a big fan of blue and I like the way the watch is read. It has the feel of a nautical compass, and while being a large watch, it can also fit perfectly on your wrist. In addition, since it is titanium, its presence is hardly noticed. I like everything about this watch and how it is worn. And I wear it often. For me, this is the perfect embodiment of MB&F’s design spirit and execution. It feels like a sculpture, no matter where I go, I can take it with me and appreciate it whenever I look at my wrist. When I see it on my wrist, I smile without hesitation. I often joke with my friends, saying that this is my favorite weekend watch, and I can hardly say a weekend watch that is more outgoing than the AquaPod.
All in all, I am a complete and complete convert of Max’s thinking. I think Max successfully completed his vision of deconstructing the traditional watchmaking industry, reconstructing it into three-dimensional mechanical art and exposing the watchmaking industry to everyone’s appreciation. I am deeply grateful for the introduction of Max&Max and fashion MB&F, and for bringing such a unique, well-thought-out and excellent performance product to the market.