Editor’s Note: This is a short post on a new MB&F book that’s a sure-fire shot at revving up your horological heart. For our actual hands-on reviews, please head to the dedicated section here.
What Is It
A new coffee table MB&F book showcasing the brand’s historic rise to the top of the independents world.
There is a quote by British celeb and author Georgia Toffolo that reads: “I think a coffee table is one of the most important things. It’s where everything happens”.
She may as well have been talking out the new MB&F book, because it is hard to think of any other independent brand that has such a diverse portfolio in a short span of 15-years. The coffee table MB&F book is one of the important things in the world of horology; it’s where outside the box magic happens.
Why & When
MB&F really needs no introduction. They have so far had an excellent 15-year run from 2005 to 2020, and this coffee table book celebrates that.
This Catalogue Raisonné — a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known works of an artist — is written by Suzanne Wong and William Massena, and published by Editions de La Martinière and distributed by Abrams.
The coffee table book is in English and is being released in two batches: first batch of 1500 copies with special packaging that are reserved for MB&F and their partners scheduled for our Aussie winter (European summer) and another 500 copies that will be available from October 2022.
The special editions retail for CHF 198 / EUR 190 / USD 220 EUR, while the general public editions retail for EUR 150 / USD 170.
Where
Pre-orders for the MB&F book opened on February 1st at their M.A.D.Gallery eShop:https://shop.madgallery.ch/products/mb-f-catalogue-raisonne
Who Is The MB&F Book For
It’s for anyone who love what the brand has been doing, present company included. Of course it would be ideal for those who already own one of these timepieces, but for the rest of us who can only dream of wearing an MB&F timepiece, this is as close to it as we are going to get.
How Does The MB&F Book Do
I obviously haven’t had the pleasure of looking at it in person, but given everything that MB&F does is of highest standards, I can only assume that this 312 page powerhouse would be one of the best coffee table books you are bound to find.
“MB&F’s philosophy has always been about transparency and sharing the names of everyone who participates in its projects, from the watchmakers and constructors to the marketing and PR experts. This is very different from the hush-hush ways of most brands. The publication of a Catalogue Raisonné is quite common in the art world but has never been done in the watch industry. Some brands have published information about certain periods or collections, but this information is rarely complete. MB&F is publishing everything, down to the prototypes made. It is a continuation of MB&F’s philosophy of wanting to break the secrecy in the industry that has ruled for 200 years. Kudos to MB&F for setting a new industry standard”.
Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches for Continental Europe and the Middle East at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
I appreciate how this Catalogue Raisonné MB&F book documents every single reference they have created, and of special interest is the inclusion of prototypes and pieces that were never officially announced before.
Lovers of the brand and watch enthusiasts alike will rejoice with the inclusion of “160 product variations along with over 400 photographs and indicates details such as the model name, reference number, materials, years in production, and the exact quantity produced”.
So if you like watches, and are a fan of kinetic art, the new MB&F book definitely is where everything happens.
To find out more about the new MB&F book and MB&F watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise stated are courtesy are © MB&F SA 2018.
