Located in Morteau, in the French part of the Watchmaking Valley, Designer and watchmaker Mikaël Bourgeois established his business in June 2008 with the mission of manufacturing bespoke watches for discerning customers.
To embark in such an endeavour in late 2008 was very courageous: the finantial world had started collapsing, and consumers were then thinking twice about investing in luxury goods.
Four years down the road, MB Watches is still running and has expanded its catalogue to 8 stock designs. The first 7 pieces are named after the 7 Cardinal Sins of Catholicism.
The latest piece to draw the editor’s attantion is the Thunderbird, a mechanical chronograph that will be released in an exclusive edition of 8 pieces.
Built with a Valjoux 7751 calibre with a custom rotor, the watch measures 43.0 mm in diameter with a thickness of 13.8 mm.
The case construction use a PVD-coated bezel and caseback that also serves a structural purpose. Double-head screws located at 2:30, 3:30, 8:30 and 9:30 o’clock hold the case together and keep it watertight. This type of construction undoubtly takes cues from engine design, but at the same time it remains simple and unobtrusive.
The dial layout is minimalistic, with a chapter ring showing the minutes track and bevelled indexes for the hours. The registers have the least markings possible although they still a llow to tell time. The hands are hollow to allow reading even when they overlap.
No information on pricing, but Mister Bourgeois can be contacted through his Website.
