MB&F and L’Epee will produce two versions of the MB&F Starfleet Machine Clock. One will be known as the MB&F Starfleet Machine Light and the other as the MB&F Starfleet Machine Dark. The difference is that the Light version’s structure is in all stainless steel, while the Dark version is deep gray ruthenium-coated stainless steel. the movement parts are in palladium or ruthenium-coated brass.
One of the things that dawned upon me when first seeing the MB&F Starfleet Machine clock was “this is going to get very dusty.” Sure it will be a good idea to take a can of compressed air to it everyone once in a while, but thankfully, MB&F also includes a glass dome to put over it to help protect from dust. Once again the MB&F Starfleet Machine produced in collaboration with the Swiss clockmaker L’Epee is limited to just 175 pieces in two colors with a retail price of 28,000 Swiss Francs ($35,000 in the USA). mbandf.com
Starfleet Machine: Technical Specifications from MB&F
Starfleet Machine is limited to 175 pieces and is available in ‘light’ or ‘dark’ editions, the latter with ruthenium-finished components.
Display
Hours and minutes: Curved, hand-polished hands rotate to indicating hours and minutes on a polished, central dome. The dome features MB&F’s signature numerals.
Retrograde seconds: 20-second intervals indicated by double retrograde fly-out cannons emanating from the central dome.
Power reserve indicator: a dome indicator, framed by a hand finished arc, provides an intuitive view of remaining energy as it turns 270°: 5 bars, 4 bars, 3 bars, 2 bars, 1 bar (1 bar = 8 days). Complemented by a ‘radar dish’ that also revolves 270°.
Main structure
Height: approx. 21cm
Diameter: approx. 29cm
‘Light’ version:
Inner C-shaped structure, external C-shaped structure, support arcs and screws:
all in stainless steel
‘Dark’ version:
Inner C-shaped structure, external C-shaped structure and support arcs:
ruthenium-treated stainless steel
Screws in stainless steel
Movement
L’EPÉE in-house designed and manufactured movement
Balance frequency: 18,000 vph / 2.5Hz
Barrels: 5 in series
Power reserve: 40 days
Jewels: 48
Incabloc shock protection system
Manual-winding: Double-ended key to set time and wind movement
‘Light’ version:
Mechanism and main plate in palladium-treated brass
‘Dark’ version:
Mechanism in palladium-treated brass
Main plate in ruthenium-treated brass
Transparent ‘biosphere’ dome
Material: polished glass
Height: 27cm
Maximum diameter: 31.5cm
