The Albatross: A look at MB&F and L’Epée 1839’s airship-like marvel

MB&F’s fruitful decade-long partnership with L’Epée 1839 has produced some memorable machines and mechanisms, 15 of them to be exact. The StarfleetMachine, for instance, wowed audiences as an intergalactic spaceship-cum-table clock with double retrograde seconds. Grant, on the other hand, was a combination of what seemed to be a reconfigured futuristic tank, having a clock as a shield on its back.

Suffice it to say, these brands possess the same inclinations toward ‘out-there’ inventions. Recently, the two maisons crafted one of its greatest innovations yet in the Albatross, an airship-like timepiece that weighs around 17 kg. The maisons were said to have drawn inspiration from the Robur the Conqueror novel written by the French author and ‘father of science fiction’ Jules Verne.

It should be noted that Verne has already inspired several MB&F creations, such as the Legacy Machines collections and another series of Pièces Uniques based on the LM Split Escapement, engraved by Master Engraver Eddy Jaquet.

The Albatross is by far the most meticulously crafted timepiece that MB&F and L’Epée have made, with a total of 1,520 components. It features an hour and minute function, displayed on individual revolving discs. These striking hour indications chime for every hour and trigger a single strike on the half-hour.

This interesting device wouldn’t be called an aircraft if it weren’t for its 16 pairs of propellors that are just as functional as they are aesthetically pleasing. The propellers’ chimes launch into action every hour and can even function as a manual winding system via the propellors at the front of the machine.

A mechanical system is also found inside the timepiece. This allows the owner to turn the chiming function off, all the while enabling the propellors to function and vice versa. With it comes the additional two ‘on-demand’ buttons to chime the time and/or turn the propellers separately.

Its technical specifications are, of course, impressive. The Albatross is equipped with two in-house movements and two winding systems developed by L’Epée. One of the movements, in particular, powers the striking hour and minute indications. Meanwhile, the other provides energy for the automation of the propellors. Additionally, it boasts an eight-day power reserve and the automation for one day.

To delight the ‘young at heart’, the maisons added a secret detail to the Albatross: a miniature cockpit complete with a dashboard and ship’s wheel, found just behind the porthole. It features fail-safes to ensure that any unauthorized manipulation of the propellers won’t cause anything to break.

The clock is made with a combination of brass, steel and aluminium and uses translucent cold lacquer for the colour. It comes in five different colours: blue, red, green, champagne and black. As collector’s items, each variant is limited to only eight pieces in the market.

Take a closer look of the Albatross and visit MB&F and L’Epée 1839 for more information.

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