Swiss horological laboratory MB&F has marked one of the busiest stretches in its 22-year history with a series of releases spanning every family in its catalogue, together with a programme of new artworks celebrating the 15th anniversary of its M.A.D.Gallery.

The announcement arrived by way of the Geneva maker’s September newsletter, in which founder Maximilian Büsser conceded that the pace of the year had delayed his correspondence. The creations themselves have kept anything but quiet: a flyback evolution of the award-winning Sequential chronograph, a mechanical robot of a watch five years in the making, and the first gem-set chapter of the young Special Projects collection.

Each release extends a different branch of the MB&F story, and each arrives in strictly limited numbers.

The LM Sequential Flyback EVO arrives in titanium

In 2022, the LM Sequential EVO introduced watchmaker Stephen McDonnell’s 585-component double chronograph calibre, complete with the patented Twinverter switch, and went on to win the GPHG Aiguille d’Or, the industry’s most coveted prize. Knowing McDonnell, Büsser writes, that was never going to be the end of the story.

Two years and 36 additional components later, McDonnell added flyback functionality to both chronographs. After debuting in the classic LM Sequential Flyback, the evolution has now joined the EVO family, pairing the full 621-component double-flyback movement with everything that makes an EVO ready for a more active life.

That means 80 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap and the FlexRing shock absorber, alongside the tilted time dial introduced on the classic Flyback editions for improved legibility. The result comes in a high-resistance grade 5 titanium case with an aquamarine dial plate, on a white rubber strap.

HM12 The Guardian closes its story at 36 pieces

The year’s most ambitious project, however, began with a rather mad question: wouldn’t it be cool if a watch could be the head of a robot? Five years on, that question has become HM12 The Guardian, which opened the maker’s third decade after missing its intended twentieth anniversary deadline.

On the wrist, HM12 is a 646-component mechanical robot face: jumping hours and trailing minutes for the eyes, a flying tourbillon for the brain and the battle-axe micro-rotor for the mouth. A second crown slides a mechanical face shield over the robot’s features, a playful gesture that required more than 200 components of its own.

The watch also marks a personal chapter for Büsser. After twenty years of designing MB&F’s watches with Eric Giroud, with whom he continues to create, this was the first MB&F watch entirely conceived by Büsser and Maximilian Maertens, the young designer who joined as an intern eight years ago. Maertens also created a 38cm-tall mechanical companion: remove the strap, clip HM12 into place, and the watch becomes the robot’s face, with nearly 1,500 components between them.

The Guardian was created in blue, green and purple editions of just 12 pieces each. All 36 have now found their owners, and MB&F confirms there will never be another HM12.

SP One Pavée adds 255 diamonds

A year ago, SP One answered an unexpected question: what if, after 20 years of wild creativity, MB&F created an elegant 38mm watch? A few weeks ago, the maker added a more precious expression of that idea with SP One Pavée, the third version of the young Special Projects collection.

Crafted in 18K white gold and set with 255 diamonds totalling 1.608 carats, the Pavée follows the watch’s architecture rather than simply covering it, flowing across the curved case, amphitheatre-shaped flange, crown and buckle while leaving the movement centre stage. A dark blue PVD finish on the inclined dial completes the picture.

Inside, nothing has changed, and that was very much the point. The same hand-wound movement places the suspended balance wheel at 2 o’clock and the inclined time display at 6 o’clock, with 72 hours of power reserve and bridges finished in rhodium to complement the white gold and diamonds.

The M.A.D.Gallery turns 15

Beyond watches, 2026 marks the 15th anniversary of the M.A.D.Gallery, which has invited artists and friends showcased over the years to celebrate with new creations. Frank Buchwald kicked things off with the ML15 Helios Machine Light, Martin Smith followed with his Solar Orbiter, and a collaboration with Maison Alcée produced the Nostromo clock, both of which have sold out.

The newest arrival is the GorillaSharpener, created with Geneva writing-instrument maker Caran d’Ache. The iconic pencil sharpener, which has helped generations of Swiss schoolchildren since 1933, has been transformed by Maertens into a muscular, knuckle-walking mechanical creature, while remaining a fully functional pencil sharpener.

Finished in Alpine Frost blue and limited to 300 pieces, the GorillaSharpener was unveiled on World Gorilla Day, priced at 850 CHF plus VAT. The date also added a further dimension: MB&F has partnered with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and symbolically adopted the historic Pablo mountain gorilla group in Rwanda, supporting the Fund’s work protecting endangered mountain gorillas.

Where to see the pieces in person

Collectors will have several opportunities to see the new creations in the coming weeks. After Geneva Watch Days, MB&F can be found at Milano Watch Week from this Friday, before crossing the Atlantic for New York, where the maker will appear at WatchTime while sister brand M.A.D.Editions shows just down the road at WindUp.

For a house that began with mechanical objects built, in Büsser’s words, with ‘a soul, a sense of wonder, and some serious technical substance’, the autumn of 2026 suggests the third decade has lost none of the founding madness.