When MB&F and L’Epée 1839 create a timepiece it stands out from the crowd. The two Swiss brands have had a long association of successful horological designs together. Now the master crafters are again going to create headlines. This is the Starfleet Machine which is designed flawlessly by MB&F, while crafted to perfection by L’Epée 1839.
The duo created the iconic Starfleet Machine nearly six years down memory lane. That space-themed desk clock was incomparable and even now it in a league of its own. Now they are revisiting the timepiece in a more compact form factor that embodies the same exquisiteness.
2020 Starfleet Explorer desk clock
Drawing inspiration from the futuristic Deep Space nine fictional space station, the desk clock is a simple yet more sophisticated remake of the Starfleet Machine. The clock measures 16.5cm x 11cm and houses three intricately designed spacecrafts in an orbit. This orbit sits beside the movement which rotates after every five minutes, making the three color-matching spacecrafts orbit the clock.
The hour’s scale is fixed in position and the display has a rotating hand. Likewise, the minutes are indicated at the top of the clock having a fixed aperture on the rotating dome.
Movement and power reserve
The timepiece has a horizontally mounted hand-wound movement operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour at 2.5Hz. It has 11 jewels in total and the eight day power reserve ensures you don’t have to wind it up frequently. In fact the manual winding mechanism is as unique as the clock. It is done using a double-ended key which is also used to set the time.
The mainframe of the Starfleet Explorer is made from stainless steel while the mainplate is crafted from palladium-treated brass. All this exclusivity comes in just 99 limited edition pieces which is customary to MB&F. The desk clock will retail for around $10,700 in three color options – blue, green, and red.