HM3 Frog ZR watch by MB&F. Cutting edge, playful and very rare

Once again, the creative minds at MB&F don’t disappoint with the launch of the new black MB&F HM3 Frog ZR.

Holding the title of the world’s rarest frog is the Isthmohyla rivularis, from the rainforests of Costa Rica, but now there is a new pretender to the throne: the incredible HM3 Frog Zr watch by the cutting edge design team at MB&F.

This rare HM3 Frog Zr is a limited to only 18 pieces available exclusively from MB&Fs retail partners in Los Angeles, Greenwich, Mexico City, Paris, London, Interlaken, Kiev, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Taichung and Macao. MB&F introduced the HM3 Frog to bring some playfulness into high-end watchmaking, and they have certainly achieved that with the stunning HM3 Frog ZR. Wearing a black zirconium exterior, the purple 22K gold rotor spins around on the dial reflecting intriguing hints of green and yellow, sending a crystal clear message that the MB&F HM3 Frog Zr also has a healthy sense of fun.

The first thing that catches your eye on the HM3 Frog Zr is bulbous domes housing the hours and minutes of the HM3 Frog Zr. They’re not just there to make a statement – they enable the wearer to easily read the time from a wide variety of angles without having to turn the wrist. And, as with its brothers, the MB&F HM3 Frog Zr differs substantially from the iconic HM3 in that it is the aluminium domes that rotate under the sapphire crystals in the HM3 Frog Zr, whereas the hour and minute hands rotate around stationary cones on HM3.

Those hour and minute domes are machined from solid aluminium, the material chosen for its optimal strength-to-weight ratio, to thinness of just 0.28mm and they tip the scales at just 0.5g, thus reducing energy requirements to a minimum. The fabrication of the semi-spherical sapphire crystal domes was just as demanding, because the slightest imperfection in the sapphire would introduce a disconcerting magnification effect – and the MB&F HM3 Frog Zr doesn’t need any help in the disconcerting department!

The MB&F HM3 Frog Zr may portray the time in a playful manner, but there is nothing playful about the meticulous attention to detail regarding the fine hand-finishing of the 304 component highly-tuned 36-jewel engine purring within its space-grade zirconium case. It is a case replete with carefully thought-out detailing including clover-head screws, an engraved arrow indicating the easy to read the over-sized date and a display back revealing the dual ceramic bearings that drive the domes.

If you want to get your hands on one of the 18 MB&F HM3 Frog Zr’s then the price will be $92,000 + Tax or CHF 79,000 + Tax. As a comparison, the MB&F HM4 costs over $100,000 more at $188,000. In simple terms is a comparative bargain, if you can afford one, get one and be one of only 18 people in the world with this unique horological art on your wrist.

MB&F HM3 Frog Zr – Technical Specifications

The movement in the HM3 Frog Zr:

• Three-dimensional horological engine designed by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht/Agenhor;
• Powered by a Girard-Perregaux base
• Balance oscillating at 28,800 bph.
• Purple 22K rose gold battle-axe shaped ‘mystery’ automatic winding rotor
• Hour and minutes information transmitted via ceramic ball bearings to rotating domes.
• Number of jewels: 36 (all functional)
• Number of components: 304

HM3 Frog Zr Functions:

• Hour on one dome (aluminium dome rotating in 12 hours)
• Minutes on second dome (aluminium dome rotating in 60 minutes)
• Date around the movement

Case:

• Zirconium; limited edition of 18 pieces
• screwed-down crown
• Dimensions (exclusive of crown and lugs): 47mm x 50mm x 16mm
• Number of case components: 53

Sapphire crystals:

• Domes and both display backs with anti-reflective treatment on both faces.
• Dials: Rotating aluminium domes – 0.58g, stationary hands

Strap & Buckle:

• Black hand-stitched alligator strap with 18K white gold & titanium custom designed deployment buckle

MB&F HM3 Frog ZR Cast of characters

• Concept: Maximilian Büsser
• Product Design: Eric Giroud Design Studio
• Technical and Production Management: Serge Kriknoff/MB&F
• Production logistics: David Lamy/MB&F
• Movement Development: Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Nicolas Stalder of Agenhor
• Movement fabrication: Georges Auer/Mecawatch, Salvatore Ferrarotto/APR Quality
• Hand-finishing of movement components: Jacques-Adrien Rochat and Denis Garcia of C-L Rochat
• Ceramic ball bearings: Patrice Parietti/MPS
• Movement assemblage: Didier Dumas and Georges Veisy/MB&F
• Case and buckle construction and production: Dominique Mainier and Bertrand Jeunet ofG&F.Châtelain
• Sapphire domes: Martin Stettler/Stettler Sapphire
• Sapphire plates: Denise Boileau/Montavon
• Dials: François Bernhard and Denis Parel of Nateber
• Strap: Olivier Purnot/Camille Fournet
• Presentation case: Frédéric Legendre/Lekoni and Isabelle Vaudaux/Vaudaux