Trust to manage mind-boggling madness when it comes to state-of-the-art clocks. The brand displayed an exaggerated example with MB&F x L’Epée 1839 Balthazar Table Clock. The partnership between MB&F and L’Epée 1839 has spawned yet another maverick timepiece, called the Orb. As the name gives away, the spherical clock is, in actuality, a chunk of sophistication. It is evidently missing the drama, and flair one expects from an MB&F creation but only till it is opened.

The center is encompassed with four elytra (beetle’s protective wing covers) that open to transform the Orb in a variety of different positions. The saucer acts as a base that holds the clock together, allowing it to be used as a closed piece or with one or more elytra opened without rolling off. One can alternatively open all four elytra to display the clock without the saucer for maximum visual impact. The L’Epée 1839 powers the clock with an eight-day power reserve.
The hour mechanism indicates the actual hour, like a church clock, but if that’s a sound too annoying for you, it can be repeated on demand or turned on and off. Interestingly, the original design concept for Orb came from a one-time intern at MB&F, Maximilian Maertens. Maertens is now based out of his studio in Berlin and had worked with MB&F and L’Epée 1839 on the iconic T-Rex clock and the TriPod. The MB&F x L’Epée 1839 Orb is limited to 50 pieces in white or bla...