MB&F and Watches of Switzerland Make a Jurassic Mark With New T-Rex Table Clock in Bronze

Premier luxury watch retailer Watches of Switzerland announced it will carry a new limited-edition clock created in collaboration with industry veteran William Massena from Massena LAB, founder and owner of the MB&F Maximilian Büsser, and renowned Swiss clockmaker L’Epée 1839. “This collaboration is truly a collector’s piece that you will not be able to find with any other brand,” said David Hurley, Watches of Switzerland’s Executive Vice President, adding, “Independent brands are the driving force behind the creativity and innovation in our industry.”

The updated version of the Tom & T-Rex Table Art Clock (Ref. 76.6008/240) evokes the childlike essence of the original in a rugged new material. The minimalist clock-face of the original used Murano glass and steel; the newly released MB&F x L’Epée x Massena LAB T-Rex Bronze combines glass with bronze. Maximilian Maertens, the creator behind the case design, modeled it on an actual Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, using 3D scans of dinosaur fossils to create the authentic proportions. The glass suspended between the two jointed legs end at the taloned feet of the clock bears this resemblance.

According to Büsser, the idea behind the clock stems from a quirky Christmas ornament on his desk, which inspired designer Maertens to draw upon his childhood memory of watching the 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park, leading him to design a clock worthy of the same name as the king of all dinosaurs.

The T-Rex Bronze follows its predecessor’s design, but this version has switched the steel for bronze to give the clock a prehistoric look. The feet of the T-Rex Bronze look aged and stabilized to create a dark brown color reminiscent of sculptures fashioned by Auguste Rodin, whom some consider the founder of modern sculpture. The case is treated to lock in the clock’s color and material characteristics. The hand-applied oxidation and patina process makes no two clocks identical. The 258-mm-diameter case comprises 63 components weighs approximately 4.5lbs.

The green-colored, hand-blown, “eyeball”-inspired dial has a translucent effect, owing to its use of fragile and airy Murano glass, which complements the brown-colored tone of the case. The dial’s design pays homage to the iconic scene in Jurassic Park when the movie’s protagonist, Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, encounters the Tyrannosaurus Rex peering into his Jeep.

Protruding outward from the center of the dial are two slim steel hands indicating the hours and minutes. Behind the dial is the in-house designed movement by the Swiss clockmaking maestros at L’Epée 1839. The 138-component movement has a balance beating at 2.5 Hz (18,000 vph) and features 17 jewels. It is manually wound using a key on the barrel axis located at the back of the movement, and stores a maximum power reserve of up to eight days. The time-setting function is in the center of the dial and activated with the same key.

This prehistoric-themed clock not only serves as a reminder of fossilized bones of the past; it also offers collectors a harmonious balance of fantasy and technical horological art. The MB&F x L’Epée x Massena LAB T-Rex Bronze is limited to 15 models and can be purchased through Watches of Switzerland and Massena LAB for $27,000.