I’m not sure the HMX "Black Badger" is a watch that needed to exist, and that could be exactly why MB&F and James Thompson decided it should. It's wonderfully mad, just like its creators. And it has the power to turn grown men into 10-year-old boys, blissfully unaware they are playing with a $50,000 object.
Minutes after the new HMX was unveiled, we knocked our chairs back and hurriedly got on all fours and under the table to check out the luminescent capabilities of the watch. And we weren’t disappointed.
We’ve known about James Thompson for a few years. Under the alias "Black Badger," the Canadian accessory designer has been making waves on Instagram, where he posts photographs of his rings glowing in the dark. His secret is a photoluminescent composite called AGT ULTRA. The material is capable of emitting a "passive glow" that can last up to 40 percent longer than SuperLuminova – but it requires a very strong charge of light. His collectors don’t mind though and carry with them miniature torches to show off the magical powers of their rings.
Black Badger’s success has attracted a number of watchmakers seeking alternatives to SuperLuminova. In fact, this is already Black Badger's third collaboration with an independent watchmaker, following projects with Schofield and Stepan Sarpaneva.
MB&F followed these collaborations with interest, given the great ties they have with these watchmakers (MB&F have collaborated with Sarpaneva on a limited edition Moonmachine). However, the Badger still considers himself new to the scene, and a fan the brands he’s worked with. He jumped on the the idea of a collaborative experiment with MB&F, aimed at re-designing a watch and a table clock in their current collection. After briefly considering the HM5, the pair decided the HMX might be a better host for a luminescent display.
The large “rock cover” of HMX’s proved ideal, however the shape and size of the components meant the solid lume compounds would have to be cut in Switzerland, using CNC machines owned by MB&F. This was a first for James, who personally creates every ring in his ateliers (he does not employ any staff on the production side).
“I was calling them every single day, asking for pictures and waiting for updates,” said James Thompson. The situation was new and at times uncomfortable, but he says he trusted MB&F fully and knew the result would look good. And well, it does.
All three of them actually. The watch is available in Radar Green, Phantom Blue, and Purple Reign. Chosen for their vivid color during the day, they are also the ones that are the most phosphorescent at night. The design of the HMX is otherwise untouched.
It is offered in stainless steel and grade-5 titanium case, with a jumping hour and trailing minutes module. The HMX "Black Badger" is not the watch the world needs, but it’s the watch the world wants. A limited edition of 18 pieces for each color, it will be priced at CHF 48,000.
Black Badger also re-interpreted MB&F’s first table clock, the Starlet Machine. It welcomes lume touches on the indication domes and hands, and around the movement to highlight the timekeeping elements of the clock. The new Starlet Machine will be priced at CHF 33,000.
More from MB&F and Black Badger here and here.
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