News: MB&F Balthazar for L'Epée 1839
It’s a story as old as mankind itself; the struggle between darkness and light. It’s been the inspiration for countless epic stories, from Homer’s Odyssey all the way through to Star Wars—and it’s also the idea behind MB&F’s imposing new robot clock, Balthazar. We previously took a look at the somewhat cuter MB&F Sherman, but this new timekeeping automaton is a different kettle of fish entirely.
Nearly 40 centimetres tall and weighing in at a hefty eight kilograms, Balthazar has something of a dual personality. On one side a smiling face greets you, his eyes doubling up as 20-second retrograde displays. His chest bears two subdials that display jumping hours and trailing minutes, while underneath sits a mighty 35-day power reserve. Spin him 180 degrees from his waist, however, and you’re on his bad side; a T-800-like face with red eyes stares balefully into the distance, while a dual hemisphere moon phase indicator—accurate for 122 years—is on display on his chest.
This mechanical automaton is a wonderful display of MB&F’s technical prowess and innovative take on timekeeping. Balthazar is made up of 618 components in total, and has moveable joints and limbs. Above his Jekyll and Hyde faces sits a clear dome, through which you can see the robot’s brain—the clock’s regulator, which is complete with an Incabloc shock protection system. As with the brand’s previous clockwork robots, the timepiece makes use of a custom created movement by L’Epée, and Balthazar features beautiful hand-finishing, despite its size.
Balthazar is available with black, silver, blue or green armour plating on his stately shoulders and arms, and 50 pieces have been created for each colour. He would definitely make for an impressive centrepiece for a living room—although you might want to turn him friendly-face out the next time you sit down to watch Terminator.
