Independents

Even the best things have an end: HM3 bows out with its latest variant, the Magawind Final Edition. It is not a trivial event for MB & F because over the years, the HM3 had become  the most representative watch of the brand and at the same time the most favorable to undergo changes and transformations. Easier to wear than the HM1 and HM2 due to its more compact style, embodying for the first time a real three-dimensional time display, the HM3 influenced the next pieces of the collection more than it seemed at first glance. It contributed in any case to strongly increase the visibility of Max Büsser's brand and to foster its  dynamics of growth.






The choice to use a Magawind base for this  Final Edition is excellent news. The removal of the date display from the baseline HM3 frees up space for the use of a majestic oscillating winding mass whose movements both slower and more noticeable create nice kinematics to observe. And we touch here the key point of this particular rotor: it interacts with the surface behind it.

Because the HM3 Megawind Final Edition plays primarily  with a paradox: it is at the same time the darkest and the brightest HM3. The obscurity is found on the surfaces of the gold case treated with black PVD and on the rotor in gold and titanium which is also treated. If we had to stop at this stage this description, the result would be disappointing since this watch  would appear, at the end, as a Magawind with HM3 Rebel style. However, the HM3 has the little twist that places it into a new dimension.






Thanks to the SuperLumiNova GL Grade A C3, wisely used on the figures dedicated to the time display and on the segments located behind the rotor, the HM3 Megawind Final Edition offers more than a traditional luminescence to read the time in the dark. The domes thus become bright on both their sides and their upper parts dramatically reinforcing the embossed design of the Machine. But that's not all: thanks to the special speed of rotation of the rotor, the luminous segments disappear or reapper according to the movements of the wrist what produces a striking strobe effect! The choice of the Megawind base becomes clear in this context. This visual success is due to the efficiency of the luminescent substance whose green color, purety and brightness contribute to illuminate flawlessly the HM3.





The dominant black treatment has another virtue. It reduces the perceived size of the watch. It is a good point because if the wearing comfort remains as always excellent thanks to the efficiency of the folding clasp, it must be remembered that the dimensions of the HM3 remain relatively impressive especially when it comes to the thickness due to the size of the domes (47x50x17mm ). Nevertheless, thanks to its shape, its aesthetic harmony, the location of the crown at the top of the case, this size does not shock because it is consistent with the proposed functions. The domes need to be sufficiently high and wide to be readable and the top opening must be generous to make the show of the winding mass as spectacular as it can be... in bright conditions or in total darkness!

The movement remains the same, a GP base that powers an exclusive three-dimensional module developed by Agenhor:






As you can understand it, I was seduced by this very original way to say goodbye to the HM3. Rather than playing on a change in materials or colors, the MB&F team chose to put the HM3 into a different  and in some aspects, mesmerizing atmosphere. The only regret is finally having to wait the sunset to fully enjoy the features of this amazing machine which is sold in the context of a limited edition of 25 pieces.






Pros:
+ The HM3 Magawind base
+ The efficiency of the SuperLumiNova
+ The strobe effect
+ The comfort on the wrist

Cons:
- The machine reveals its full potential in the dark and the wait is long until night falls!

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