What We Know
Maison Alcée jumped headlong into the watch community consciousness in 2023, winning the GPHG ‘Audacity Prize’ in recognition of the brand’s unique do-it-yourself, high horology, clock-building kits. Championed by Ben, who served on the GPHG jury that year, the French husband-and-wife team of Alcée and Benoit Montfort went on to craft a highly successful LE collaboration with Hodinkee (with lume!) that quickly sold out.
Now Alcée and Benoit are back with another collaboration that takes their clock-making kit to the next level. Collaborating with MB&F, who have long supported Maison Alcée by showcasing and selling their work at their Mad Gallery locations, the Maison Alcée x MB&F Nostromo leans hard into the well-established alien aesthetic the Geneva-based creative force is known for.
Adding to the intrigue is that this clock was designed by MB&F’s Creative Designer, Maximilian Maertens. He’s the young German who is slowly and purposefully starting to take the lead on some of MB&F’s pieces, as Max Büsser begins to step back and give up a bit of creative control over the collective brand project he founded more than two decades ago.
So what makes this Maison Alcée kit interesting and different? It’s certainly expressive of the MB&F design language, with the arched base legs or feet giving it an extraterrestrial personality. Maertens says he’s a fan of and inspired by the late Swiss artist H.R. Giger (check out the wild Giger Museum in Gruyères if you’re ever there), and the Nostromo takes its name from the spaceship from the first Alien film that Giger designed the creatures for.
While the clock kit is based on Maison Alcée’s original Persée kit, significant design changes have been made. Like the Persée, the movement is based on that of a wristwatch, built on a larger scale and marks out hours, minutes, and seconds. For the Nostromo kit, the clock has been turned on its side and can be rotated on its feet, creating an additional element of play once it is completed. The time display is also angled upwards for a better view of the dial, and the Nostromo also features an hour chime that can be enabled and disabled.
With a fourteen-day power reserve, the movement has been designed so that it can be assembled by anyone with the patience and time to produce high horology, in about 10 hours’ time. It is accompanied by an illustrated 250-page book, which serves as an instruction manual and includes QR codes for additional video explanations and support via a private discussion group. The kit also includes watchmaker tools, some of which have been specially developed for amateurs, with parts in beryllium copper to avoid scratches.
Underscoring the MB&Fness of the kit, the dial has been separated into single pieces and is in the M.A.D. Gallery’s signature ‘peacock blue.’ Once completed, the clock weighs 760 grams and measures 160 millimeters long by 135mm wide and 123mm high, and is constructed from stainless steel, brass, and German silver. The Nostromo hands have been reworked compared to the Persée and are black, emphasizing the contrast with the movement.
The Nostromo is a limited edition of 50 kits and is priced at CHF 12,000. You just have to add the time, patience, and a bit of skill to put it together.
Alcée and Benoit Montfort of Maison Alcée.
Maximilian Maertens of MB&F.
What We Think
We’re big fans of Maison Alcée and have long been supporters and advocates of their unique product that celebrates and immerses one in horology as few others can. Of course, MB&F is among the O.G. of independents, and we continue to be surprised and compelled by what comes out of the collective creative efforts of the brand. This collaboration is a natural fit, as MB&F and its M.A.D Galleries were the first to recognize and feature the mechanical art and creativity from Maison Alcée since its founding in 2021.
With a nod to Swiss artist H.R. Giger, the Nostromo looks and feels like a true MB&F timepiece and confirms Maximilian Maertens as the right choice as the creative heir apparent. The Maison Alcée x MB&F Nostromos gives you the opportunity to join the tribe and, with the mandate of assembling and building the clock, become a real contributor and participant in the ongoing legacy of MB&F.
The Basics
Brand: Maison Alcée X MB&F
Model: Nostromo
Pricing & Availability
Price: CHF 12,000 + VAT
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: Yes, 50 pieces
For more, click here.
