Musically inclined

Maximilian Büsser and his friends combine tunes and technology in a futuristic set-up,

When it comes to the ultimate in groundbreaking boys’ toys, Maximilian Büsser is a man in the know. The Swiss watchmaker set up his own label, MB&F (which stands for Maximilian Büsser & Friends), in 2005, and it quickly became known as the home of the most outrageously conceptual and technically advanced timepieces.

Not content with only revolutionising watches, Büsser has expanded beyond horology and into music, bringing his famous touch to bear on a rather unexpected medium—the music box—to celebrate his brand’s 10th anniversary. Launched in conjunction with Reuge, the renowned Swiss maker of music boxes, the Music Machine 3 (MM3) takes the idea of the traditional wind-up music machine and pretty much turns it on its head.

First, when it comes to melodies, banish all thoughts of tunes from The Nutcracker—the MM3 plays the themes from James Bond, The Godfather,

Mission: Impossible and Star Wars. And second, it looks more like a spaceship than a carousel, with a sleek design inspired by the Imperial Fleet’s TIE fighters from Star Wars.

However, while its looks may be inspired by a galaxy far, far way, inside, the MM3 is rather more traditional, relying on the mechanical system of old-fashioned music boxes to make it tick. The six melodies are divided between two traditional rollers, each scattered with close to 1,400 pins that are stroked by the 72 teeth of a comb to make the music happen.

Designed as the ultimate desktop accessory for the boy who loves a gadget, the MM3 is as fitting for a Star Wars fan as it is for those fascinated by the precision that goes into only the most innovative products. You might have thought a wind-up melody box would be the last thing you’d give the man who has everything—but this one could well be music to his ears.