Conceived by MB&F and manufactured by L’Epée 1839 – Switzerland's only specialised high-end clock manufacture – Arachnophobia is the result of MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser’s overactive imagination blending with his appreciation of art.
Arachnophobia was inspired by the giant spider Maman; a bronze, stainless steel and marble sculpture created by Louise Bourgeois that has been on display at many sites around the world including the Tate Modern, The Guggenheim, and Nationa Gallery of Canada. Measuring 9.27 x 8.91 x 10.24 metres, the monumental sculpture is instantly recognisable if not a little intimidating.
MB&F developed the highly unusual concept with Swiss / French clockmaker L’Epée, selecting a high-end L’Epée clock movement and re-imagining it as the mechanical head and torso of a spider.
The body is outfitted with a black dome with white numerals depicting the hours and minutes. The araneae’s self-sufficiency is to be admired, for the finely-finished, highly-visible movement boasts a power reserve of eight days.
At either end of Arachnophobia's time-displaying abdomen, important mechanical processes take place: the head houses the regulator with its oscillating balance wheel, while the other end contains the mainspring barrel, which powers the movement. Attached to the abdomen are eight visually enticing legs which can be rotated so that giving the impression of moving in a menacing fashion.
You can display the clock as a table clock, but thanks to a clever mounting system you can also display it as a wall clock, because who doesn't want a pretty realistic-looking 40.5 centimeter spider on their wall?
The clock is available in either black, or yellow 18k gold finishes, and if the design doesn’t spook you the price will, as it will set you back just over £10,000 for these limited edition pieces.
For more information, pictures and to see what else MB&F have designed then please head over to their website here.