MB&F And Maison Alcée Create The Alien Inspired Nostromo
There are clocks that are designed to be admired and there are clocks that invite you to discover how they work. With Nostromo, MB&F and Maison Alcée have created something rather more unusual. It is a mechanical sculpture, a horological project and an opportunity to become the watchmaker behind the object on your desk.
Created to mark the 15th anniversary of the M.A.D.Gallery, Nostromo is the latest collaboration between MB&F and Maison Alcée, the young French maison founded in 2021 by husband and wife Alcée and Benoît Montfort (below). Where conventional clocks arrive finished and ready to use, Maison Alcée takes an altogether different approach. Its creations are designed to be assembled by their owners, transforming the act of construction into an essential part of the experience.
The relationship between the two companies is therefore a natural one. The M.A.D.Gallery has always celebrated mechanical art, creativity and the joy of discovery, while Maison Alcée has built its philosophy around the idea that luxury can be experienced through the act of making.
Its first clock, Persée, established the concept. Supplied as a kit containing more than 200 components, professional tools and a beautifully illustrated 250 page book, it allows enthusiasts to construct their own mechanical table clock. The project is deliberately serious. As Alcée Montfort explains, it was never intended to be a toy for adults but a genuine horological undertaking supported by clear instructions, video content and access to a private discussion group.
Nostromo takes that philosophy into a decidedly more extraterrestrial dimension. Designed by MB&F Creative Designer Maximilian Maertens and constructed by Maison Alcée, the new clock has been transformed from the familiar architecture of Persée into an alien like mechanical creature. Its name is itself a reference to outer space, being borrowed from the spaceship featured in the first Alien film.
Maertens has long been fascinated by the work of H.R. Giger and Nostromo gave him the opportunity to introduce something of that dark, organic aesthetic into a mechanical clock. Rather than simply altering the exterior, however, the design demanded a careful balance between visual expression and the practical requirements of a clock that had to remain accessible to amateur watchmakers.
The movement retains the fundamental architecture of Persée and is based on a wristwatch movement enlarged for the purpose. It displays hours, minutes and seconds and incorporates an hour chime that can be switched on or off. A substantial 14 day power reserve means that once assembled, Nostromo can run for two weeks before requiring another winding.
The real adventure begins with assembly. The clock contains 222 components and has been conceived so that even someone without professional watchmaking experience can take on the challenge. Approximately 10 hours are required to complete the process, with only the regulating organ supplied pre assembled.
Once the gears, wheels and pinions have been brought together, the transformation becomes apparent. Nostromo has been turned onto its side and given three organic feet that make the clock appear almost alive. It can be rotated on those feet, introducing an element of interaction that continues long after the assembly has been completed. The time display is angled upwards, making it easier to read, while the construction has been opened visually to expose more of the movement and its mechanical architecture.
One of the most distinctive changes is found on the dial. Rather than retaining the complete ring used for Persée, the dial has been separated into individual elements. Finished in the signature peacock blue associated with the M.A.D.Gallery, the pieces frame rather than conceal the movement. The black hands provide a strong contrast, while the open construction draws attention towards the gears and mechanisms beneath.
The result is unmistakably MB&F, but it is also something quite different from a conventional MB&F creation. Nostromo is not simply a finished mechanical object to place on a desk. It is an invitation to take it apart in reverse, understand its components and ultimately bring it to life.
That sense of participation lies at the heart of Maison Alcée. The company believes that the meaning of a luxury object can be transformed when its owner has invested time, concentration and craftsmanship into its creation. The philosophy has already received significant recognition, with Maison Alcée awarded the Audacity Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2023.
For MB&F, the collaboration also feels particularly appropriate as the M.A.D.Gallery reaches its 15th anniversary. What began in Geneva has developed into a global network extending from Dubai to MB&F Labs in Taipei, Singapore, Paris, Beverly Hills and Menlo Park, with New York more recently joining the family through the MB&F Lounge in Manhattan.
To celebrate the anniversary, the M.A.D.Gallery has invited a number of its mechanical artists to create special limited editions. Nostromo follows earlier anniversary collaborations with Frank Buchwald and Martin Smith of Laikingland, with further mechanical art creations scheduled to join the celebrations throughout 2026.
Limited to just 50 pieces, Nostromo occupies an intriguing space between clockmaking, mechanical sculpture and horological education. It asks its owner to do something increasingly rare in modern luxury. Rather than simply acquire the finished object, they must invest their own time in creating it.
And perhaps that is precisely what makes it so compelling. The finished Nostromo may look like something that has arrived from another world, but its most remarkable quality is decidedly human. It is a mechanical object whose ultimate value lies not only in what it is, but in the experience of making it.
Technical Specifications
Maison Alcée x MB&F Nostromo
Limited edition of 50 pieces
Functions
Hours, minutes and seconds
Hour chime that can be enabled and disabled
Power reserve
14 days power reserve
Components
222
Dimensions
Width: 160mm
Height: 123mm
Depth: 135mm
Weight
760g
Materials
Brass gears
Base plate, dial, axles, gears and base made from 316 stainless steel
Nickel silver bushes
316 Stainless steel spacers
Price
RRP CHF 12,000 + VAT
For more information please visit M.A.D.Gallery