With a name that already strikes fear without having to see, Arachnophobia simply means an extreme fear of spiders. Agreed, to overcome it, one must face it, and what better to have than a spider that tells the time. Inspired by the giant spider sculpture called Maman by Louis Bourgeois, Maximilian Büsser and L'Epée 1839 decided to create their very own sculpture in 2015 to celebrate the firm’s 10th anniversary.

Designed by MB&F and engineered by L'Epée 1839, the Arachnophobia is a testament of horological artistry and technical brilliance. Composed of a main body where the dial is located, with eight articulated legs movable with ball-and-socket joints, the regulator and oscillating balance is positioned on the “head” of the giant spider. Impressively, the table clock can be transformed into a wall clock in three positions including flat, tall and an attacking stance with its two front legs on high guard.

The hours and minutes are displayed on the spider’s body on a domed black surface with curved hands. The beautifully finished manually-wound caliber 1853H is wound by a key with an insert on the “belly” of the spider. With an 8-day power reserve, the Arachnophobia will only need to be wound once a week on a lazy Sunday.

Composed of 218 components and executed to impress, the MB&F X L'Epée 1839 Arachnophobia will certainly go down in the history of firm as one of the most fascinating pieces of mechanical art. A perfect gift for your loved ones with strong symptoms of arachnophobia looking for the perfect cure.