MB&F has launched The Fifth Element, a UFO inspired horological space station which enables accurate weather forecasting even when the power level drops

The piece features four UFO elements: clock, barometer, hygrometer, and thermometer that come together to create an entity much larger than the sum of its parts: The Fifth Element.

If the storm hits and the power goes down, the Fifth Element will still work perfectly and if all else fails you can hitch a ride off planet Earth with Ross.

MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser was fascinated desktop weather stations of the last century, but frustrated in not finding the right vintage model for himself decided to create his own.

For the Fifth Element, L’Epée 1839 reengineered and skeletonised their 8-day clock movement to maximize transparency and visual access. Barometer Element The barometer, which measures air pressure, is the mainstay of weather forecasting: increasing air pressure foretells good clear weather, decreasing air pressure portends inclement weather.

The faster the change, the more extreme the coming weather. Hygrometer Element The hygrometer measures the percentage of water vapour in the air; it displays this as a percentage of the maximum amount of moisture that might be held at a given temperature. Thermometer Element Thermometers don’t simply measure temperature, but the average kinetic energy of a substance: the higher the temperature, the higher the energy. A thermometer is essentially a power reserve indication of the energy in the atmosphere around us.

The space-age weather station was only made possible thanks to L’Epée 1839, which mastered the precision manufacturing of the intricate series of curves and circles within circles that make up the large structure.

The weatherstation will surely put a smile on your face, with more than 500 individual components form the mother ship and its interchangeable Elements it is an enjoyable gadget to use. 

For the Fifth Element, that role goes to Ross: thanks to his own manually-wound, air-regulated movement, the alien pilot rotates around the UFO’s cockpit checking that the skies are clear of both clouds and hostile invaders.