MB&F is primarily known, of course, for its Horological Machine wristwatches. However, anyone who's followed MB&F over the years, or visited MB&F's M.A.D. Galleries, which showcase unusual design objects ranging from electric guitars to motorcycles, knows that founder Max Büsser's interests go far beyond just watches. We've seen some very unusual clock designs from MB&F, produced in collaboration with L'Epée 1839, including the robot-like Balthazar and the Arachnophobia. MB&F has also done music boxes in collaboration with Reuge, inspired by various science fiction universes. MB&F's most recent collaboration is with another Swiss company: Caran d'Ache, which makes everything from crayon boxes for school children to high-end luxury writing instruments. The company was founded in 1915, and the name, rather improbably, was taken from the nickname of a famous French political satirist and cartoonist, Emmanuel Poiré, who had derived it from the Russian карандаш (karandash, the Russian for "pencil").

As with many other MB&F designs, the Astrograph pen is inspired by science fiction, as well as Max Büsser's memories of imagining pens as rocket ships during dull moments in classes and meetings. As with many of his designs, the Astrograph to a certain extent is all about taking an act of imagination to its logical conclusion in a physical object.