DISCLAIMER: Contrary to the name of this MB&F timepiece, making skin contact with it will not result in you being poisoned with deadly venom. That is what would happen if you started handling actual poison dart frogs (though I believe you would have to bite into a few of the safer ones to get poisoned). Which is sad, because they are really cute little creatures. I totally want to travel to South American jungles and witness first hand the petite deadly amphibians hopping around on the jungle floor.
In this case, Poison Dart Frog is the name of the latest MB&F limited edition HM3 Frog watch. While I haven’t been counting, it does seem that MB&F has been releasing a few more limited edition watches lately. The boutique brand’s growing success gives them the ability to tackle more projects. I’ve written extensively on the HM3, HM3 Frog, and related limited editions. Just search aBlogtoRead.com for my previous articles as there are too many to link to in this article However, you can peruse a hands-on piece with HM3 Frog watch here.
The HM3 Poison Dart Frog is influenced the small black and yellow poison dart frog with the scientific name Dendrobates Leucomelas. It is otherwise known as the yellow-banded poison dart frog, and interestingly enough is among the larger poison dart frog species out there. Still, these are really small creatures with a size no bigger than about 4cm long. I learned something interesting about the yellow-banded poison dart frog’s venom. Apparently scientists believe that it does not create the poison on its own, but rather ingests and then secrets the venom through its skin after eating certain spiders. It is unknown exactly how this works or what arachnid it eats that allows for this venom transfer. Now if only you could use a watch as a defensive mechanism like that. I am waiting for the first watch with a pepper spray function.
In honor of Dendrobates Leucomelas this HM3 Poison Dart Frog watch comes in a PVD black zirconium case with 18k yellow gold accents in the form of case screws and the 22k gold automatic rotor. The rotor is actually 22k red gold but topped with 18 yellow gold. While yellow gold is a bit rare these days in watches like this, it makes sense as it not only matches well with black, but also fits the theme of the yell0w-banded poison dart frog.
Aside from color changes and being a limited edition – there isn’t anything revolutionary about the HM3 Poison Dart Frog. It is another way to enjoy the great looking HM3 Frog, which remains such an iconic and distinct MB&F timepiece design. MB&F likes to point out that unlike the actual yellow-banded poison dart frog which is mostly found in Venezuela, this watch will only be found in Singapore. I did a cursory check of frog species in Singapore and didn’t find any whose coloration patterns would lend themselves well to a luxury watch. MB&F’s local authorized retailer, The Hour Glass, will be the sole place you can pick up an HM3 Poison Dart Frog watch. MB&F has limited the production to just ten pieces and they will be priced by The Hour Glass at 129,400 Singapore dollars each.