Showing posts with label MB&F. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MB&F. Show all posts

Friday, March 24, 2023

MB&F – Legacy Machine Perpetual 44 mm

MB&FLegacy Machine Perpetual Steel 44 mm 2023

Reinventing the perpetual calendar

First launched in 2015, the LM Perpetual has been since crafted in red gold, platinum, white gold, titanium, yellow gold and palladium. In 2023, a new variation joins the family – the LM Perpetual Stainless Steel, carrying a rich salmon-coloured plate. The steel and salmon combination being a first for MB&F. The new edition also inherits the ergonomic corrector pushers first seen on the LM Perpetual EVO editions.

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Beginning with a blank sheet of paper, MB&F and independent Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell have completely reinvented that most traditional of horological complications: the perpetual calendar. The result is Legacy Machine Perpetual, featuring a visually stunning in-house movement – developed from the ground up to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional perpetual calendars.

The fact that the new complication looks sensational and can be fully appreciated dial-side is just one of the many benefits offered by the new movement, controlled by a mechanical processor.

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LM Perpetual features a fully integrated 581-component calibre − no module, no base movement − with a revolutionary new system for calculating the number of days in each month. And it holistically reinterprets the aesthetics of the perpetual calendar by placing the full complication on dial-free display underneath a spectacular suspended balance.

The perpetual calendar is one of the great traditional complications, calculating the apparently random complexity of the varying numbers of days in each month − including the 29 days in February during leap years. But traditional perpetual calendars do have a few drawbacks: dates can skip; they are relatively easy to damage if adjusted while the date is changing; and the complications are usually compromises of modules powered by base movements.

The fully integrated, purpose-built movement of Legacy Machine Perpetual has been designed from scratch for trouble-free use: no more skipping dates or jamming gears, and the adjuster pushers automatically deactivate when the calendar changes, so no problems there either!

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Traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms use a 31-day month as the default and basically "delete" superfluous dates for the months with fewer days – by fast-forwarding through the redundant dates during changeover. A traditional perpetual calendar changing from February 28 to March 1 scrolls quickly through the 29th, 30th and 31st to arrive at the 1st.

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LM Perpetual turns the traditional perpetual calendar system on its head by using a “mechanical processor” instead of the conventional space-consuming grand levier (big lever) system architecture. The mechanical processor utilises a default 28-day month and adds extra days as required. This means that each month always has the exact number of days required; there is no fast-forwarding or skipping redundant days. And while the leap year can only be set on traditional perpetual calendars by scrolling through up to 47 months, LM Perpetual has a dedicated quickset pusher to adjust the year.

With its open dial revealing the full complication and suspended balance, it's the harmonious mechanical beauty of LM Perpetual that really steals the show. And in an interesting technical twist, that eye-catching balance hovering on high is connected to the escapement on the back of the movement by what is likely to be the world's longest balance staff.

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Using an innovative system developed especially for Legacy Machine Perpetual, the subdials appear to "float" above the movement with no visible attachments. The skeletonised subdials rest on hidden studs, which is technically impossible with traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms because they would block the movement of the grand levier.

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Taking a clockwise tour of the dial, at 12 o'clock we see the hours and minutes nestled between the elegant arches of the balance; day of the week at 3 o'clock, power reserve indicator at 4 o'clock, month at 6 o'clock, retrograde leap year indicator at 7 o'clock, and date at 9 o'clock.

The Legacy Machine Perpetual won the Best Calendar Watch Prize at the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) in 2016.

INSPIRATION AND REALISATION

The Legacy Machine collection was conceived when MB&F owner and creative director Maximilian Büsser started fantasising. "What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear, and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but Grendizers, Star Wars, and fighter jets would not have been around for my inspiration. But I do have pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower, and Jules Verne, so what might my 1900s machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional." The result of this was Legacy Machine No.1, first launched in 2011 – followed later by LM2 and LM101.

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The LM Perpetual project began with a meeting between Maximilian Büsser and Northern Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. McDonnell had been a long-time Friend of the brand and played an instrumental role in the realisation of MB&F's very first timepiece, Horological Machine No.1. As Büsser was thinking of developing a perpetual calendar for the fourth watch in the Legacy Machine collection, McDonnell replied that he had an idea for a perpetual calendar that addresses many of the drawbacks associated with conventional examples.

Three years and a great many sleepless nights later, Legacy Machine Perpetual was born.

CONVENTIONAL PERPETUAL CALENDARS

Conventional perpetual calendars are generally modules comprising the complication, which is fitted on top of an existing movement. The calendar indications are synchronised by a long lever (in French: grand levier) running across the top of the complication and passing through the centre. As the date changes, this long lever transmits information to the appropriate components and mechanisms by moving backwards and forwards.

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The existence of the grand levier means that there can be nothing in the centre of the complication that might impede it – like a suspended balance with its staff running right down through the centre of the movement to an escapement on the back.

This lever also means that perpetual calendars require a full dial, which may have cut-outs or windows, as it is impossible to support subdials with studs because they would block the motion of the big lever mechanism.

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In the traditional grand levier system, perpetual calendars assume that, by default, all months have 31 days. At the end of months with less than 31 days, the mechanism quickly skips through the superfluous dates before arriving at the 1st of the new month. Any manipulation or adjustment of the date during changeover can result in damage to the mechanism, requiring expensive repairs by the manufacturer. The dates can also jump or skip during changeover, negating the whole point of the perpetual calendar in the first place, which is not requiring adjustment for years. Or decades.

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"I call perpetual calendars boomerang watches because they come back for repair so often,” says Maximilian Büsser. “The mechanisms jam, block, break, or jump days when they shouldn't."

MECHANICAL PROCESSOR

Legacy Machine Perpetual uses a “mechanical processor” consisting of a series of superimposed disks. This revolutionary processor takes the default number of days in the month at 28 – because, logically, all months have at least 28 days – and then adds the extra days as required by each individual month. This ensures that each month has exactly the right number of days. There is no "skipping over" redundant days, so there is no possibility of the date jumping incorrectly.

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Using a planetary cam, the mechanical processor also enables a quick setting of the year so that it displays correctly in the four-year leap year cycle, whereas traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms require the user to scroll through up to 47 months to arrive at the right month and year.
 
The mechanical processor also enables an inbuilt safety feature that disconnects the quickset pushers during the date changeover, eliminating any risk of damage while the date is changing.

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While the conception and development of this mechanical processor-controlled perpetual calendar complication is a noteworthy achievement in itself, Stephen McDonnell went even further by managing to place all 581 components of the movement in virtually the same-sized case as LM1.

OPENING UP A NEW WORLD OF PERPETUAL CALENDAR AESTHETICS

Doing away with the calendar’s big lever has allowed for completely new aesthetics not possible when conventional systems are in use. MB&F’s mechanical processor enables the centre of the complication to be used, thereby saving space and allowing design freedom as the full dial is no longer necessary.

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Legacy Machine Perpetual takes advantage of its fully integrated movement to place the perpetual calendar mechanism on top of the movement main plate so that it can be appreciated from above. Legibility is often an issue with perpetual calendars due to the sheer number of indications, and LM Perpetual addresses this by using skeletonised subdials (except for the time indication) that appear to float above the complication with no apparent support from below.

BALANCE ABOVE, ESCAPEMENT BELOW

In yet another innovation, Legacy Machine Perpetual uses what is likely to be the world's longest balance wheel pinion to connect that elegantly suspended balance, hovering above the top of the movement, to the escapement on the back of the movement. Ensuring the practicality and reliability of this approach was essential before any other development work began.

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While the view through the display back is animated by the escapement, it's the spectacular hand-finishing of the bridges and plates that really captivates the eye.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Model: Legacy Machine Perpetual 

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- Stainless steel with salmon face.

 
Legacy Machine Perpetual is available in three variations:

    - in platinum 950 with blue face (limited to 25 pieces);
    - in 18k red gold with grey face (limited to 25 pieces);
    - in 18k white gold with purple face (limited to 25 pieces);
    - in 18k white gold with dark grey face;
    - in grade 5 titanium with green face (limited to 50 pieces);
    - in 18k yellow gold with blue face (limited to 25 pieces);
    - in palladium 950 with aquamarine face (limited to 25 pieces);
    - in stainless steel with salmon face.
Engine
Fully integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring dial-side complication and mechanical processor system architecture with inbuilt safety mechanism. Manual winding with double mainspring barrels. Bespoke 14 mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws visible on top of the movement. Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style; internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings.
Screw down crown
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 18,000 bph / 2.5Hz
Number of components: 581
Number of jewels: 41

Functions/indications
Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicator
Case
Material: Stainless steel 
Available in three variations:  
18k 5N+ red gold, 18k white gold, 18k 3N yellow gold,  
Platinum 950, grade 5 Titanium  or Palladium 950.
Dimensions: 44 mm x 17.5 mm
Number of components: 70 components
Water resistance: 30 m / 90' / 3 atm
Sapphire crystals
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Strap & buckle
Black, grey, brown or blue hand-stitched alligator strap with gold / platinum / titanium or stainless steel folding buckle matching case material.


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Press release - 2023
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www.facebook.com - MBandF
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For more information, please contact
MB&F SA, Rue Verdaine 11, CH-1204 Genève, Switzerland
Charris Yadigaroglou  cy@mbandf.com +41 22 508 10 33.
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www.MBandF.com

Monday, January 9, 2023

M.A.D.Editions – M.A.D.1 RED Raffle Edition


 

M.A.D.EditionsM.A.D.1 RED Raffle watch Edition

Transcript of the video announcement by Maximilian Büsser,
Owner & Creative director of MB&F

Hello everyone! I have good news for you: the new M.A.D.1 is here! Give me a few minutes and I’ll give you the full story.

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So: if you’ve been following us, you probably remember that in June last year, we presented a timepiece called the M.A.D.1 – this was not an MB&F Machine, but a more accessible timepiece which we created under a different brand, M.A.D.Editions.

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At the time, I explained that I absolutely LOVE creating insane MB&F Machines – and I still do! – but their very high price, due to their complexity, production and quality of finishing, had created a bit of frustration in me: my family and friends could never afford them. That’s why I've been playing with the M.A.D.Editions side project for quite a while. Also, there was an enormous intellectual challenge in developing something creative at a much lower price point.

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The limited quantity of M.A.D.1’s we could make in 2021 (only a few hundred pieces) meant that in practice, we could not make them accessible to everyone. That's why we reserved them to two very precise groups of people: first, those we call officially "The Friends": the over 100 suppliers who have helped us create all our MB&F Machines all these years; and second, the members of "The Tribe", the owners of MB&F machines – the patrons who have made our adventure possible.

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The response to that M.A.D.1 was mind-blowing: in a matter of days, we were submerged by thousands of comments and messages on social media, begging us to make the M.A.D.1 available. After a few weeks, in early July, I posted a video to explain the thinking behind the M.A.D.1, and why it was limited to our Friends and Tribe members... and at the same time, I promised you that our team was working very hard on making a follow-up version, accessible to a wider public in 2022.

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So… as promised, here we are in 2022! We needed the time to organize ourselves, because M.A.D.Editions remain a side project; it has always been clear in my mind that M.A.D.1 could not put our MB&F operations in danger. We also wanted to propose a slightly different timepiece, because the original M.A.D.1 should remain exclusive to the Friends and the Tribe. We’re now ready with that follow-up version, which we’ve called… M.A.D.1 RED!

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It’s built on the same platform as the original M.A.D.1, with the same crazy case structure. It has the same lateral time display, with two rotating cylinders for the hours and minutes. The upside-down modified Miyota movement is powered by the triple-blade winding rotor in titanium and tungsten (that’s the star of the show – especially when the Super-LumiNova kicks in!). But the M.A.D.1 RED also has its own special features: we've traded the original blue for a very cool cherry red, we've made the bezel just a bit slimmer, and the winding and time setting is now done with a more classic, round winding crown. To make the M.A.D.Editions project sustainable in the long term – because we do have long-term plans for it! – the price of the M.A.D.1 RED is 2900 Swiss francs before tax.

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So, now for the tricky part: how will we distribute these new pieces? We’ve had endless discussions with the team and come up with what we think is the fairest solution. First, among the countless reactions of the last 10 months, some of you actually took the time to write and send us an email. We’ve been carefully registering those written interests, and we’ve decided that they get first priority. There's no obligation of course, but we are first contacting them to check whether they’d like to place their order, within the next 10 days.

By the way – and this is very important! – if you didn’t write to us yet, there’s no need to write now – we’ve closed that list. However, you DO have another chance to get a M.A.D.1 RED, which I’ll explain now.

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Once we have the confirmations of the priority orders, we’ll then take all the remaining M.A.D.1 RED pieces available, and allocate them thanks to a lottery, open to everyone. If you're interested in participating in the lottery, which is of course totally free of charge, please go to our eShop to obtain a lottery ticket – and relax, there's no rush, you have the next 2 weeks to get a ticket. After 2 weeks we’ll then proceed with a random draw, and we’ll let you know whether the draw has been favourable to you – in which case you will be able to place your order.

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Deliveries of the M.A.D.1 REDs will start in April and continue throughout the rest of this year. The first deliveries will go to those of you who wrote to us, and when those orders are served, we’ll start delivering the lottery winners – most likely between September and December. We’re working very hard on making the wait as short as possible!

You’ll find all this information and the link to the lottery at our eShop, at: 👉
https://shop.madgallery.ch/

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MB&F has always been about building communities around creative projects – and we’re incredibly proud and pleased to build a new community around M.A.D.1!

Thanks again to everyone and good luck if you participate in the lottery!

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
 

Model: M.A.D.1 RED Raffle Edition

 
ENGINE
Inverted Miyota 821A automatic movement with winding rotor on top and lateral time display system.
Revolving hour and minute rings in aluminium alloy, engraved numbers with Super-LumiNova.
Winding rotor in titanium and tungsten, Super-LumiNova highlights.
Power reserve: 60 hours.
Frequency: 3 Hz / 21'600 a/h.

CASE
Frame material: stainless steel.
Sapphire crystal on top, main section in mineral glass.
Diameter 42 mm, height 18.8 mm.
Water resistance: 30 m / 90 ft / 3 ATM
STRAP & BUCKLE
Black calfskin leather with red stitching.
Folding buckle in stainless steel.

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www.facebook.com - mbfmadgallery 
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www.MADgallery.net 

Thursday, September 1, 2022

MB&F – Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO Edition

 

MB&FLegacy Machine Split Escapement EVO and Split Escapement EVO Beverly Hills Edition - 2022

The EVO collection grows in importance

Following the LM Perpetual EVO, the LM Sequential EVO, and the LM Split Escapement EVO (first introduced as a limited edition for the United Arab Emirates’ 50th anniversary), MB&F is now introducing two new EVO editions, proving that EVO is becoming a collection in its own right. 

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THE STORY OF THE LM SPLIT ESCAPEMENT

Like all good stories, it is worth starting at the very beginning. The idea behind the LM Split Escapement started life in 2015 with the LM Perpetual. Designed and conceived by Northern Irish master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, there were two criteria for the perpetual calendar: make it fool-proof; and display MB&F’s signature flying balance wheel in the centre of the dial. McDonnell was soon to realise that there was a problem: there was nowhere to put the escapement. The concept had worked with previous Legacy Machines, where the balance wheel was on the front of the watch along with the escapement, but with the perpetual calendar display of the more complex LM Perpetual, there was simply no room for both.

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A man of solutions, McDonnell had the ingenious idea of creating the world’s longest balance staff that would traverse the entire movement, leaving the large balance wheel on its own, on the front of the watch, and moving the remaining parts of the escapement – anchor and escape wheel – to the opposite side of the movement, almost 12 mm below; hence the name ‘Split Escapement’.

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When the LM Perpetual was unveiled, there were so many innovations to talk about that the split escapement went largely unnoticed. So, in 2017, MB&F decided to create the LM Split Escapement (LM SE) to highlight McDonnell’s genius idea. The manual-winding, 298-component movement is driven by double barrels providing 72 hours of power reserve, and features a user-friendly, foolproof rapid date-changing system that prevents the user from inadvertently damaging the movement when adjusting the date.

EVO-LUTION

The first editions of the LM Split Escapement were presented in MB&F’s classic Legacy Machine case – but the collection now also features the EVO case, conceived for a more active lifestyle.

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This new case design first came to life in 2020 in the form of the LM Perpetual EVO; it features 80 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap and a bezel-free design. But the EVO concept goes deeper: inside the case, the movement is suspended thanks to a world-premiere, monobloc shock-absorbing “FlexRing” system, dampening the kind of vertical and horizontal shocks that come with real-life adventures.

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After the LM Perpetual EVO, the EVO case worked its way further into the Legacy Machine collection: most recently and with a bang, in the form of MB&F’s first-ever chronograph, the LM Sequential EVO. But previously and more discreetly, with a 10-piece limited edition LM Split Escapement EVO, presented quietly on the occasion of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee.

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In addition to the EVO case, that Golden Jubilee edition featured a change that radically modified the design of the LM Split Escapement: the entire mechanism was rotated clockwise by 30 degrees, with the crown at 4:30 instead of 2 o’clock – completely changing the symmetry of the watch, giving it a totally new character.

THE NEW ICY-COOL EDITION

MB&F is now unveiling not one, but two new LM SE EVO editions. The first comes in grade 5 titanium with an icy blue base plate and slate grey dial and opened counters that will make you shiver, in a good way.

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Another feature is the special darkened treatment on the movement side, creating heightened contrast between the wheels, the rhodium-plated barrels and the rose gold details – symbolically echoing the contrast between the active, contemporary nature of the EVO collection and the traditional finishing of the movement. MB&F is one of only a handful of artisanal brands that continue to finish components painstakingly by hand, making the view of the movement as mesmerizing as the dial.

THE BEVERLY HILLS EDITION
 
The second edition is the first of a series of limited editions that will be reserved exclusively for the MB&F LABs – a new retail format building on the success of MB&F’s M.A.D.Galleries, combining MB&F timepieces with a limited number of art pieces, but adapted to spaces not quite large enough to host a full-fledged M.A.D.Gallery. 
 
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This year should see the opening of MB&F LABs in Paris, Singapore and Beverly Hills – with this edition having been designed exclusively for the one on Los AngelesRodeo Drive.

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The Beverly Hills MB&F LAB is managed by the renowned American watch retailer Westime, who has not only been a partner of the brand since the very beginning, but is also one of the first to open an MB&F LAB

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This new edition of 25 pieces comes in Westime’s corporate colours of blue and black with a striking black base plate and metallic blue dial and open counters. It will be the only MB&F LAB edition released this year.  

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:   LEGACY MACHINE SPLIT ESCAPEMENT EVO

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MB&FLM Split Escapement EVO

Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO is available in two versions:
  • - Ti version: grade 5 titanium case with pastel blue baseplate and dark grey dials.
  • - Beverly Hills edition: limited edition of 25 pieces in grade 5 titanium case with black baseplate and blue dials.

 Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

MB&FLM Split Escapement EVO Beverly Hills Edition

Engine
Movement developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell.
Split escapement with the balance wheel suspended above the dial and the anchor under the movement.
Manual winding with double mainspring barrels.
Bespoke 14mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws visible on top of the movement.
Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th-century style; bevelled internal angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings.
FlexRing: an annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along the vertical and lateral axes.
Super-LumiNova on numerals and hands.
Screw down crown.
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 2.5Hz / 18,000bph
Number of components: 298
Number of jewels: 35
Functions & indications
Hours, minutes, date and power-reserve indicators.
Push-button next to the date dial for quick adjustment of the date.
Case
Material: grade 5 titanium
Dimensions: 44 x 17.5mm
Number of components: 52
Water resistance: 80m / 8ATM / 270 feet
Sapphire crystals
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Strap & buckle
Integrated rubber strap with titanium folding buckle.

'FRIENDS' RESPONSIBLE FOR LEGACY MACHINE
SPLIT ESCAPEMENT EVO

Concept: Maximilian Büsser / MB&F
Product design: Eric Giroud / Through the Looking Glass
Technical and production management: Serge Kriknoff / MB&F
Movement design and finish specifications: Stephen McDonnell and MB&F
Movement development: Stephen McDonnell and MB&F
R&D: Thomas Lorenzato, Joey Miserez, Maël Mendel and Pierre-Alexandre Gamet / MB&F

Wheels, bridges, pinions and axis: Jean-François Mojon / Chronode, Atokalpa, Paul-André Tendon / Bandi, Daniel Gumy / Decobar Swiss, Rodrigue Baume / HorloFab, DMP, and Le Temps Retrouvé.
Balance wheel: Andréas Kurt / Precision Engineering, Benjamin Signoud / AMECAP and Marc Bolis / 2B8
Barrel: Stefan Schwab / Schwab-Feller and Swiss Manufacturing
Perpetual calendar parts: Alain Pellet / Elefil
Hand-engraving of movement: Glypto
FlexRing: Laser Automation
Hand-finishing of movement components: Jacques-Adrien Rochat and Denis Garcia / C-L Rochat
PVD/CVD-treatment: Pierre-Albert Steinmann / Positive Coating
Case and movements components: Alain Lemarchand, Jean-Baptiste Prétot, Stéphanie Carvalho and Fabien Ramazzina / MB&F
Movement assemblage: Didier Dumas, Georges Veisy, Anne Guiter, Emmanuel Maitre, Henri Porteboeuf and Mathieu Lecoultre / MB&F
After-Sales service: Thomas Imberti / MB&F
Quality Control: Cyril Fallet and Jennifer Longuepez / MB&F
Case decoration: Sandra Lambert / Bripoli, Giuseppe Di Stefano / STG Création
Dial: Hassan Chaïba and Virginie Duval / Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horloger
Super-LumiNova on the dials: Frédérique Thierry / Monyco
Buckle: G&F Chatelain
Crown and correctors: Cheval Frères
Hands: Waeber HMS
Sapphire crystals: Stettler
Anti-refection treatment for sapphire crystals: Anthony Schwab / Econorm
Strap: Thierry Rognon / Valiance, BIWI
Presentation box: Olivier Berthon / Soixanteetonze
Logistics and production: David Lamy, Ashley Moussier, Fanny Boutier, Houda Fayroud and Mélanie Ataide / MB&F

Marketing & Communication: Charris Yadigaroglou, Vanessa André, Arnaud Légeret and Paul Gay / MB&F
M.A.D.Gallery: Hervé Estienne / MB&F
Sales: Thibault Verdonckt, Virginie Marchon, Cédric Roussel, Jean-Marc Bories and Augustin Chivot / MB&F
Graphic design: Sidonie Bays / MB&F
Product photography: Maarten van der Ende and Laurent-Xavier Moulin
Portrait photography: Régis Golay / Federal
Webmaster: Stéphane Balet / Idéative
Film: Marc-André Deschoux / MAD LUX, Manouil Karapetsis and Dominik Lang / Brosky Media
Texts: Sophie Furley / WorldTempus

---------------------------------
Press Release - 2022
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------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - MBandF
-----------------------------------------------
For more information, please contact
MB&F SA, Rue Verdaine 11, CH-1204 Genève, Switzerland
Charris Yadigaroglou  cy@mbandf.com +41 22 508 10 33.
---------------------------------------------------------
www.MBandF.com

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

MB&F – LM Sequential EVO Chronographs

 

MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential EVO Chronographs Zirconium 2022

 LEGACY MACHINE SEQUENTIAL EVO
One movement. Two chronographs. Multiple timing modes.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

The quick facts

  •     LM Sequential EVO is MB&F’s 20thcalibre in just 17 years – and its first-ever chronograph.
  •     Conceived with Stephen McDonnell, who previously reinvented for MB&F the perpetual calendar complication with the award-winning LM Perpetual.
  •     The LM Sequential EVO movement incorporates two column-wheel chronographs and a groundbreaking “Twinverter” binary switch, allowing multiple timing modes including split-second and lap timer modes – a combination never seen before in any chronograph.
  •     The EVO case in zirconium features 80 metres of water resistance, screw-down crown, integrated rubber strap and the ‘FlexRing’ damping system.

Beyond the chronograph

Maximilian Büsser never said that MB&F would never make a chronograph. What hedid say is that MB&F would never make a chronograph like all the other chronographs out there. Those who spoke the language of MB&F always knew what this meant. All good things come with time; better things come with more time, and after 17 years of creating horological art, MB&F brings us something better.

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Introducing Legacy Machine Sequential EVO, featuring the debut appearance of MB&F’s 20th movement, in the first chronograph wristwatch of MB&F.Indeed, it isalso the first chronograph wristwatch of its kind.

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Conceived by one of the very earliest MB&F collaborators and Friends, Stephen McDonnell, LM Sequential EVO explodes the current limits of what we thought chronographs could do. Just like the 2015 👆Legacy Machine Perpetual, the last major Stephen McDonnell movement for MB&F, LM Sequential EVO involved a back-to-the-drawing-board approach towards our most basic assumptions on chronograph construction.

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The dial plate of LM Sequential EVO, available in atomic orange or coal black, features two chronograph displays. One has its seconds display at 9 o’clock and minutes display at 11 o’clock. The other has its seconds display at 3 o’clock and minutes display at 1 o’clock. 

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Each of these chronograph displays can be started, stopped, and reset completely independently of each other, using the start/stop and reset pushers on their respective sides of the case. These make up the four chronograph pushers you would usually associate with having two chronograph mechanisms in one watch.

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However, there is a fifth pusher, located at the 9 o’clock position: the “Twinverter”. This pusheris the secret that elevates the functionality of the LM Sequential EVO beyond any existing chronograph wristwatch. It controls both chronograph systems, operating as a binary switch that inverts the current start/stop status of each chronograph. 

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This means that if both chronograph displays happen to be stopped (at zero position or otherwise), pressing the Twinverter will cause both of them to start simultaneously. If they are both running, the Twinverter makes them stop. If one is running and the other is stopped, the Twinverterstops the one that is running and starts the one that is stopped.

Multiple timing modes

LM Sequential EVO can therefore be used just as you would any other chronograph, but thanks to its twin chronograph mechanisms, it can also perform the same functionsas a split-seconds chronograph. In fact, thanks to the novel mechanical improvements to chronograph construction as conceived and implemented by Stephen McDonnell, it even outperforms conventional chronographs and split-seconds chronographs in terms of energy efficiency and precision.

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But there’s much more: the switch function that comes with the Twinverter allows LM Sequential EVO to do things that no chronograph wristwatch, no matter how complicated, has been able to accomplish so far. Here are a few things that theLM Sequential EVO can do, that existing chronographs cannot:

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  •     “Independent mode”: measure the duration of multiple events with separate starting points and end points, even when the events overlap in timing;
  •     “Simultaneous mode”: measure the individual durations of two events that start simultaneously, but have different end points;
  •     “Cumulative mode”: measure the individual cumulative durations of two discontinuous events;
  •     “Sequential mode (or lap mode)”: measure the individual sub-durations of a single continuous multi-phase event, with provision for sub-durations that last over a minute.

Simultaneous mode is used for example in a race involving two competitors, starting simultaneously. The Twinverter allows to start both chronographs at exactly the same time, but the different end points can be easily recorded by pressing each chronograph’s individual start/stop pusher. To note, the durations of the events can exceed 60seconds, which is the limit for the vast majority of split-second chronographs on the market.

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Cumulative mode occurs frequently in the work environment, where you might want to know how much time you spend on two separate projects as you switch between them throughout the day. By starting one chronograph when you begin working on one task, and then using the Twinverter when you shift focus to the second task (switching again when you go back to the first), you can easily track the amount of time you cumulatively spend on each task. Another example of this usage is the timing of a chess match.

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Sequential mode (or lap mode) has its greatest relevance in competitive sports, where it can be used to measure individual lap times. Starting one chronograph at the beginning of an event and using the Twinverter upon the completion of a lap instantly launches the second chronograph in order to time the next lap, while the first chronograph is stopped, allowing ample time for the timing result to be noted down.The stopped chronograph can then be reset to zero, ready to be relaunched with the Twinverterfor the following lap. Thanks to its minutestotalisers, LM Sequential EVO can be used effectivelyin sporting events with average lap times of over a minute (which includes the vast majority of lap-racing sports).

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Independent modecan be used for instance in the preparation of a meal, where different things need to be cooked for different periods of time, at different points in time. You would operate the two chronograph mechanisms via their respective pushers — for instance, starting one when you put your pasta into boiling water and starting the other when the vegetables go in the oven. In fact, this application of LM Sequential EVO comes in handy in all areas of personal productivity. At the gym, for example, when trying to optimise your physical workout routine, one chronograph can be set to time your entire session whilst the second is used to record your time at each station, or the downtime in between.

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Most other high-concept chronographs that are designed to increase the uses of the chronograph go about it by tailoring the mechanism towards highly specific, sports-oriented situations. In comparison, LM Sequential EVO operates in every aspect of daily life, in contexts familiar to all of us. Its zirconium case, 80 metres of water resistance and internal “FlexRing” damping system give unprecedented resilience to a movement this complex. All this makes the “EVO” collection a natural home for MB&F’s first chronograph, reinforcing the identity set in place when the first EVO – the LM Perpetual EVO – was established in 2020: “not a watch for sports, a watch for life”.

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After all, despite its mechanical profundity, LM Sequential EVO is easy to use, and more importantly, itis actually useful. You might even wonder why no one has done it before. When you think about it, it seems so intuitive; as straightforward as 1-2-3. One watch, with two chronograph mechanisms, that can be used in multiple ways.

Switching it up: more about the engine

The Twinverter, the innovative fifth chronograph pusher conceived by the brilliant mind of Stephen McDonnell, may seem like a completely novel idea — and in many ways it is. Those familiar with chronograph history, however, will recognise the roots of this concept in early chronograph systems.

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The word chronograph has Greek etymological roots. The first part comes from χρόνος (chrónos), meaning time, as seen in words such as chronology and chronicle. The second part is derived from γρᾰ́φω (gráphō), meaning to write, to make a written record of something. Just as a phonograph describes a system of recorded sound and a photograph is recorded light, a chronograph gives us recorded time. In the early 19th century, chronographs were associated with horseracing, developed according to the necessity to precisely determine the timing results of such a fast-paced sport. These early chronographs used droplets of ink to mark timings on dials even as they continued to run, allowing specific timings to be preserved for the record (at least until the chronograph was stopped and the dial wiped clean for the next race).

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Subsequent developments of chronograph apparatuses, also related to track events, included a lever, connected to multiple individual chronographs so that they could all be started simultaneously instead of having multiple timers operated separately (a sub-optimal system that inevitably incorporated small differences between the starting times of each).

When Maximilian Büsser spoke to Stephen McDonnell in 2016, raising the possibilityof a follow-up to Legacy Machine Perpetual (2015), the response from Stephen was four words long: “I have an idea.”It was a response as cryptic as it was exciting, particularly if you knew the kind of ideas that came from the mind of Stephen McDonnell.That conversation with Max accelerated a train of thought that Stephen had been mulling over for some time — that most modern chronographs were unable to adequately perform the job they had been designed for.

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The combined chronograph lever immediately suggested itself to him as a way to ensure that race events could be measured with maximum precision with a manually operated mechanical chronograph. Allowing the chronographs systems to be operated separately meant that different timings could be taken and preserved long enough for the results to be recorded.

From then on, the various solutions fell into place. Using two separate chronograph mechanisms linked to the same oscillator — an idea practically made for the Legacy Machine, with its central flying balance wheel — meant that timing errors due to tiny chronometric discrepancies between different timers would be eliminated.

Stephen McDonnell continued to refine his vision of the ideal chronograph, reconfiguring the chronograph vertical clutch to sit within the main gear train in order to eliminate the infamous flutter of the chronograph seconds hand without the need for an amplitude-draining friction spring.He incorporated internally jewelledchronograph clutch shafts that would make amplitude fluctuation between the active and inactive modes of the chronograph a thing of history.

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The crowning touch to Stephen McDonnell’s ideal chronograph, augmenting the role played by the combined starting lever in historical chronograph systems, is the Twinverter concept. The ability to toggle instantly between chronograph operating modes directly opens up this age-old complication to be used in a variety of situations in modern daily life. It is the programming logic gate of mechanical watchmaking, a system that could have been devised only by the creator of the mechanical processor at the heart of Legacy Machine Perpetual.

The EVO evolves: more about the EVO collection

Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO was launched in👇2020, introducing the EVO collection into the world of MB&F. Based on the established codes of the Legacy Machine collection, EVO placed wearability, robustness and versatility at the core of its identity.

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Zirconium was used in the launch edition of the LM Perpetual EVO, and is now the debut case material for the LM Sequential EVO. It is a silvery-grey metal admired for its deep lustre, that is lighter than stainless steel and more durable than titanium. Coupled with these exceptional properties, its hypoallergenic and anti-microbial attributes make it ideal for an active-lifestyle watch. Because zirconium is known to spontaneously ignite in powdered form, it can be highly dangerous to machine except under strict environmentally controlled conditions, explaining its rarity in the world of watchmaking.

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A no-bezel case design emphasises the movement within, allowing the finely balanced and symmetrical work of Stephen McDonnell to be fully showcased. In LM Sequential EVO, the iconic sapphire-crystal dome characteristic of the LM collection underwent a complicated shift in geometry in order to accommodate the placement of the 3Hz (21,600vph) suspended balance in relation to the chronograph displays. 

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Despite the final appearance of the dial crystal — forming a perfectly smooth arch — there are actually two subtle (and difficult to achieve) angles incorporated within the camber of the crystal in order to minimise the overall height of LM Sequential EVO when worn on the wrist. An integrated rubber strap, an essential EVO feature, makes for the smoothest wearing experience of any MB&F Machine ever.

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Providing further comfort for the wearer (both on the wrist and in the mind), EVO utilisesan annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along both vertical and lateral axes : the FlexRing. Machined from a single block of stainless steel, the dampener imparts exceptional robustness to the movement within, ensuring that EVO remains a watch that can and will follow you through all aspects of an active life.

Dream-maker meets watchmaker: more about Max and Stephen

Those who know the story of MB&F,will know that Northern Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell is counted among the key figures who brought the first creations of Max Büsser into the world. He was one of the handful of watchmakers who assembled the first few movements for what would become Horological Machine N°1

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A decade later, Stephen McDonnell re-entered the world of MB&F to develop the Legacy Machine Perpetual: a groundbreaking approach to one of the most prestigious traditional high complications, the perpetual calendar. His philosophy of watchmaking is directly complementary to that of Max, taking a blue-sky approach to practical horology, compared to Max’s way of turning space-age fantasies into wrist-worn realities. 

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They both have a knack for answering questions that most of us even realised we were asking. It is conceivable that in a parallel universe, one where the LM Sequential EVO Twinvertercould be used on people, it would link Max and Stephen even further as watchmaking inverses of each other.

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As MB&F enters the last stretch of its second decade, it’s appropriate that someone who helped the brand come to life is instrumental in bringing it to a new level of horological legitimacy. The 20thcalibre of MB&F is more than a recorder of time. It is a recorder of history — between Maximilian Büsser, the brand he created, and the watchmaker who was there from the beginning. 

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:   
  • LM SEQUENTIAL EVOAtomic Orange CVD dial Ref. 09.ZR.OR 
  • LM SEQUENTIAL EVOCoal Black PVD dial Ref. 09.ZR.BL

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Legacy Machine Sequential EVO launches in two zirconium editions: with atomic orange dial plate (orange CVD) and with coal black dial plate (black PVD).

Engine
Fully integrated dual chronograph system developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring Twinverter switch allowing multiple timing modes.
Manual winding with double mainspring.
72 hours (3 days) power reserve.
Flying balance wheel with regulating screws at 12 o’clock, Breguet overcoil.
Superlative hand finishing; internal bevel angles highlighting handcraft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings, darkened bridges (NAC finish).
Galvanic black dials with Super-LumiNovaon numerals and hands.
Balance frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vph).
Number of components: 585.
Number of jewels: 59.

Functions

  • Time display (hours/minutes) at 6 o’clock.
  • Left chronograph :seconds displayed at 9 o’clock and minutes at 11 o’clock; start/stop pusher at 10 o’clock and reset at 8 o’clock.
  • Right chronograph :seconds displayed at 3 o’clock and minutes at 1 o’clock; start/stop pusher at 2 o’clock and reset at 4 o’clock.
  • Twinverter pusher at 9 o’clock: binary switch that inverts the current start/stop status of both chronographs.
  • Power reserve indication at the back of the movement.

Case
Material: Zirconium.
Dimensions : diameter 44mm xheight 18.2mm.
Number of components :74.
Water resistance : 80m / 8ATM / 270 feet.
Screw down crown.
FlexRing annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along the vertical and lateral axes.
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Strap & buckle
Integrated rubber strap with titanium folding buckle.

Price: (all prices before taxes)

CHF 160,000
EUR 160,000
USD 180,000


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MB&F 20 CALIBRES IN 17 YEARS

2005 2022

2005    Establishment of MB&F

2007    HM1

The “Foundation Piece”; the figure-eight shape of the case symbolises MB&F, the meeting of two worlds: on one side “MB” (Maximilian Büsser), on the other “the Friends” – the many artisans who bring Max’s ideas to life. HM1’s unconventional, 3-dimensional case and movement design give a blueprint for MB&F’s future Machines.

2008    HM2

The first of many science-fiction inspired Horological Machines, HM2 features an architectural case constructed like a space platform, containing a highly complex movement: instantaneous jumping hours, concentric retrograde minutes, retrograde date and bi-hemisphere moon-phase display.

2009    HM3

The Horological Machine that confirmed MB&F’s 3-dimensional approach to watchmaking. Designed like a spaceship, the HM3 Sidewinder and Starcruiserwould be followedlater by the HM3 Frog, a rounder, more organic version.

2010    HM4 Thunderbolt

Inspired by Maximilian Büsser’schildhood passion for model aircraft, the apparent simplicity of HM4’s display (hours and minutes on the right, power reserve on the left) contrasts with the highly complex, almost anarchistic case and movement design. The watch world is stunned and the HM4 goes on to win the award for Best Design Watch at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

2011    LM1

After four unconventional Horological Machines, MB&F surprises the watchmaking world again by launching Legacy Machine No1, inaugurating a new collection of more classic timepieces. A year later, LM1 wins not just one but two awards at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève: the Public Prize and Best Men’s Watch Prize.

2012    HM5 On the Road Again

The first of MB&F’s driver watches, a logical development given Maximilian Büsser’s dreamas a young man of becoming a car designer. Designed like a supercar, the HM5 calibre combines mechanical engineering (the automatic movement) with high-precision optical engineering (sapphire crystal prisms for the time display).

2013    LM2

Two years after the first Legacy Machine, Legacy Machine No.2 demonstrates that MB&F is committed to developing the Legacy Machine collection, with a complex timepiece revisiting the works of famous watchmakers on double regulator systems. Two fully independent regulators are averaged by a central differential.

2014    LM101

With Legacy Machine 101, MB&F focuses on the essentials of a mechanical wristwatch; the LM101 calibre is also the first entirely conceived by MB&F’s in-house engineering team, the first of many to follow.

2014    HM6 Space Pirate

Another Horological Machine created from MaximilianBüsser’s fascination for science fiction: in this case, the multi-spherical spaceship of a Japanese TV anime character, “Captain Future”. The HM6 also inaugurates a more organic, biomorphic design language at MB&F.

2015    HMX

The second of MB&F’s supercar-inspired timepieces, HMX celebrates MB&F’s 10th anniversary. Instead of developing an ultra-complicated, ultra-expensive anniversary timepiece – standard practice in the luxury world – MB&F cuts margins without sacrificing quality, offering a true Horological Machine at an unprecedented price.

2015    LM Perpetual

MB&F teams up with independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell to reinvent the traditional perpetual calendar mechanism. The result is the ground-breaking Legacy Machine Perpetual, offering reliability and user-friendliness. At the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the Best Calendar Watch Prize goes to the LM Perpetual.

2016    HM8 Can-Am

The third of MB&F’s automotive-inspired Machines, HM8 is also a tribute to the insanely-powerful Can-Am racing cars of the late 1960s and 70s, featuring titanium rollbarssweeping from the top of the front of the Machine down to the tapered back, along with a fully visible winding rotor.

2017    HM7 Aquapod

For the first time, MB&F’s Horological Machines leave the sky, the road and space to take a plunge in the water, with a Machine inspired by an encounter with a jellyfish. The organic case design houses an automatic calibre topped by a central 60-second flying tourbillon. A “floating” unidirectional rotating bezel completes the aquatic nature of HM7 Aquapod.

2017    LM SE

Again with Stephen McDonnell, MB&F presents the LM Split Escapement (LM SE), showcasing the beauty of the flying balance wheel and the split escapement initially conceived for the LM Perpetual.

In 2021, the LM SE will serve as the canvas for a series of 8Jules Verne-inspired unique pieces created with Master Engraver Eddy Jaquet. The series wins the 2021 Artistic Crafts Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

2018    HM9 Flow

Inspired by the aerodynamic profiles of automotive and aviation mid-century design, HM9 Flow treads the path opened by the HM4 Thunderbolt and HM6 Space Pirate. The complex calibre within revisits the dual regulator system first seen in the LM2.

2019    LM FlyingT

Maximilian Büsser chooses the Legacy Machine collection to launch his first timepiece inspiredby the women in his family, the LM FlyingT. Later the same year,LM FlyingTwins the prize for Best Ladies’ Complication at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

2019    LM Thunderdome

MB&F, Kari Voutilainen and famed watchmaker Eric Coudray break a world record with the LM Thunderdome, the world’s fastest triple-axis regulator featuring three axes revolving in 8 seconds, 12 seconds and 20 seconds.

2020    HM10 Bulldog

Designed like a bulldog, the HM10 offers a “best of” previous MB&F Machines: an unconventional case, separate winding crowns, revolving hour and minute domes, a flying balance wheel… and a 3-dimensional power-reserve indicator, formed by the Bulldog’s jaws which open and close to display remaining energy.

2021    LMX

As its name implies, LMX celebrates 10 years of Legacy Machines (2011 – 2021). Echoing the traits of LM1 but in an entirely new execution, LMX features two time zones and a three-dimensional power reserve, while the tilted dials and sleek case design take from the LM FlyingT and LM Thunderdome. The LMX wins the same year the Men’s Complication award at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

2022    LM Sequential EVO

With long-time Friend Stephen McDonnell, MB&F reinvents the chronograph with an innovative dual chronograph system offering multiple timing modes. The key to this ground-breaking solution is the “Twinverter”, a pusher allowing to act on both chronographs simultaneously.


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Press release - 2022
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For more information, please contact
MB&F SA, Rue Verdaine 11, CH-1204 Genève, Switzerland
Charris Yadigaroglou  cy@mbandf.com +41 22 508 10 33.
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