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

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

MB&F – Legacy Machine LONGHORN 20th Anniversary Edition


MB&F –  Legacy Machine LM Perpetual and LM Sequential LONGHORN 20th Anniversary Edition 2025

 LM PERPETUAL LONGHORN
LM SEQUENTIAL FLYBACK LONGHORN
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF MB&F

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MB&F’s 20th Anniversary celebrations kick off with two 20-piece Limited Edition “Longhorns” in stainless steel with rhodium-plated base plates, glossy black lacquer dials, and blued hands.

MB&F’s 20th Anniversary

2025 marks the 20th Anniversary of an adventure that started in 2005 when Maximilian Büsser started putting together a network of “Friends”, on the basis of a drawing that we know now as Horological Machine No.1. Two decades and more than 20 calibres later, the MB&F team includes over 60 employees – what a ride it has been.

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Reflecting on the last 20 years, Max shares: “It is like a dream come true, only I never dreamt it. I could never have even imagined we would be where we are today back then; it is surreal.”

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This birthday year will be jam-packed with new timepieces, collaborations, and surprises that are a genuine celebration of the art of MB&F creativity, starting with two limited editions – the LM Perpetual Longhorn and the LM Sequential Flyback Longhornlimited to just 20 pieces each.

The Longhorn Adventure

The Longhorn concept was born in 2009 during the design phase of LM1, MB&F’s first Legacy Machine. The stylistic idea of playing with longer lugs – also called horns – was pleasing to the eye but problematic as where should the spring bar go: close to the case or at the tip of the lug? 

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Depending on the wrist size, both options can lead to a bad fit. So, the long horns were switched for short horns and that was that, or so everyone thought.

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Fast forward to 2021 and the 10th anniversary of the LM1. There were no LM1 timepieces left, since MB&F had made the decision to close the series. Just one prototype remained, potentially to mark this important milestone. 

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But how could this timepiece be even more special than everything that had come before? It was at this moment that the question of the long horns was raised once more, but this time with the ingenious idea of drilling two holes in the lugs – one at the tip of the horn, the other closer to the case – so the customer could decide.

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This wasn’t the only special feature of this unique piece. Where most of the LM1s were crafted in gold, platinum or titanium, this one-of-a-kind timepiece came in stainless steel – and instead of the Legacy Machines’ classic white sub dials, it featured glossy black dials against a rhodium-plated base plate. The black dials were a headache to create as even the smallest speck of dust would ruin them, but patience and perseverance prevailed.

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The piece was sold at auction by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo with a significant portion of the proceeds going to Save the Rhino International, closing a chapter on the LM1. The incredible feedback following the sale, however, left a question about whether the long horns and this inversed black and silver colour scheme should end here.

The First Two Anniversary Limited Editions

They say that “all good things come to an end”, but if you can make them last a bit longer, why not seize the right opportunity? 

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This was the thinking behind these first two anniversary timepieces featuring stainless steel cases, long horns, rhodium-plated base plates, glossy black lacquer sub dials and blued hands.

Legacy Machine Perpetual Longhorn

The first is the LM Perpetual Longhorn, containing MB&F’s GPHG award-winning perpetual calendar first released in 2015. Created in collaboration with independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, the 581-component, fully integrated and purpose-built movement eliminates the drawbacks of conventional perpetual calendars, offering a significantly more user-friendly and trouble-free solution.

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McDonnell’s perpetual calendar relies on a ground-breaking “mechanical processor” which avoids skipping dates and jamming gears as the adjuster pushers automatically deactivate when the calendar changes. 

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In this anniversary edition of 20 pieces, McDonnell’s visually stunning in-house movement takes on a whole new aesthetic with the addition of long horns and the black, silver and blue colourway.

Legacy Machine Sequential Flyback Longhorn

The second limited edition, the LM Sequential Flyback Longhorn, was also conceived by Stephen McDonnell. The first version of the series, the LM Sequential EVO, was first released in 2022 and was MB&F’s first-ever chronograph – and 20th calibre. 

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It featured significant technical innovations and an unprecedented combination of timing modes thanks to its “Twinverter” binary switch, allowing independent timing, split-second, cumulative and lap-timer modes – going on to win watchmaking’s ultimate prize, the coveted Aiguille d’Or award.

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The Flyback version went even further than the EVO edition as, on top of the previous timing modes, typically associated with motor racing, it added the flyback function originally conceived for pilots, bringing the 

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Sequential into the world of aviation. Now adorned with long horns, blued hands and glossy black sub dials, this second limited edition of 20 pieces is also ready to kick off MB&F’s 20th birthday celebration.

A Tribute to a Special Friend

“We cannot talk about MB&F’s journey, without talking about Stephen McDonnell,” notes Maximilian Büsser. “It is for this reason that we wanted to start our 20th-anniversary celebrations with his calibres, which are some of the most complicated movements in the MB&F collection.”

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Northern Ireland-based watchmaker Stephen McDonnell is indeed one of the original MB&F Friends. His collaboration began in the very early days of the brand when he assisted with the final development and assembly of Horological Machine No.1. Several years later, he went on to develop the abovementioned LM Perpetual and Sequential.

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These two Longhorn limited editions are just the beginning of a year of celebrations dedicated to MB&F’s many collaborations and creations, so stay tuned for more over the coming months.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:  LM PERPETUAL LONGHORN 20th Anniversary  Edition

Limited Edition: 20 pieces in stainless steel with black sub dials

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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.
Black lacquered sub dials
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 2.5Hz (18,000vph)
Number of components: 581
Number of jewels: 41

Functions/indications
Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicators
Case
Material: stainless steel
Dimensions: 44 mm x 17.5 mm
Number of components: 69 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
Calf leather strap with stainless steel folding buckle.

 🔰Edition   Limited edition of 20 watches

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:  LM SEQUENTIAL FLYBACK LONGHORN 20th Anniversary Edition

Limited Edition: 20 pieces in stainless steel with black sub dials

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 Engine
Fully integrated dual chronograph flyback system developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring Twinverter switch allowing multiple timing modes.
Manual winding with double mainspring.
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.
Black lacquered inclined dial & black sub dials
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vph)
Number of components: 619
Number of jewels: 63

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/flyback 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/flyback at 4 o’clock.
Twinverter pusher at 9 o’clock: binary switch that inverts the current start/stop status of both chronographs.
Both chronographs are equipped with a flyback.
Power reserve indication at the back of the movement.
Case
Material: stainless steel
Dimensions : 44mm x 18.2mm.
Number of components : 88
Water resistance : 30m / 3ATM / 90 feet
Sapphire crystals
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Strap & buckle
Calf leather strap with stainless steel folding buckle.

 🔰Edition   Limited edition of 20 watches

🔴 Price: MSRP: $ 208.000 / € 182,000 EUR / 168.000 CHF💰

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Press release - 2025
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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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.MBandF.com

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

MB&F – Legacy Machine LM Sequential Flyback Platinum Edition


MB&F –  Legacy Machine LM Sequential Flyback Platinum Chronograph Edition 2024

 LEGACY MACHINE
SEQUENTIAL FLYBACK PLATINUM
Just when you thought the chronograph couldn’t get any better

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The LM Sequential EVO, released in 2022, was MB&Fs’ first chronograph and 20th calibre; it featured significant technical innovations and an unprecedented combination of timing modes thanks to its “Twinverter” binary switch: independent timing, split-second, cumulative and lap-timer modes. It won the GPHG ‘Aiguille d’Or’, the most coveted prize in watchmaking.
The new Flyback edition goes further than the previous EVO editions: on top of the previous timing modes typically associated with motor racing, it adds the flyback function originally conceived for pilots, bringing the Sequential into the world of aviation.
The new Flyback edition with sky blue dial plate comes in the more classic Legacy Machine styling, in a platinum case with screwed lugs and white lacquered dials – including a tilted hours and minutes dial – on a leather strap.
The Sequential and Sequential Flyback movements were conceived and developed by Stephen McDonnell, who previously created for MB&F the award-winning LM Perpetual.

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In 2022, MB&F unveiled its Legacy Machine Sequential EVO, a twin chronograph that opened up a world of timing possibilities. This ground-breaking chronograph redefined the chronograph as we knew it, winning the hearts of collectors and the coveted GPHG ‘Aiguille d’Or’ award the same year.

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Conceived by Stephen McDonnell, one of the original MB&F Friends and the mastermind behind the 2015 LM Perpetual, the LM Sequential EVO was one of those timepieces that was so profoundly useful that it made you wonder why no one had thought of it before. Multiple timing modes allowed you to time everything from two athletes at the same time to consecutive lap times around a track, and even two different dishes in the oven, to name a few of its extremely practical applications.

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 But if the LM Sequential EVO wasn’t mind-blowing enough, there was another feature that Stephen and MB&F were keen to include: the flyback function. Stephen’s original prototype movement was actually designed with a flyback system on the left-hand chronograph and provisions for it were built into the LM Sequential EVO. But it was extremely complicated to perfect with the watch taking nine months of prototyping, four of which were dedicated to the flyback function alone. Add to this six different re-designs, and all the work and components that went with them, and McDonnell felt that it would be unwise – reckless even – to release the watch with a flyback when there were so many unproven elements in play.

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But the dream was there, right from the very beginning, and everything was designed to be able to incorporate it at a later date. The chronographs could have been conceived in several different ways, but only one of these configurations would allow the inclusion of a flyback, changing the fundamental way the chronographs were designed.

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The internal jewelling of the vertical clutches is the key to the whole Sequential chronograph, and the new flyback system also requires jewelling, without which it would not work. The system is very subtle, and a great deal of work went into reducing all the friction to a minimum so that the flyback did not cause the return-to-zero to block. To achieve this, McDonnell incorporated a special jewelled roller into the flyback mechanism. Such a component is unavailable directly from any supplier of jewels, so for the first prototype, McDonnell made the jewel himself in order to prove the concept of this ground-breaking mechanism (one of five patented elements).

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Two years of secret-keeping and testing were required so that the system would be robust enough in the long term, and now the LM Sequential Flyback Platinum is ready, steady, go!

So, what can it do?

The LM Sequential Flyback Platinum features the same layout as the LM Sequential EVO with 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. Each of these chronographs can be started, stopped, and reset completely independently of the other, using the start/stop and reset pushers on their respective sides of the case. With the new flyback function, the reset pushers also trigger the flyback if the corresponding chronograph is running. These pushers 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, called the Twinverter, located at the 9 o’clock position. This “magic button” as Stephen likes to call it, is the secret that elevates the functionality of the LM Sequential timepieces 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. This means that if both chronographs are stopped, pressing the Twinverter causes both of them to start simultaneously. If they are both running, the Twinverter makes them stop. And, if one is running and the other is stopped, the Twinverter stops the one that is running and starts the one that is stopped.

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In terms of practical applications, these functions allow the chronograph to be useful in numerous situations, as the following examples illustrate:

Independent mode
Imagine 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 chronographs 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 comes in handy in all areas of personal productivity. 

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At the gym, for example, when trying to optimize 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. In this example, the new flyback function can come in handy to swiftly reset and restart the timing sequence with a single press on the reset button, combining the three steps – stop, reset to zero, and re-start – in one.

Simultaneous or split-second mode

This mode can be used in a race involving two competitors, starting simultaneously. The Twinverter allows the wearer to start both chronographs at exactly the same time, but the different end times can be easily recorded by pressing each chronograph’s individual start/stop pusher. 

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To note, the durations of the events can exceed 60 seconds, which is the limit for the vast majority of split-second chronographs on the market. In this mode, you can also use the new flyback function if you want to quickly restart timing.

Cumulative mode
In the work environment, you might want to know how much time you spend on two separate projects as you switch between them throughout the day. 

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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 spent on each task. Another example of this usage is the timing of a chess match.

Sequential mode (or lap-timer mode)
For those timing competitive sports, this mode 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.

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The stopped chronograph can then be reset to zero, ready to be relaunched with the Twinverter for the following lap. Thanks to its minutes’ totalisers, the LM Sequential can be used effectively in sporting events with average lap times of over a minute (which includes the vast majority of motor sports).

Flyback mode

The flyback was originally developed in the 1930s for airplane pilots, to allow accurate timing of flight paths from waypoint to waypoint. It was found that the time to stop, reset, and restart a chronograph took so long that errors in navigation would result, which would be compounded as these accumulated over the course of a journey with multiple legs. The flyback allowed this to be done simultaneously: stop, reset and restart in a single press on the reset pusher. Combining the new flyback function with the other timing modes of the Sequential calibre offers even more functionality. For example, a pilot can keep track of overall flight time on one chronograph, while using the other chronograph to accurately time each leg with the flyback function.

Powering such an engine

The design of the LM Sequential is completely unique. It encompasses two independent chronographs within a single movement, both of which are linked to a common escapement and oscillator. The energy losses associated with a conventional chronograph are well known, so imagine what can happen with two chronographs in a single movement? The losses would be doubled, resulting in unacceptably poor performance. All this functionality within a single watch required the invention of a fundamentally new type of chronograph system, one which would not be susceptible to any sort of energy losses.

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This is exactly what the LM Sequential does, thanks to the use of its innovative internally-jewelled vertical clutches and their associated control system. The new flyback mechanisms also incorporate jewelled rollers. Thanks to these patented solutions, the Sequential calibre outperforms conventional chronographs in terms of energy efficiency and precision.

For the history buffs

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).

In the early days of motor racing, a timing system was used whereby multiple chronograph pocket watches were mounted on a frame, and a “combined operating lever” allowed all of the watches to be actuated simultaneously. However, there were inherent inaccuracies in this approach, as the multiple watches would often run at slightly different rates. Moreover, such a cumbersome arrangement could clearly never be worn on the wrist.

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When Maximilian Büsser spoke to Stephen McDonnell in 2016, raising the possibility of 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.

The combined operating lever immediately suggested itself to him as a way to ensure that sequential race events could be measured with maximum precision with a manually operated mechanical chronograph. The provision of two independent chronograph systems which could be actuated together simultaneously meant that different timings could be taken and preserved long enough for the results to be recorded. The key would be to find a way to pack all of this functionality into a single wristwatch…

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 jewelled chronograph clutch shafts that would make amplitude fluctuation between the active and inactive modes of the chronograph a thing of the past.

The crowning touch to Stephen McDonnell’s ideal chronograph, augmenting the role played by the combined operating lever found 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.

Dream-maker meets watchmaker: more about Max and Stephen

Those who know the story of MB&F will know that Northern Ireland 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.

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.

They both have a knack for answering questions that most of us never even realised we were asking. It is conceivable that in a parallel universe, one where the LM Sequential Twinverter could be used on people, it would link Max and Stephen even further as watchmaking inverses of each other.

As MB&F enters the last stretch of its second decade, it is appropriate that someone who helped the brand come to life is instrumental in bringing it to a new level of horological legitimacy. The LM Sequential 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. ---------------------------------------------------
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model:   Legacy Machine LM Sequential Flyback Platinum Edition

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Legacy Machine Sequential Flyback
launches in a platinum edition with sky blue dial plate limited to 33 pieces.

Engine
Fully integrated dual chronograph flyback 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).
White lacquered inclined dials.
Balance frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vph).
Number of components: 619.
Number of jewels: 63.

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/flyback 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/flyback at 4 o’clock.
Twinverter pusher at 9 o’clock: binary switch that inverts the current start/stop status of both chronographs.
Both chronographs are equipped with a flyback.
Power reserve indication at the back of the movement.
Case
Material: platinum.
Dimensions : diameter 44mm x height 18.2mm.
Number of components : 88.
Water resistance : 30m / 3ATM / 90 feet.
Screw down crown.
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Strap & buckle
Alligator strap with white gold folding buckle.
 

 🔰Edition   Limited edition of 33 watches

🔴 Price: MSRP: $ 218.000 / € 192,000 EUR / 188.000 CHF💰

---------------------------------------------- 
Press release - 2024
----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
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

Friday, May 3, 2024

MB&F – Horological Machine HM8 Mark 2 CarbonMacrolon® Automatic

 


MB&FHorological Machine HM8 Mark 2  CarbonMacrolon® /Titanium Automatic Limited Edition

HM8 MARK 2
Back to the dream

MB&F’s connection to cars runs deep, starting in 2012 with the HM5, followed by the HMX in 2015, and the HM8 in 2016. Each of these iterations is linked by its instantly recognizable speedometer-style display on the side of the case that recalls the daring and futuristic design of the 1970s.

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A decade after the first automotive-inspired MB&F Machines, MB&F revealed the supercar-inspired HM8 Mark 2 in 2023.

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After a successful introduction of two editions in 2023 – with white or green body panels, the latter limited to 33 pieces – the HM8 Mark 2 comes back with a new 2024 limited edition featuring glossy sapphire blue bodywork, again limited to 33 pieces. Thanks to their metallic pigments and a translucid material, the blue body panels recall luxurious car paints, both technically and aesthetically.

THE INITIAL DREAM

To fully understand MB&F’s link to the car world, we need to step back in time to 1985 for a moment. As children, we all have dreams, some of them come true, others get abandoned along the way, and some are so part of who we are that they end up happening despite us. 

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This was the case with MB&F’s Founder Maximilian Büsser, who spent the majority of his childhood dreaming about becoming a car designer. He was so smitten with the idea that from the age of 4 to 18, cars were the only thing he would sketch and draw. When his classmates started discovering other areas of interest, his heart remained steadfastly loyal to the automobile with its aerodynamic lines and sleek forms.

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Just before graduating from high school, he learned that the world-famous ArtCenter College of Design from Pasadena, was opening a campus in Europe, and not just in Europe, but in La Tour-de-Peilz, a stone’s throw from his childhood home. Could this be a sign? He could hardly contain his excitement until he discovered that the school fees were CHF 50,000, a huge amount of money today, and an even more colossal sum back in 1985.

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Knowing how much he loved cars, his parents said they would find a way – but Maximilian knew that it would be too much for them. So as everyone keeps telling him he would make a very good engineer as he was so good at maths, he signed up for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), and that could have been the end of the story, only it wasn’t.

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“I lost my way, I lost my marbles, and ended up in the watchmaking industry,” he shares with a smile. “So, when I decided to tackle car design in a timepiece, this was humungous for me. It was everything I had ever dreamed of.”

PLAYING WITH PRISMS

He found inspiration in a crazy design by Amida, called the Amida Digitrend, a watch that was unveiled in 1976, just before the company went bankrupt. Working on a similar idea, MB&F employed a sapphire prism that would allow the jumping hours and sweeping minutes to be indicated vertically, when they were actually flat as a pancake on top of the movement. The time was indicated in a window that resembled an old-style speedometer on the front of the case that could also be easily viewed while driving, no less. Unlike the Amida, with its discs next to each other, the MB&F HM design features discs that are one on top of the other, maximising the size of the digits and therefore the legibility.

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The idea didn’t end there, as the mission was to make the numerals look almost digital or electronic. This was achieved using sapphire disks that were coated with a black metallization, leaving the numerals clear. Super-LumiNova® was then added underneath the sapphire disc, so that the luminescence would be completely flat, not bulbous as it appears when it is applied to the dial. It is interesting to note that the numerals had to be created back-to-front as they get reversed in the prism.

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This system came to life in the HM5 with opening and closing slats that allowed the light into the movement to charge the luminescence. These slats were inspired by Marcello Gandini’s design for the Bertone Lamborghini Miura with its louvers on the rear window that gave the car its futuristic aesthetic. These slats were dropped in the following model – the HMX – in favour of a sapphire crystal cover that gave a partial view on the engine beneath. This piece was inspired by another Italian coach builder – Touring Superleggera – and was equipped with miniature oil caps that could be unscrewed and filled with watchmaking oils.

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Next came the HM8 ‘Can-Am’ with a sapphire crystal that also allowed a view on the spinning rotor. It was this movement, based on a Girard-Perregaux calibre, that is also providing the base for the brand-new HM8 Mark 2. The HM8 took its design cues from Can-Am cars (hence the nickname) from the famous Canadian American Racing Championship. The cars’ unusual design and distinctive roll bars became the inspiration for the watch’s two titanium roll bars.

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The HM8 Mark 2, on the other hand, with its distinctive “double bubble” sapphire crystal, finds inspiration in the design of some of the most iconic supercars.

A CHASSIS CONSTRUCTION

Not only did the design codes of these timepieces find their inspiration in the automobile world, but the construction did too. That engineering degree was not wasted on Maximilian after all! The HM5 and HM8 Mark 2 are built from an independent water-resistant chassis to which the body panels of the watch are added, while the HMX and HM8 favoured a monobloc construction.

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For the HM8 Mark 2, this coachwork first came in a choice of white or British racing green CarbonMacrolon® that has a matt finish on the top and a high polish on the sides. The white version was paired with a green CVD rotor and light green minute markers, while the British racing green version came with a red gold rotor and balance wheel and turquoise minute markers, and was limited to 33 pieces.

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After these first launch editions in 2023, MB&F has decided to pursue its homage to the automotive world with a new model limited to 33 pieces only.

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The HM8 Mark 2’s deep yet sparkly sapphire blue is obtained from metallic pigments of mineral origin, the same as those found in metallic car paint. It comes as a powder which is incorporated into resin according to a very specific protocol (incorporation time, mixing temperature, mixing speed and duration, etc.).

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Thanks to its beautiful and unique blue body panels, the timepiece comes back with a bang, in a colour that should please both watch aficionados and car enthusiasts alike. The piece is completed by a sporty and comfortable white calfskin strap.

CARBONMACROLON®

Developed specifically for MB&F, CarbonMacrolon® is a composite material composed of a polymer matrix injected with carbon nanotubes, which add strength and rigidity. Carbon nanotubes offer superior tensile strength and stiffness than traditional carbon fibre reinforcing. MB&F’s CarbonMacrolon® is a solid material that is hard and can be coloured, polished, bead-blasted, lacquered, satin-finished…

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In addition to all these attributes, it weighs eight times less than steel, making it extremely versatile and interesting from both a technical and design point of view.

UNDER THE HOOD

Like any super- or hyper-car, a lot of the technology inside the HM8 Mark 2 is not visually obvious, starting with the titanium chassis, which is extremely complicated to mill. Even in stainless steel, it would have been extremely complex to make, but the hardness of this alloy really put MB&F’s technicians to the test.

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The same is true of the CarbonMacrolon® body panels, which due to the small production quantities, could only be milled from a block, adding another layer of complexity to the watch’s coachwork.

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A long line of MB&F timepieces has pushed the limits of what is physically possible in terms of sapphire crystal production, and the HM8 Mark 2 is no exception. The creation of this double-curved sapphire has reached a complexity that is 30 to 40 times more expensive than a dome sapphire. Only one supplier agreed to take on the challenge. 

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 During the many hours required to produce each sapphire crystal, the risk of breakage is incredibly high – and if it is going to break, it is always at the very last moment, much to the utter desperation of all concerned. Once safely completed and fitted into the timepiece, however, it is just as robust as the sapphire crystal on any sports watch.

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And last, but not least, the battle axe rotor that powers the movement is incredibly complex to make as one of the 22-carat gold blades is only two-tenths of a millimetre thick. It cannot possibly be machined so it had to be stamped, with the engraving already incorporated into the stamp.

A WORLD-PREMIERE CROWN

Not under the hood, but equally hidden, is a brand-new type of crown that has a sort of “double de-clutch” system, to coin an automobile term. It works by pushing the crown in and turning it three-quarters of a turn to release it. This has the advantage of gaining space and providing additional security to the system, which is a genuine advantage for a sports watch.

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The HM8 Mark 2 takes everything that MB&F fans have loved in this automotive series over the last 10+ years and has made it more technical, more legible, sexier and easier to wear. 

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But more than that, it is a reminder that, wherever you are in life, it is never too late to follow your dreams.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Horological Machine HM8 Mark 2

 HM8 Mark 2 is available:
- in titanium and green CarbonMacrolon® body panels limited to 33 pieces;
- in titanium and white CarbonMacrolon® body panels;
- in titanium and blue CarbonMacrolon® body panels limited to 33 pieces.


Engine
Three-dimensional horological engine, composed of a jumping hour and trailing minutes module developed in-house by MB&F, powered by a Girard-Perregaux base movement.
Mechanical movement, automatic winding
22K gold automatic winding rotor
Power reserve: 42 hours
Balance frequency: 28,800bph/4Hz.
Number of components: 247 components
Number of jewels: 30 jewels

Functions/indications
Bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes, displayed by dual reflective sapphire crystal prisms with integrated magnifying lens.
Case
Grade 5 titanium with green, white or blue CarbonMacrolon®
Dimensions: 47 x 41.5 x 19 mm
Number of components: 42
Water resistance: 30m / 90’ / 3atm
Sapphire crystals
Sapphire crystals on top, front and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces.
Dual reflective sapphire crystal prisms with integrated magnifying lens.
Strap & Buckle
Calfskin or rubber strap - white for the British green and sapphire blue models and green for the white model with a titanium tang buckle.

🔰 Limited edition of 33 pieces

🔴 Price excl. tax : CHF 50,000  / 84.000💰

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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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