The MB&F LMX, or the called by the complete name the Maximilian Büsser and Friends Legacy Machine Ten, celebrates ten years of the fantastic and well-sought collection. As we are used to by now, MB&F comes with another watch variation exploiting the collector’s colour affinities and desire for mechanic excellencies. This time, the independent tribe goes for something as plain and at the same time spectacular as the steel and brass – two metals widely used and loved in watchmaking—each for its indisputable advantages. Let’s have a look at the original press release: MB&F LMX Steel & Brass.
In the MB&F universe, X has a special significance, based on the Roman numeral for 10. It signals a 10th anniversary, like the HM3 FrogX (2020) marking a decade of the totemic HM3, or HMX (2015), which headlined the 10th year of MB&F. But X is more than an ancient alternative to the Arabic numeral 10. In algebra, X is the unsolved variable; in cartography, X is the desired destination. X represents the indescribable, the unexplainable and the uncategorisable; it symbolises everything we do not know – yet.
PRESENTING LMX, CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF LEGACY MACHINES
Back in October 2011, MB&F had just launched Legacy Machine N°1, the first creation of a new collection, alongside the existing Horological Machines; one creative lab, two interpretations of time-telling. LMX returns to the earliest encounter with the Legacy Machine collection, utilising the same expression comprising a central flying balance wheel and two dials, although everything else is different.
TWO INDEPENDENT TIME ZONES ON TILTED DIALS
Those familiar with MB&F’s very first Legacy Machine will instinctively know how LMX operates. Two dials of stretched white lacquer, each with its own display of hours and minutes. The dial on the right is set by the crown at the 2 o’clock position, which bears an engraving of the MB&F battle-axe and also winds the movement. The crown at 10 o’clock, engraved with a globe to acknowledge the potential use of a second time zone, sets the time of the left dial. Unlike the first Legacy Machines however, both dials are tilted at an angle – a more complex feature present on the most recent Legacy Machines, requiring the transfer of energy from horizontal to vertical planes thanks to conical gears.
APPARENT MECHANICS UNDER A SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL DOME
While the first few Legacy Machines took a selective approach to what was showcased between dial plate and sapphire crystal dome, later models such as LM Perpetual, LM FlyingT and LM Thunderdome were more open and demonstrative about their mechanical prowess. LMX follows this latter approach, revealing functional elements such as the battle-axe-shaped escapement bridge and gear-train components. Three large wheels are particularly visible: placed next to each winding crown, two are set in motion when setting the time on the corresponding time display, while the gear at 6 o’clock is the common seconds’ wheel.
Of particular note is the new bespoke balance wheel, a 13.4mm behemoth with inertia blocks that marks a departure from the more traditional screwed balances and offers greater accuracy to the watchmaker in regulating the heart of LMX. Other refinements include the polished arms of the straight bridges exposed on the dial plate, manually finished to impart a curved, or bercé, profile on their upper surfaces.
HEMISPHERICAL 7-DAY POWER RESERVE INDICATOR
In another nod to the world-first vertical power reserve indicator of Legacy Machine No1, LMX builds on this slice of MB&F history, with a completely novel three-dimensional display that showcases the engine’s impressive seven days (168 hours) of power reserve. In this evolved display, there is the option to select between two modes of counting down the power reserve. Two markers are positioned on opposite sides of a hemisphere; one framed by an arched scale numbered 1 to 7, another with a scale showing the days of the week.
This complex and completely novel interplay of components is given an additional level of intricacy, by the rotation of the entire power-reserve display itself. This allows wearers to choose their preferred mode of power-reserve indication: by continuing to wind the battle-axe crown even after the power reserve is fully replenished, wearers can adjust the orientation of the indication in order to make the day-of-the-week or numeric scale more visible when LMX is on the wrist.
SYMMETRICAL MOVEMENT CONSTRUCTION
Like a perfectly balanced X, the engine of LMX is deeply symmetrical – not only dial-side but also as observed through the sapphire case back, revealing the three barrels placed evenly around the centre, accentuated by the sunray pattern of the Côtes de Genève finishing. A treat for those who can read the language of watch movements, who can discern expert intent and refined purpose behind the placement of each component.
The X in LMX is more than just a symbol for symmetry, or another way to indicate the numeral 10. LMX is the crossroads where the first and second decades of the Legacy Machine Collection meet.
LMX was crafted in two limited launch editions:
– 18 pieces in 18K red gold with black NAC treatment on plates and bridges;
– 33 pieces in grade 5 titanium with green CVD treatment on plates and bridges.
And in 2022, a new “Steel & Brass” limited edition in 316L stainless steel with a frosted face.
LMX
10 YEARS OF LEGACY MACHINES
In October 2011, people thought they knew what MB&F stood for. Four Horological Machines had been launched, each one more audacious than the last. MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser decided it was time to do something different – again. How does one go about disrupting a habit of iconoclasm? By turning to history, but not a history that we recognised. The MB&F Horological Machines came from an imagined future, so it was only natural that the Legacy Machines drew from an imagined past. Expressed differently: what would MB&F have created a century ago, during the golden age of watchmaking?
ROUND CASES, LACQUERED DIALS…AND “FLYING” BALANCE
As always with MB&F, the Legacy Machine No1 movement was the result of collaboration – in this case with two exceptional Friends, two horology stars as talented as they are different: Jean-François Mojon, known for his innovative engineering, and Kari Voutilainen, a living legend of classic watchmaking.
LM1 featured a round case – a first for MB&F – along with white lacquered dials, blued hands, and a hallucinatory “flying” balance wheel, plucked from its expected rear-mounted location and suspended like a sky-hovering extra-terrestrial visitor, oscillating under a domed crystal. While Horological Machines 1 through 4 were exuberant flights of imagination, Legacy Machine N°1 was a triumph of reimagination. By harnessing the design conventions of traditional watchmaking to form this singularly defiant configuration of a watch movement, LM1 turned out to be MB&F’s most subversive creation since the company’s inception in 2005.
The mesmeric spectacle of the suspended balance became a conceptual and mechanical leitmotiv that defined the Legacy Machine collection — illustrating how a watch could simultaneously be a part of and apart from traditional watchmaking.
AN AWARD-WINNING, GROUND-BREAKING COLLECTION
Subsequent Legacy Machines followed this blueprint of brilliant unorthodoxy: with LMX, an impressive series of no less than EIGHT world-premiere calibres. Conceived with another exceptionally talented Friend, Stephen McDonnell, LM Perpetual (2015) brought about a fundamental reengineering of the revered perpetual calendar complication. LM FlyingT (2019) embodied a novel vision of feminine watchmaking — fierce yet elegant, stark yet complex. LM Thunderdome (2019), developed with multi-axis tourbillon expert Eric Coudray, set a new world record with the dizzying speed of its TriAx mechanism. In parallel to these prestigious collaborations, MB&F began conceiving its own movements during this decade; the LMX engine is the sixth fully conceived by MB&F’s in-house engineering team, a considerable achievement for a brand born in the new millennium.
Many did not realise in 2011 how risky this was, but MB&F took a chance on its fledgling brand identity by introducing a Machine that leaned closer to the aesthetic milieu of almost every other watch company out there. Comparing an MB&F to other timepieces was now possible… But great risk often comes with great reward. The Legacy Machine collection has received widespread acclaim over the years, chief among them five awards from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – including Best Men’s Complication for LMX in 2021 – the industry’s ultimate accolade.
Have Legacy Machines changed the MB&F Horological lab of 2011? Profoundly. When LM1 surprised the watchmaking world in 2011, industry experts predicted that MB&F would radically shift its entire production (and sales) to the more consensual aesthetics offered by Legacy Machines. That did not happen: the unconventional Horological Machines continue to represent an essential part of MB&F’s production… but 11 years later, watch collectors have naturally also embraced the more classic-minded Legacy Machines – which have gained their own very significant place. MB&F continues to evolve in both directions, seemingly quite different, but always with a fierce sense of independence and creativity.
2011 – 2022
LEGACY MACHINE MILESTONES
2011 After four unconventional Horological Machines, MB&F surprises the watchmaking world by launching Legacy Machine No1, inaugurating a new collection of more classic timepieces.
2012 LM1 wins not just one but two awards at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève: the Public Prize (voted for by watch enthusiasts) and Best Men’s Watch Prize (voted for by the professional jury).
2013 Legacy Machine No2: two years after the first Legacy Machine, LM2 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.
2014 The Legacy Machine collection welcomes its first “Performance Art” piece: a collaboration with Chinese artist Xia Hang, who reinterprets the vertical power reserve indicator of LM1.
With Legacy Machine 101, MB&F focuses on the essentials of a mechanical wristwatch; the LM101 movement is also the first entirely conceived by MB&F’s in-house engineering team.
2015 MB&F teams up with Stephen McDonnell to reinvent the traditional perpetual calendar mechanism. The result is the ground-breaking Legacy Machine Perpetual, offering reliability and user-friendliness.
2016 The Legacy Machines welcome a second Performance Art piece: the LM1 Silberstein, created with the famous French designer Alain Silberstein.
At the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the Best Calendar Watch Prize goes to the LM Perpetual.
2017 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.
2019 In March, MB&F chooses the Legacy Machine collection to launch its first timepiece dedicated to women, the LM FlyingT.
In November, the Legacy Machine collection wins a fourth Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award: the LM FlyingT wins the Best Ladies’ Complication Prize.
In December, MB&F and famed watchmaker Eric Coudray break a world record with the LM Thunderdome, the world’s fastest triple-axis regulator.
2020 MB&F and fellow independent brand H. Moser & Cie innovate with a unique two-way collaboration, resulting in the LM101 MB&F x H. Moser and the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon H. Moser x MB&F.
MB&F and Eddy Jaquet, one of the watchmaking industry’s most talented master engravers, present a series of 8 unique pieces of the LM Split Escapement, inspired by the novels of Jules Verne.
MB&F chooses the Legacy Machine collection to present another important evolution: its first timepiece sporting the “EVO” suffix, designed for more active, everyday use. The LM Perpetual EVO “is not just a watch for sports, it is a watch for life”.
2021 Launch of LMX, celebrating 10 years of Legacy Machines. 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.
2022 Launch of a new edition of the LMX, the LMX “Steel & Brass”.
LMX – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
LMX is available in three limited editions:
– 18 pieces in polished 18K 5N+ red gold with black NAC treatment on plates and bridges;
– 33 pieces in polished grade 5 titanium with green CVD treatment on plates and bridges;
– 33 “Steel & Brass” pieces in 316L stainless steel with frosted face.
Engine
Three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively by MB&F
Manual winding with three mainspring barrels
Power reserve: 7 days (168 hours)
Balance wheel: new bespoke 13.4mm balance wheel with inertia blocks, floating above the movement
Time display on two inclined dials in stretched lacquer
Balance spring: traditional Breguet curve terminating in mobile stud holder
Balance frequency: 18,000bph/2.5Hz
Number of components: 367
Number of jewels: 41
Chatons: gold chatons with diamond countersinks
Fine finishing: superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style; internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings; polished arms of the straight bridges exposed on the dial plate, manually finished to a curved “bercé” profile on their upper surfaces; frosted face for “Steel & Brass” edition.
Functions
Hours and minutes: completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials.
Unique hemispherical power reserve with choice of weekday or 7-day indication; rotates to adjust the preferred power reserve indication.
Left crown at 10 o’clock for setting time of left dial; right crown at 2 o’clock for setting time of right dial and winding.
Case
Three editions: 18K 5N+ red gold case limited to 18 pieces, grade 5 titanium case limited to 33 pieces or 316L stainless steel case limited to 33 pieces.
Dimensions: 44 x 21.4 mm
Number of components: 27
Sapphire crystals
High domed sapphire crystal on top and sapphire crystal on back with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Strap & Buckle
Black hand-stitched alligator strap with 5N+ gold folding buckle for red gold version, grey hand-stitched alligator strap with titanium folding buckle for titanium edition and brown hand-stitched alligator strap with stainless steel folding buckle for steel version.
« FRIENDS » RESPONSIBLE FOR LMX
Concept: Maximilian Büsser / MB&F
Product design: Eric Giroud / Through the Looking Glass
Technical and production management: Serge Kriknoff / MB&F
R&D: Thomas Lorenzato, Joey Miserez and Julien Peter / MB&F
Wheels, pinions and axis: Jean-François Mojon / Chronode, Paul-André Tendon / Bandi, Daniel Gumy / Decobar Swiss, Gimmel Rouages, Atokalpa and Le Temps Retrouvé
Plates and bridges: Benjamin Signoud / Amecap, Rodrigue Baume / Horlofab and MB&F
Balance wheel: Marc Bolis / 2B8 and Atokalpa
Springs and jumpers: Alain Pellet / Elefil Swiss
Mainspring and barrel: Stéphane Schwab / Schwab Feller
Rubies: Pierhor / Crelier
Hand-engraving of movement: Glypto
Hand-finishing of movement components: Jacques-Adrien Rochat and Denis Garcia / C.-L. Rochat
Dial plate decoration : DM Surfaces
Case decoration : Sandra Lambert / Bripoli
PVD- treatment: Pierre-Albert Steinmann / Positive Coating
Gold ingots CoC (Chain of Custody): Jean Philippe Chételat / Cendres et Métaux Lux
Movement assemblage : Didier Dumas, Georges Veisy, Anne Guiter, Emmanuel Maitre , Henri Porteboeuf and Mathieu Lecoultre / MB&F
In-house machining: Alain Lemarchand, Jean-Baptiste Prétot and Romain Camplo / MB&F
After-sales ervice: Thomas Imberti / MB&F
Quality control: Cyril Fallet and Jennifer Longuepez / MB&F
Dials: Hassan Chaïba and Virginie Duval / Les Ateliers d’Hermès Horlogers
Hands: Waeber HMS
Crowns : Boninchi
Anti-reflection treatment for sapphire crystals: Anthony Schwab / Econorm
Buckle: G&F Châtelain
Strap: Multicuirs
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, Alex Teuscher and Laurent-Xavier Moulin
Portrait photography: Régis Golay / Federal
Webmasters: Stéphane Balet / Idéative
Film: Marc-André Deschoux / MAD LUX, Manouil Karapetsis and Dominik Lang / Brosky Media
Texts: Suzanne Wong / Worldtempus
MB&F – GENESIS OF A CONCEPT LABORATORY
Founded in 2005, MB&F is the world’s first-ever horological concept laboratory. With almost 20 remarkable calibres forming the base of the critically acclaimed Horological and Legacy Machines, MB&F is continuing to follow Founder and Creative Director Maximilian Büsser’s vision of creating 3-D kinetic art by deconstructing traditional watchmaking.
After 15 years managing prestigious watch brands, Maximilian Büsser resigned from his Managing Director position at Harry Winston in 2005 to create MB&F – Maximilian Büsser & Friends. MB&F is an artistic and micro-engineering laboratory dedicated to designing and crafting small series of radical concept watches by bringing together talented horological professionals that Büsser both respects and enjoys working with.
In 2007, MB&F unveiled its first Horological Machine, HM1. HM1’s sculptured, three-dimensional case and beautifully finished engine (movement) set the standard for the idiosyncratic Horological Machines that have followed – all Machines that tell the time, rather than Machines to tell the time. The Horological Machines have explored space (HM2, HM3, HM6), the sky (HM4, HM9), the road (HM5, HMX, HM8) and the animal kingdom (HM7, HM10).
In 2011, MB&F launched its round-cased Legacy Machine collection. These more classical pieces – classical for MB&F, that is – pay tribute to nineteenth-century watchmaking excellence by reinterpreting complications from the great horological innovators of yesteryear to create contemporary objets d’art. LM1 and LM2 were followed by LM101, the first MB&F Machine to feature a movement developed entirely in-house. LM Perpetual, LM Split Escapement and LM Thunderdome broadened the collection further. 2019 marked a turning point with the creation of the first MB&F Machine dedicated to women: LM FlyingT; and MB&F celebrated 10 years of Legacy Machines in 2021 with the LMX. MB&F generally alternates between launching contemporary, resolutely unconventional Horological Machines and historically inspired Legacy Machines.
As the F stands for Friends, it was only natural for MB&F to develop collaborations with artists, watchmakers, designers and manufacturers they admire.
This brought about two new categories: Performance Art and Co-creations. While Performance Art pieces are MB&F machines revisited by external creative talent, Co-creations are not wristwatches but other types of machines, engineered and crafted by unique Swiss Manufactures from MB&F ideas and designs. Many of these Co-creations, such as the clocks created with L’Epée 1839, tell the time while collaborations with Reuge and Caran d’Ache generated other forms of mechanical art.
To give all these machines an appropriate platform, Büsser had the idea of placing them in an art gallery alongside various forms of mechanical art created by other artists, rather than in a traditional storefront. This brought about the creation of the first MB&F M.A.D.Gallery (M.A.D. stands for Mechanical Art Devices) in Geneva, which would later be followed by M.A.D.Galleries in Taipei, Dubai and Hong Kong.
There have been distinguished accolades reminding us of the innovative nature of MB&F’s journey so far. ‘To name a few, there have been no less than 7 awards from the famous Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève: in 2021, MB&F received two prizes: one for LMX as the Best Men’s Complication and one for the LM SE Eddy Jaquet ‘Around The World in Eighty Days’ in the ‘Artistic Crafts’ category, in 2019, the prize for Best Ladies Complication went to the LM FlyingT, in 2016, LM Perpetual won the Best Calendar Watch award; in 2012, Legacy Machine No.1 was awarded both the Public Prize (voted for by horology fans) and the Best Men’s Watch Prize (voted for by the professional jury).In 2010, MB&F won Best Concept and Design Watch for the HM4 Thunderbolt. In 2015 MB&F received a Red Dot: Best of the Best award – the top prize at the international Red Dot Awards – for the HM6 Space Pirate.
