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Dear Friends,

Just in time for your summer reading: a new edition of our newsletter! Looking back at the last few months, it has apparently been a very "Legacy Machine" period for us. Get yourself an ice-cold drink, sit back and enjoy... hopefully on a nice beach somewhere :)
About a month ago, we released our most important launch of the year: the Legacy Machine Sequential EVO. But before we get into the details of that Machine, I can't resist thumping my chest a bit to tell you that this is our 20th calibre in just 17 years! Yup, since 2005 we've created from scratch no less than 11 Horological Machines and 9 Legacy Machines. No small feat coming from a totally independent company, with no external shareholders, driven by a compact team of about 35 people. We are incredibly proud of that!
This 20th calibre was conceived by our good Friend from Northern Ireland, the one-and-only Stephen McDonnell, with whom we go way back: he played an absolutely key role in finalising our very first Horological Machine No.1. And more recently, Stephen reinvented for us the perpetual calendar complication with the award-winning Legacy Machine Perpetual.
For our 20th calibre - and our first-ever chronograph! - Stephen has done it again, reinventing the classic complication. Investing five years of research, he has incorporated into a single movement two column-wheel chronographs, along with a groundbreaking “Twinverter” binary switch. The result is a chronograph allowing multiple timing modes: split-second, independent, lap timer and even a "chess match" timing mode – a combination never seen before in any existing chronograph. Have a look at the short video below for a quick demo.

From a technical point of view, the essential element of this 585-component chronograph movement is a pair of patented, internally-jewelled, vertical clutch shafts - that not only make this revolutionary chronograph possible, but also solve along the way the issues of conventional chronographs.

Indeed, the friction springs of conventional systems (with either lateral or vertical clutches) waste energy and cause reduced amplitude and power reserve with the chronograph running. The LM Sequential EVO always runs with the same amplitude - regardless of zero, one or both chronographs engaged. If you really want to dig into those fascinating technical aspects, I recommend listening to Stephen himself during the online press conference we hosted on launch day (click below; the juicy stuff starts at around 13'20").

To top it all off, we've placed Stephen's amazing new chronograph in an "EVO" case. But you might be wondering, what is an EVO case? When we launched the LM Perpetual EVO, we explained how the EVO suffix marked a significant evolution at MB&F; until then, our Machines had invited you to follow them in their horological explorations. With EVO, we switched the roles: now the watch followed the path decided by its owner.

How? Thanks to a redesigned, sleeker case, an integrated rubber strap, lots of Super-LumiNova for legibility, a ‘FlexRing’ shock-absorbing system, a screw-down crown and 80 metres of water resistance. The result was the most comfortable, most robust MB&F Machine to date. I finally had an MB&F I could dive into a pool with! The LM Sequential EVO has the same features - and just like the Perpetual EVO, the MB&F team tested it in real life, this time on a race track with a couple of vintage cars - have a look at the video below :)

The LM Sequential EVO was launched in two versions, with cases in zirconium and “atomic orange” or “coal black” dial plates. The first pieces have started shipping to our worldwide retail partners. If you're interested, I suggest signing up via our eShop page.
Even though our EVO timepieces - designed with today's active lifestyle in mind - are growing in importance, the Legacy Machine collection was first created as a tribute to our horological ancestors; we've often said that the Legacy Machines are what MB&F could have created a century or two ago. A perfect illustration of this is the LMX first presented in 2021; as its name implies, the LMX celebrated 10 years of Legacy Machines.
The LMX is an LM1 on steroids; it revisits and accentuates the most striking features of our first Legacy Machine No.1. Visible under the sapphire crystal dome, fully independent dual time zones are materialised by two stretched lacquer dials inclined at 50 degrees thanks to conical gears. The flying balance wheel – the leitmotiv of the Legacy Machine collection – floats alongside the dials. Last but not least, LM1’s world-premiere vertical indicator has been expanded into a three-dimensional, hemispherical power reserve indicator – and the entire display rotates, allowing you to choose between day-of-the week or numerical scales, counting down the impressive seven days of power reserve.

Dial-side, LMX presents the escapement, large wheels and polished arms of the straight bridges. The 367 components of the in-house LMX calibre can be further admired by turning the LMX over, revealing the three barrels, gold chatons and various bridges with polished bevels, internal angles and Geneva waves arranged in a radiating sunray pattern.

The LMX was launched in red gold and titanium versions. Two months ago we added to the series a ‘Steel & Brass’ limited edition of only 33 pieces: an unprecedented combination for MB&F of 316L stainless case with frosted dial plate. We think the combo works great on the LMX!
Finally, next to the collection's EVO and classic models, there is a third type of Legacy Machine: the Legacy Machine FlyingT, which was our first-ever Machine inspired by the women in my family. A first rewarded by a very warm welcome from the watchmaking world, including the prize for Best Ladies’ Complication at the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
The collection includes diamond-set versions in white gold, guilloché dial editions in red gold and platinum, and of course last year’s ‘FlyingT Allegra’ collaboration with Bulgari. There have also been gemstone editions, with Lapis Lazuli in 2020 and Malachite in 2021. Continuing on this annual tradition, in June we announced a Tiger Eye edition, featuring a dial plate and subdial in the golden brown gemstone, in an 18k yellow gold case set with diamonds.
We don’t craft yellow gold cases very often at MB&F, but we think it works particularly well with the silky lustre of tiger eye. As always with gemstones, several virtues have been associated to tiger eye: in some parts of the world, the stone is believed to ward off the evil eye. Roman soldiers wore engraved tiger eye to protect them in battle.

Powering this new edition, the towering vertical structure of the FlyingT automatic movement, offering 100 hours of power reserve - with automatic winding ensured by the red gold sun-shaped rotor - and topped by a 60-second flying tourbillon. The time is displayed on a tilted subdial placed at 7 o’clock visible only to the wearer of the watch, underlining the personal nature of the LM FlyingT. Contact our worldwide retail partners or check out our eShop page if you're interested!
Seen enough Legacy Machines? Then I have something else for you. As you may remember, back in 2013 we presented our first-ever “Co-creation” with MusicMachine 1 – the beginning of a new chapter, in which we started to collaborate with external creators on projects outside the scope of the wristwatch. Almost a decade later, we decided it was time to redesign that first music box and issue a new edition: MusicMachine 1 Reloaded !
Like the previous MusicMachines, this Co-creation is the fruit of a collaboration with REUGE, the premier manufacturer of music automatons with more than 155 years of expertise. Originally designed by young Chinese designer Xin Wang, this new edition was reinterpreted by German designer Maximilian Maertens, with the idea of being more streamlined and open. Another change is that the entire body is now made of anodized aluminium (vs. wood) – a significantly more complex manufacturing process.
The songs remain the same, with Star Wars and Star Trek classics on one side, and rock melodies on the other. The video below will give you an idea of how some of those melodies translate into a mechanical music box.
Technically and aesthetically speaking, high-end mechanical music boxes share many similarities with haute horlogerie: the fine finishing techniques, the transfer of energy or even the fan regulators similar to those found in traditional minute repeater watches... When the cylinders revolve, 1400 precision-placed pins pluck the teeth of steel combs, each containing a bespoke selection of 72 hand-tuned notes – just mind-boggling!
Available in red, blue or black, each limited to just 33 pieces, the music boxes are available at our retail partners, and we also have a few pieces available at our eShop.

Looking for more summer reading? Earlier this year we announced our "Catalogue Raisonné", written by watch experts Suzanne Wong and William Massena: the complete inventory of every single MB&F Machine produced during our first fifteen years, between 2005 and 2020 - including prototypes and pieces that have never been announced before. The 300+ pages document the 160 product variations with matching photograph, model name, reference number, materials, years in production, and the exact quantity produced. The books start shipping in a few weeks and as I write this, there are still a few copies available for pre-order at our eShop.

I hope to see you soon! Our next major event will be the Geneva Watch Days at the very end of August - let us know if you're in Geneva at that time and we'll be delighted to meet you!
Take good care of yourself,
Maximilian Büsser
Owner & Creative Director