MB&F Legacy Machine

Legacy Machine is a line from MB&F, the independent brand founded in Geneva in 2005 by Maximilian Büsser. The idea behind it: what watches would Büsser have made had he lived a century earlier? The answer is 19th-century classicism turned into a three-dimensional mechanical stage. Unlike the futuristic cases of the Horological Machines, these have a classic round case. The brand calls this family the Legacy Machines, or LM for short. The first model, Legacy Machine No.1, appeared in 2011.

The key feature is the floating balance. The balance wheel is raised above the dial on curved bridges and oscillates beneath a domed sapphire crystal. The sub-dials below are tilted towards the wearer so that the time can be read without turning the wrist. Movement finishing is traditional: Geneva stripes, hand-polished bevels and gold chatons.

Each model is developed with independent watchmakers. The LM1 calibre was designed by Jean-François Mojon and refined by Kari Voutilainen. The LM Sequential Flyback movement is Stephen McDonnell's own development, created specifically for MB&F.

Within the line, the choice is mainly about complication and metal. The Legacy Machine No.1, a men's watch here in white gold, has two independent time zones on two white enamel dials and a vertical power reserve indicator. The LM Sequential Flyback comes in a platinum case, with two independent flyback chronographs and the Twinverter switch.