MB&F, well known for its daring creativity, doesn’t just innovate aesthetically: it also revolutionizes watchmaking technology. Two of its most emblematic creations, the Legacy Machine Perpetual and the Sequential Chronograph, illustrate this constant quest for innovation by reinventing classic complications through resolutely new and daring approaches.
Legacy Machine Perpetual: The Renaissance of the Perpetual Calendar
The perpetual calendar is one of the most complex complications in traditional watchmaking, capable of indicating days, months and years with incredible precision, while taking leap years into account. However, this mechanism is often susceptible to malfunctions, particularly during manual adjustment. To meet this challenge, MB&F collaborated with Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell to completely rethink the perpetual calendar concept with the Legacy Machine Perpetual.
The major technical innovation of the Legacy Machine Perpetual lies in its unique “mechanical calculation system”, which eliminates the traditional cam wheel used in perpetual calendars. This innovative system reduces the risk of malfunction and breakage by enabling the mechanism to jump instantly at the passage of each month, without the need for a so-called “corrector” part. This redesigned architecture uses a modular approach and calculation disks that control the days, months and years without risk of jamming, while allowing manual adjustments without danger to the movement.
Visually, the Legacy Machine Perpetual also offers a spectacular reading thanks to its floating balance, which seems to levitate above the dial. Each sub-dial for the months, days and years is suspended, providing airy architecture and clear legibility. This marriage of technology and aesthetics perfectly embodies the MB&F spirit, combining functionality and avant-garde design.
Sequential Chronograph: A Reinvention of the Chronograph
The Sequential Chronograph is another technical feat from MB&F, designed in collaboration with master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. This novel chronograph rethinks the traditional use of this complication by enabling several consecutive events to be timed independently, a concept never before seen in watchmaking.
This innovation is made possible by the “Twinverter”, an intelligent pusher that simultaneously inverts the status of each counter. In practical terms, this means that the wearer can start or stop each chronograph independently or in tandem, offering great flexibility. For example, it is possible to time a first event, stop it to start a second event, and so on, or synchronize the two counters for parallel measurements.
Technically, the Sequential Chronograph is an impressive achievement, with a movement entirely redesigned to enable this functionality. Unlike traditional chronographs, where only one counter is activated at a time, MB&F’s Sequential Chronograph features four sub-dials capable of operating independently or in coordination. This design allows versatile use and total control over timing, a feature unique in watchmaking.
MB&F: An Alliance of Creativity and High Technology
The Legacy Machine Perpetual and the Sequential Chronograph embody MB&F’s commitment to pushing back the boundaries of watchmaking. These models are not only technical innovations but also aesthetic masterpieces, embodying Maximilian Büsser’s vision of the brand. By teaming up with renowned watchmakers such as Stephen McDonnell, MB&F manages to reinvent classic complications by integrating novel mechanical solutions, while retaining the artistic and futuristic soul of its creations.
With these models, MB&F doesn’t just revisit traditional complications; it completely reinvents them, bringing enhanced reliability, unprecedented functionality and striking aesthetics. These achievements place MB&F among the most innovative brands in contemporary watchmaking, capable of combining tradition and modernity to offer watches that are both revolutionary and captivating.