MB&F LM101 Gabriel Colliard – Cloisonné Enamel

Three worlds, three colors, twenty-four watches. With the Legacy Machine 101 Gabriel Colliard, MB&F brings together three-dimensional mechanical watchmaking and one of the most demanding artistic crafts: cloisonné enamel. A collaboration between the creativity of Maximilian Büsser and the talent of independent enamel artist Gabriel Colliard has given rise to three limited editions of eight pieces each.

Here, the LM101 becomes the stage for three miniature landscapes populated by animals: a monkey moving through a blue jungle, a pair of parrots in a flamboyant red setting, and a crocodile emerging from a green-dominated plant world.

Far from being a mere decorative exercise, each composition was specially designed to complement the spectacular architecture of the Legacy Machine 101. Its large suspended balance wheel, sculptural bridges, and off-center displays blend naturally into the landscapes imagined by Gabriel Colliard.

Three miniature jungles in cloisonné enamel

To create these true horological masterpieces, Gabriel Colliard uses the traditional cloisonné enamel technique. Tiny gold wires trace the outlines of the animals and vegetation, delineating spaces that are gradually filled with translucent, semi-opaque, and opaque enamels.

Each layer requires firing in a kiln, and the result is always somewhat unpredictable. Variations in transparency, the play of light, and chromatic nuances lend each piece a depth that cannot be replicated by conventional dial decoration techniques.

This collection comprises three designs:

• LM101 Monkey – Blue: a mischievous monkey amidst lush vegetation, in a landscape where the many shades of blue evoke serenity.
• LM101 Parrot – Red: two scarlet parrots fly through a vibrant scene of reds and oranges, in a composition full of movement and energy.
• LM101 Crocodile – Green: a crocodile with its jaws wide open emerges from a lush swamp, surrounded by vegetation in deep shades of green.

The artwork extends to the back of the watch, where the ratchet wheel is also adorned with cloisonné enamel, in harmony with the main scene.

MB&F Mechanics in the Service of Art

Unveiled in 2014, the Legacy Machine 101 holds a special place in MB&F’s history. It was the first Legacy Machine whose movement was entirely designed by the manufacture’s engineers, in collaboration with Kari Voutilainen for the finishing and adherence to watchmaking traditions.

For these Gabriel Colliard editions, the hand-wound mechanical movement has undergone a significant upgrade: its power reserve now reaches 60 hours, up from 45 hours previously.

Comprising 222 components, it retains its impressive 14-mm-diameter central balance wheel, now paired with a Straumann double hairspring and oscillating at 18,000 vibrations per hour.

The 40-mm-diameter platinum case houses this three-dimensional architecture beneath an imposing domed sapphire crystal. On the back, the organically shaped bridges, hand-polished bevels, gold jewels, and traditional finishes reflect the same high standards as the enamel compositions.

A Limited Edition Dictated by the Artisan’s Time

Creating a single cloisonné enamel composition takes Gabriel Colliard approximately one month. The production of the twenty-four watches is therefore expected to span more than two years.

Each edition is limited to just eight pieces. While the compositions share a common identity, the subtle variations inherent in handcrafted work and successive firings make each watch unique.

With the MB&F LM101 Gabriel Colliard, independent watchmaking becomes a realm of artistic expression where mechanical precision engages in dialogue with creative freedom, without ever seeking to constrain it.