MB&F: "If You Want to Stand Out, You Need to be Different."
It's best to begin at the beginning, as is the case with every excellent story. In 2015, the LM Perpetual served as the inspiration for what would later become the LM Split Escapement. Northern Irish master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell designed and created the perpetual calendar with two goals in mind: 1) make it foolproof, and 2) place the brand's iconic flying balancing wheel front and centre on the dial. As soon as McDonnell tried to install the escapement, he realised there was a problem. The idea had been successful with earlier Legacy Machines by placing the balance wheel beside the escapement on the watch's front face, but with the more complicated perpetual calendar display of the LM Perpetual, there was no way to accommodate both.
The watch's large balance wheel sits alone at the watch's face, while the anchor and escape wheel are located on the opposite side of the movement, almost 12 mm below; hence the name "Split Escapement." McDonnell, a man of solutions, came up with this ingenious idea.
There were so many new features to discuss when the LM Perpetual was introduced that the split escapement was mostly overlooked. As a result, in 2017, MB&F developed the LM Split Escapement (LM SE) to showcase McDonnell's ingenious concept. Two barrels power the manual-winding, 298-part movement, which has a quick-changing date mechanism that is both simple to use and impossible to harm.
The original LM Split Escapement was introduced in MB&F's traditional Legacy Machine case; however, the line has since expanded to include the EVO case, which was designed for a more dynamic lifestyle.
The LM Perpetual EVO debuted in 2020 with an innovative new case design, which included a bezel-free face, water resistance to 80 metres, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap, and other features. But the EVO idea goes much further; it uses a world-first, monobloc shock-absorbing "FlexRing" technology to suspend the movement inside the casing, protecting it from the vertical and horizontal shocks that are inevitable in real-world adventures.
Following the success of the LM Perpetual EVO, MB&F introduced their first chronograph, the LM Sequential EVO, to their Legacy Machine line. However, the UAE's Golden Jubilee was celebrated in the past with a low-key presentation of a 10-piece limited edition LM Split Escapement EVO.
In addition to a new EVO case, the LM Split Escapement was redesigned for the Golden Jubilee edition, with the entire mechanism shifted 30 degrees clockwise and the crown moved to 4:30 o'clock from 2 o'clock. This shift altered the watch's symmetry and gave it an entirely new personality.
In 2022, MB&F released two brand-new LM SE EVO models. The first was a 25-piece limited edition made in Westime's corporate colours of blue and black, with a striking black base plate and metallic blue dial and counters; the second was made in grade 5 titanium and reserved exclusively for the MB&F LAB in Beverly Hills.
The contrast between the dynamic, modern EVO collection and the classic finishing of the movement is symbolised by the darkened treatment applied to the movement side of these limited editions. This treatment highlights the wheels, rhodium-plated barrels, and rose gold details. Only a select few artisanal firms still carefully polish components by hand, making MB&F watches as fascinating to look at on the inside as they are out.
Maximilian Büsser and Swiss Prestige have a unique and special relationship. Indeed, they have been closely connected almost ever since MB&F's inception. In 2015, Swiss Prestige established the MB&F M.A.D.Gallery in Taiwan, making it the region's first and only location of its kind in Asia and the second in the globe.
The company had been a distributor for many years, but had no experience operating a physical retail store, so it presented an impressive challenge for Swiss Prestige's CEO, Lori Shen, and her team. If people doubted the reasons why someone would take such a risk, Lori Shen had the perfect answer; “The reasons are simple. First, I love what Max does. Second, if you want to stand out, you need to be different. It hasn’t been an easy path but I am extremely proud of this decision.”
In 2023, MB&F's Taipei M.A.D.Gallery receives a beautiful LM Split Escapement EVO in a limited edition of 20 pieces. This latest addition has a titanium case, a gorgeous black base plate, a green dial with luminous markers, and open counters.
It has two different rubber strap options: a crisp white strap that stands out against the piece's base plate, or a nice dark grey strap that goes well with it.
Discover More: LEGACY MACHINE SPLIT ESCAPEMENT EVO
