MB&F takes the Legacy Machine Perpetual and gives it a brighter guise with ruby and sapphire bezels with matching dial accents – The LM Perpetual Chromatic!
It is safe to say that MB&F never really play it safe. The whole brand is effectively built on this premise. Ever since 2005, when Max Büsser started the brand, MB&F has been all about concept horology. From the first Horological Machine 1 (HM1), through to today, MB&F have never rested on its laurels.
In 2015, MB&F unveiled the LM Perpetual. What began with Stephen McDonnell sitting with a blank sheet of paper, he, alongside Max Büsser, completely reinvented that most traditional of horological complications: the perpetual calendar. Today, it still stands as one of MB&F’s best Legacy Machines, in my opinion, perhaps only second to the LM Perpetual Evo, which is a little lighter and more sporty.
Now, MB&F has upped the ante on the LM Perpetual with three new limited models, featuring get-set bezels with 48 rubies, blue sapphires, and purple sapphires.
Watch Education: Legacy Machine Perpetual – 101
Before we get into the new models, I wanted to take a quick sidebar to look at the Legacy Machine Perpetual and its movement. So, those who may not be aware, the LM Perpetual is a perpetual calendar like no other traditional watch.
Comprising 581 components, the LM Perpetual calibre inside the MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual remains one of the more inventive perpetual calendar movements of modern watchmaking, largely because it approached the complication from a completely different angle. Developed by independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell for MB&F, the movement was designed to eliminate the traditional weak points associated with perpetual calendars.
Rather than relying on a conventional grand lever system that essentially “blocks” incorrect dates, McDonnell engineered a mechanical processor that defaults to 28 days and only adds extra days when required. The result is a movement that dramatically reduces the risk of date-jumping issues or damage from incorrect adjustments, while also simplifying the overall logic behind one of watchmaking’s most complex complications.
The movement itself also fits perfectly within the Legacy Machine collection’s design philosophy. From the dial side, the oversized suspended balance wheel becomes the focal point, while turning the watch over reveals a movement with plenty of depth, sharp hand-finishing, and a layout that feels very much like an MB&F.
Large jewels, polished bevels and Geneva waves give the calibre a traditional Swiss watchmaking feel, yet it still comes across as modern. That balance between classic finishing and genuine innovation is really what makes the LM Perpetual calibre stand out against more conventional perpetual calendar movements.
All Dressed Up
With this new release, MB&F has taken the LM Perpetual and given it a bit of a zjoosh – with red rubies, blue, and purple sapphires. There are three new watches on offer, and each, depending on the gems used, has its own distinct personality and look.
The first two editions are crafted in 18k white gold, with the bezels set with either blue or purple sapphires sourced from Madagascar and Sri Lanka, respectively. While each is done in white gold, the movement differs slightly with the blacked-out architecture on the purple vs the lighter architecture on the blue, creating a more sinister look – although this depends on the strap it is paired with.
The third edition comes in 18k red gold and features a bezel set with red rubies from Mozambique. The gold and red tones across the watch create a nice warmth to it, and when paired with a darker strap, will look a lot more dressy than the white gold models.
Across all three models, the bezels are fitted with 48 hand-set baguette-cut gemstones, completed by MB&F’s long-time partner STG Creation in Geneva. Even with the gem setting, the case dimensions remain unchanged, allowing the gemstones to frame the LM Perpetual calibre without altering the proportions of the watch itself. Something you won’t always find with gemset watches.
To complement the rubies and sapphires, each model also receives colour-matched PVD-treated hands to tie in with the gemstones and case material. The purple sapphire edition gets purple hands, the blue sapphire model features blue hands, while the red ruby edition is fitted with 5N PVD hands to complement the warmth of the red gold case.
Initial Thoughts
I could wax lyrical on how I love MB&F and what Max and the wider team do over at the MAD House on the outskirts of Geneva. Max and the team, along with MB&F’s close network of trusted suppliers (the “Friends” part of MB&F), have changed the way many people think about watchmaking and watches in general. MB&F set out to break the mould, and break it they did.
While the Horological Machines may not be for everyone, as let’s face it, they are very quirky and super imaginative, and often futuristic in nature, the Legacy Machines are more your ‘normal’ style of watch. By normal, I mean round. I’m yet to find a Legacy Machine that I don’t like, as they are like nothing else out there. The LM Perpetual fall squarely into this category.
The gem setting isn’t over the top, and it frames the watch nicely. The use of the colour-matched hands on the dials within the openworked movement helps to accentuate the colour, and the pairing of the white gold with the blue and purple models with a white strap is fresh, whereas the rose gold model with the rubies has a nice warmth to it.
These latest editions are limited to just eight pieces each, making them some of the rarest LM Perpetual models produced to date, so for those who’ve thought about a more elevated LM Perpetual, these may just be what you’ve waited for.
References & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Refereces | LM Perpetual Chromatic Blue sapphire / Purple Sapphire / Red Ruby |
| Dimensions | 44 mm x 17.5 mm thick |
| Case | 18k 5N+ red gold, with 1.95 Cts of rubies or 18k white gold case with 1.95 Cts of blue Sapphires / 1.93 Cts of purple Sapphires |
| Crystal | Curved Sapphire Crystal with Anti-Reflective Coating |
| Dial | Dial-side complication and mechanical processor system architecture with an inbuilt safety mechanism. Manual winding with double mainspring barrels. Bespoke 14 mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws visible on top of the movement. |
| Movement | Fully integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell. Manual winding with two mainspring barrels. 581 components, beating at 18,000bph / 2.5Hz |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, day, retrograde date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicator |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Water Resistance | 30M (3 Bar) |
| Bracelet | Stainless Steel Bracelet with Micro-Adjustment Clasp |