Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Gem-Set Trilogy of MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions
Vibrant coloured baguette-cut gemstones highlight the mechanical spectacle of McDonnell's dial-side QP complication.
Teaming up with independent watchmaker wizard Stephen McDonnell in 2015 catapulted MB&F into the rarefied domain of haute horlogerie. McDonnell’s extraordinary, award-winning LM Perpetual marked a before-and-after in the genre. A fully integrated 581-component calibre, the complication is shown dial-side beneath the suspended balance wheel of the Legacy Machine family. A mesmerising display of mechanical prowess, the LM Perpetual has appeared in many metals, but it has never flaunted gemstones. Well, that changes today as MB&F releases three new bejewelled interpretations of the LM Perpetual.
McDonnell’s approach to the QP literally turned the complication upside down and inside out. Reinventing it from scratch, with a default 28-month and an ingenious “mechanical processor”, McDonnell’s technology eliminates the drawbacks and fragility of conventional QPs (don’t miss Brice’s in-depth coverage here). Working with the design language of MB&F’s Legacy Machine family, released in 2011 with classical design cues and a large 14mm balance wheel dominating the centre of the dial, McDonnell’s complication is exposed dial-side on top of the mainplate with suspended rings for the calendar functions and a lacquered dial at noon with Roman numerals.
Although diamonds have been featured in the LM Perpetual on the 5-piece edition for Ahmed Seddiqi, the new trilogy is the first to be set with coloured gemstones. While many stone cuts are designed to produce a high-sparkle and are more suited to women’s watches, the baguette cut is all about architectural symmetry. With its long, strong lines and fewer facets, the elegant baguette-cut, popularised during the Art Deco era, emphasises geometry, restraint and architecture over sparkle.
Sharing identical specifications to earlier LM Perpetuals, the three new references come in 44mm cases with a thickness of 17.5mm. The trilogy comprises two 18k white gold models and a third edition in 18k red gold. The bezels of the white gold models are set with either blue or purple baguette-cut sapphires sourced from Madagascar and Sri Lanka, while the red gold is paired with red rubies from Mozambique. Entrusted to STG Creation in Geneva, a specialist in high-end gemstone setting, each of the 48 stones adorning the bezel is set by hand.
All three editions have black sub-dials hovering above the movement, and the sub-dial at noon for the time. However, the colour of the hands varies according to the gemstone in the bezel. The white gold model with blue sapphires has blue PVD hands, the white gold with purple sapphires has purple PVD hands, and the red gold with rubies has matching 5N PVD hands. While most of the action is relayed dial-side, the reverse reveals the double barrels providing the 72-hour power reserve and more of the superlative 19th-century-inspired hand finishes that grace this manual-winding movement.
The LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions are limited to just 8 pieces each. The retail price is CHF 228,000, EUR 248,000 or USD 312,000 (all excluding VAT). More information at mbandf.com.
