Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The MB&F LMX Steel & Brass, The Third Episode of the LMX Series (Live Pics & Price)
When you can’t get enough of a good thing!
Ten years – eleven, if you want to be precise – have flown by since the launch of MB&F’s Legacy Machine No.1. Unveiled in 2011, the LM1 was a groundbreaking timepiece that flew in the face of MB&F’s signature galactic style with classical features and a flying balance wheel on the dial. With two white lacquered dials representing two time zones, the LM1 marked the first milestone in the saga of the Legacy Machine family. To celebrate its first decade of life in 2021, MB&F revisited the LM1 concept with a new model. Designated as the LMX, many elements surfaced from the movement to the forefront for an even more dynamic spectacle. The latest LMX Steel & Brass, a limited edition of 33 pieces, writes the third episode in this series with its gorgeous golden frosted brass plate on the dial side and gleaming stainless steel case.
Brass main plate
The lovely champagne frosted colour of the background scenery is made of untreated brass and corresponds to the reverse side of the main plate. Like other LM models, the exposed moving parts on the face of the watch are not mounted on a dial but on the brass plate that serves as a dial. Unlike the earlier editions of the LMX with green CVD and black NAC-treated plates, the natural golden glow of the frosted brass brings a delectable warmth to the composition, contrasting beautifully with the brightly polished stainless steel case.
Time travelling in both directions
The guiding light behind the Legacy Machine was to explore what kind of watch Max Büsser would have dreamed up had he been born in 1867. Packed with aesthetic nods to traditional watchmaking codes of the 19th century, the Legacy Machine embraced MB&F’s dynamic kinetic touch with an elevated 14mm balance wheel suspended in the centre of the dial (you can read all about the evolutions of the LM in this article).
Set against the lovely frosted background, two classical white lacquered sub-dials with golden frames, Roman numerals and blued hands appear at the base. Their 50° inclination allows the owner to consult two separate time zones at a glance, which, in turn, can be adjusted by their corresponding crowns on the steel case at 10 and 2 o’clock.
Following the design upgrades to the LMX, the lines of the 44mm stainless steel case are more streamlined and refined, with a hollowed-out area running along the caseband. The height of 21.4mm, which includes the super-domed sapphire crystal containing the elements, ensures viewing pleasure from all angles.
Exposed elements
In a departure from the more closed face of the original LM1, the LMX reveals many functional elements but arranges them symmetrically. In pride of place, the enormous 13.4mm floating balance wheel beating at a sedate 18,000vph almost grazes the high domed sapphire crystal. Fitted with inertia blocks for greater accuracy, the balance is held in place by the beautiful arching V-shaped bridge.
Nestled beneath the bridge at noon is the hemispherical power reserve indicator, an evolution of the vertical power reserve indicator found on the LM1. Indicating the amount of power left in the formidable 7-day (168h) tank with numerals 1-7 on the arched scale, you can also consult the weekday shown on the opposite side of the hemisphere. Thanks to the rotation of the entire display, you can adjust the orientation via the crown to view the power reserve or the weekday. Continuing on the vertical axis, components of the gear train are exposed with a battleaxe-shaped escapement bridge and running seconds at 6 o’clock.
Echoing the crowns at 10 and 2 o’clock on the case, the dial features two horizontally arranged wheels placed above the two titled sub-dials that rotate when the time is adjusted on either dial.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals MB&F’s manual-winding 367-part movement fitted with three concentrically arranged mainspring barrels, which deliver the mighty 7-day power reserve. This Steel & Brass edition reveals the untreated brass plates and bridges on the reverse side decorated with Côtes de Genève and other refined 19th-century hand finishings.
Availability & Price
The MB&F LMX Steel & Brass is a limited edition of 33 timepieces. It comes on a brown hand-stitched alligator strap with a stainless steel folding buckle. The price is CHF 108,000 (excl. tax).
For more information, please visit MB&F.com.
2 responses
Beautiful future safe queen. Sad that many of these beauties rarely see any wrist time only white gloves and dark safes.
WoooooW gorgeous… also, these are really nice shots. Thanks