A look into the Future with the new MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual Titanium
The perpetual calendar is surely one of the most complex challenges in wrist-watchmaking. The system is based on the Gregorian calendar, which was calculated by pope Gregor XIII in 1582 and is quite inconsistently bearing in mind the different days per month and not to forget the leap years. It’s a complex mathematical calculation and a perpetual calendar wristwatch masters them, at least most of the time.
The MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual Titanium
To keep it short – traditional perpetual calendar mechanism are set to 31 days per month and basically delete days for the month with fewer days by fast-forwarding through the redundant dates during changeover. So for example changing from February 28th to March 1st the mechanism scrolls quickly through the 29th, 30th, and 31st to arrive at the 1st. That often causes a wrong date skipping or jamming gears. A fascinating thing about watchmaking is, that there sometimes seem to be no limits. It is complex enough to fit a perpetual calendar mechanism into such a relatively tiny wristwatch case, but there are always creative minds that revolutionize existing ideas.
Friend of the brand – the Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell contributed to the new LM Perpetual
The independent watch laboratory MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends) is a wonderful example. Since their establishment in 2005 they have become famous for their futuristic, fanciful timepieces. Maximilian Büsser is the Ridley Scott of the watch industry. He makes sculptures from a future age – let’s better call them machines. Machines that could play the leading role in a Marvel comic. It is really worth having a scroll through the MB&F Gallery. Some of their core philosophy is to involve friends of the brand into creating and developing collections, hence the name Maximilian Büsser & Friends.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Default. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
With Legacy Machine Perpetual, MB&F and independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell have reinvented one of the most complex traditional watchmaking complications: the perpetual calendar.
In 2015 they have joined forces with the Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell and reinvented the perpetual calendar, solving some of the problems that traditional perpetual calendars suffer. The Legacy Machine Perpetual was born.
The suspended balance is floating above the dial despite a perpetual calendar complication
Perpetual calendar complications are usually compromises of modules powered by base movements. For their Legacy Machine Perpetual MB&F have developed and patented a ‘mechanical processor’, which is an in-house movement with a 581 component calibre. The fundamental difference is that it is set to 28 days a month (instead of 31) and just adds the extra days as required by each individual month. The major advantage: no skipping over, no possibility of the date jumping incorrectly. In process the adjuster pusher automatically deactivates when the calendar changes, eliminating any risk of damage. The mechanical processor also enables quicksetting of the year so that the leap year cycle is displayed correctly. Traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms require the user to scroll through 47 month to arrive at the right month and year.
The 44mm case has a good size on the wrist
Balance above, Escapement below
If you know MB&F creations you will know that for the Legacy Machine collection the suspended balance is always positioned in the centre of the movement, prominently floating above the dial. A standard perpetual calendar movement does not allow any space for such a gimmick, because the modules are in the way. Since MB&F is using their own in-house perpetual movement with its inbuilt ‘mechanical processor’ they developed the world longest balance wheel to connect the suspended balance on top of the dial with the escapement on the back of the movement. And it seems to run smoothly.
A smart in-house mechanical processor runs the perpetual calendar
The Legacy Machine Perpetual from 2015 was launched with a red gold or platinum case and then available in two white gold editions. Now, they made a titanium edition, which is limited to 50 pieces.
For the 6th anniversary of the young independent watchmaking atelier AkriviA, founder and master watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi wished to present something completely new. So far, most of his watches are from the inside and outside wholly complex. Tourbillon complications became his passion. The Chronomètre Contemporain, inspired by officers watches is a long-awaited dream come true for…
Watch enthusiasts in search of the extraordinary have always been in good hands with Wempe. The family-owned company has a keen instinct when it comes to choosing its partner brands – always knowing how to both delight and surprise its clientele. Wempe’s newest brand marks yet another premiere for Germany. Having once been the country’s…
Today at Baselworld 2018, the watch manufacture Breguet and the Race for Water Foundation announced their partnership with a special exhibition on the Swatch Group Plaza in Basel, which is also open from today. Marc A. Hayek, President of Montres Breguet and Marco Simeoni, President of the Race for Water Foundation have been personally attending to…
As part of the launch of the current Seamaster Diver 300M collection, Omega is introducing a new version in grade 2 titanium and bronze gold. The design of the new Seamaster is based on the Seamaster Diver 300M ‘007’ Edition from 2019, thus complementing the recently presented stainless-steel versions of the Diver 300M. After a…
Alongside the news that Rolex is increasing the size of its new-generation Submariner models, the horology house has also decided to go large on its 2020 Oyster Perpetual watches, which are now available in 41 mm for the first time. What's more, Rolex has made space for the seven sizeable new watches by bidding goodbye…
2023 is already proving to be a great year for chronographs. Whether technically revised, flaunting a new design, appearing as an anniversary model, or completely redeveloped, there really was something for everyone in the most popular category of mechanical wristwatches. This includes for the chronograph collectors among Swisswatches’ readers. Therefore, when our team came to…
It must be the power of strong brands and manufactures: a good 50 watches have already been created for and with Bucherer BLUE, which sees itself as the in-house innovation lab of Bucherer – one of the largest and most renowned watch and jewellery retailers in the world. All of its models are united by…
Amidst the sound of birds chattering and water splashing comes the sound of soft chimes, sounding repeatedly – almost as though someone was soulfully playing percussion, while wandering through tranquil surroundings. But it's not a musical instrument we can hear – it’s acoustic watches. Catherine Rénier, CEO of Jaeger-LeCoultre, is playing us a video via…
If you are a go-getter type of person, someone that likes to get out of his comfort zone but always makes sure to only take reasonable risks, then this watch is for you. Not because you necessarily need to own a watch for being a go-getter type of guy, but because us men like to…
Why do mechanical timepieces captivate so many people? The Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts 2024, a particularly exclusive collection of unique wristwatches, pocket watches and table clocks, undoubtedly answers this question. The boundary-pushing line is undoubtedly at the forefront of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Each incredibly high-quality timepiece embodies all that makes watches so exciting: craftsmanship…
Shortly before his untimely death, pop art icon Andy Warhol created a painting of three timepieces with a rectangle case and a bracelet with horizontal lines on a 111.8 x 111.8 cm canvas. Their colourful outlines diagonally stretch across yellow, mint, black, pink and red areas. The title of the artwork from 1987: Anatom (Rado…
Perpetual Calendar watches have a special status at Patek Philippe. The major reason for this might be, that in 1925 they equipped the first wristwatch ever with this mechanism, the reference 97 975. The function however reaches back to watchmaker Thomas Mudge, who produced the first pocket watch with Perpetual Calendar in 1864. Also watch…
Were you aware that Richard Mille has its own Certified Pre-Owned boutique in the heart of London? More often than not, the answer to this question, regrettably, is ‘no’. Always ones to keep our noses to the ground, we at Swisswatches were keen to visit this elusive yet highly impressive store, where a certain specialist…