The MB&F Legacy Machine 101 may be the most classic Legacy Machine, focusing on the essence of a mechanical wristwatch —hence the ‘101’ name— it is no less a Machine of firsts. When it was launched back in 2014, it housed the very first movement developed entirely in-house by MB&F. Today, the LM101 series inaugurates our very first piece in palladium, a rare silvery-white metal similar to platinum. And finally, the new palladium edition gets another first: a brand new color for the sunray dial plate, which varies between pale blue and green —a color best described in French as “vert d’eau”— sea green or aquamarine in English.
The latest addition to the series is also the first MB&F piece in palladium, a rare silvery-white metal. The naturally white color of palladium contrasts with a new sunray dial, which varies between grey and shades of pale blue and green depending on the light. For a classically sized 40mm wristwatch, Legacy Machine 101 covers a lot of ground. Or to be more precise, LM101 covers a lot of time: over 100 years between inspiration and realization. Legacy Machine 101 embodies and accentuates the very essence of what is essential in a wristwatch: the balance wheel, which is responsible for regulating precision; how much power remains in the mainspring, which indicates when it needs to be next wound; and of course, the time.
Visually, LM101 is dominated by the monumental suspended balance wheel, its sedate oscillations drawing the eye ever closer. Two pristine-white subdials hover just above the fine sunray-engraved movement top plate: At the top right, highly legible hours and minutes are displayed by beautiful blued-gold hands contrasting against the immaculate white, while the 45-hour power reserve indicator is displayed in a smaller, but similar subdial below. Two ‘Frost’ limited editions add even more contrast between these elements and the effervescent backdrop of the hand-finished frosted dial plate. In an apparent feat of magic, the sapphire crystal protecting the dial appears to be invisible; creating the illusion that you can reach out and touch the prodigious balance wheel hanging mesmerizingly from elegant twin arches.
The arches are milled from a solid block of metal and require more than five many hours of hand polishing to achieve their mirror-like luster. Turning over Legacy Machine 101, the display back crystal – domed to reduce the thickness of the caseband and, visually, the height of the watch – reveals the exquisitely hand-finished movement. Sensually curved plates and bridges pay homage to the style found in high-quality historic pocket watches and testify to the respect accorded to historical legitimacy. With its undulating Geneva waves, hand polished bevels, gold chatons, and countersunk blued screws, the beauty of LM101’s movement doesn’t just stay faithful to a bygone era.
It also heralds the dawn of a new epoch as it was the first MB&F calibre to be entirely conceived and designed in-house. While award-winning independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen took responsibility for the movement’s fine finishing specifications and fidelity to the horological past, its architecture and construction are 100% pure MB&F.
The MB&F Legacy Machine 101 was first launched in 18k red or white gold, then in two limited ‘Frost’ editions with frosted finishing —18 and 33 pieces respectively—, followed by a limited edition of 33 pieces in platinum 950. The latest addition to the series is this LM101 Palladium, limited to 18 pieces.
The LM101 mixes classic and unconventional. It may be our most classically sized wristwatch, with a diameter of 40 mm, but the suspended, “flying” balance wheel is anything but traditional. Flip the watch over and you’ll notice the name of multiple award-winning watchmaker Kari Voutilainen, whose name is engraved by hand on the in-house calibre.
Sticker Price $58,000 USD. For more info on MB&F click here.
