First released at the end of 2016 and then revisited this year at the SIHH 2018, the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance just got considerably better thanks to its new hand guilloché dials created in a variety of colors and finishes by master watchmaker —and one of the authorities in dial and movement decoration— Kari Voutilainen. Available in a wide variety of colors that include blue, black, white, anthracite, bi-color and even red, Armin Strom’s most remarkable timepiece to date is now offered to collectors with superb hand made guilloché dials, delivering an outstanding synergy of modern and classic looks.
Posts tagged #Kari Voutilainen
News: Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance with Hand Guilloché Dials. Partnering with Master Watchmaker Kari Voutilainen.
Last year in November of 2016, we brought you the news regarding the Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Fire in 18K rose gold, the first truly Resonance timepiece in the market. Then six months later, in May of 2017, Armin Strom released their Resonance watch also in stainless steel. Well, today after the great success of the inaugural rose gold limited edition and the visually technical stainless steel edition, Armin Strom’s most innovative piece to date, will now be offered to collectors with superb, hand-executed guilloché dials, creating an outstanding synthesis of tradition and innovation —two values dear to the brand.
Insider: MB&F Legacy Machine 101. Dominated by the Monumental Suspended Balance Wheel. Live Pictures and Pricing.
MB&F does it again and this time they're wowing us with the new Legacy Machine 101. For a classically sized 40 mm watch with a immaculate satin-brushed finished case, the Legacy Machine 101 —LM101— 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.
Insider: Presenting the New MB&F LM1 Legacy Machine No. 1 Xia Hang. Live Pictures and Pricing.
After working for nearly 45 hours without a break —all at peak performance— it’s been a long tiring day and energy levels are low. While it was relatively easy to sit up straight at the start of the day, fatigue has now set in, back languidly bends, head hits lap. ‘Mr. Up’ has become ‘Mr. Down’. But before Mr. Down shuts off completely, an invigorating influx of energy lifts his head, straightens his back and brightens his spirits. Mr. Up has been brought back to life!
Welcome to the world of Legacy Machine Number One Xia Hang. Welcome to the world of Mr. Up and Mr. Down, a collaboration between MB&F and Chinese artist Xia Hang.
Legacy Machine N°1 Xia Hang —LM1 Xia Hang— retains all of the 19th century pocket watch-inspired features of the original LM1, including the majestically suspended slowly oscillating balance wheel and dual time indications that can be set completely independently, but with a twist: the power reserve is indicated by a miniature, highly-polished aluminum man, designed by talented Chinese sculptor, Xia Hang. The man sits up straight when the movement is fully wound —Mr. Up— and gradually slumps over as the power diminishes —Mr. Down. “I call these little men ‘comma men’, and their distinctive shape comes from a selection of art I created from 2005 to 2008. Commas do exist in Chinese writing and for me the ‘comma man’ represents a chubby boy.” says artist Xia Hang.
Xia Hang and MB&F share much in common. While MB&F create serious works of time-telling kinetic art, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Similarly, Xia Hang believes the world of art is often too serious; he likes it to be playful, and wants his sculptures to entertain and make people smile. And just like MB&F, Hang calls his kinetic sculptures ‘machines’. “I was first introduced to Xia Hang a few years ago by a Chinese art collector friend, and visited him on the outskirts of Beijing in his workshop. I was like a child in a toy factory!” says Maximilian Büsser. The in-house movement powering LM1 Xia Hang bears testimony to the enormous talent of its creators. Jean-François Mojon and his team at Chronode developed the LM1 calibre, which features the world’s first vertical power reserve and allows completely independent setting —including minutes— of both time displays. Acclaimed independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen was responsible for the aesthetic design and for strictly ensuring the utmost respect for tradition and finish. No easy task with such an unconventional suspended-balance design from which to begin. A finely engraved sun-ray pattern on top of the movement plate —dial side— subtly catches the eye at certain angles without distracting attention from the twin white dials, floating balance or vertical power reserve. But it is in the style and finish of the bridges and plates visible through the display on the back of the movement where Kari Voutilainen has excelled in providing exquisite historical fidelity in both the shape of elegantly curved bridges and the traditionally wide space between the bridges and between the perimeter of the bridges and the case. On the back of the movement, 23 over-sized ruby jewels set in highly-polished countersunk gold chatons provide striking visual counterpoints to the Geneva waves traversing the sensually curved bridges. While providing historical links with the large jewels seen in high-grade antique pocket watch movements, the ruby bearings have a practical application in reducing wear/increasing longevity by accommodating large diameter pinions and holding more lubricating oil.
The MB&F Legacy Machine N°1 was conceived when Maximilian Büsser started fantasizing: “What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s, the first wristwatches appeared and I would've wanted to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but there would have been no Grendizers, Star Wars or fighter jets for my inspiration. But I would have had pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower and Jules Verne, so what might my 1911 machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional: Legacy Machine N°1 was my answer.” Legacy Machine N°1 Xia Hang is a limited edition of 12 pieces in red gold and 12 pieces in white gold. Each Machine is accompanied by a pair of polished stainless steel large-scale sculptures —approximately 15cm / 6" high— of Mr. Up and Mr. Down signed by Xia Hang. “Legacy Machine N°1 Xia Hang is the first time and hopefully not the last) that there has been a cross-pollination between an MB&F M.A.D. Gallery artist —Xia Hang— and a MB&F watch —LM1. In curating these amazing artists at our M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva, it opens a world of possibilities in possible co-creations with MB&F’s Machines”, mentions Maximilian Büsser.
Legacy Machine No. 1 LM1’s ingenious three-dimensional movement was specifically developed for MB&F from Maximilian Büsser’s sketches by Jean-François Mojon and his team at Chronode in Le Locle, Switzerland. The balance wheel and spring are at the very heart of any mechanical watch movement and are responsible for regulating timekeeping accuracy. Büsser has long been fascinated by the large, slowly oscillating —18,000vph compared with the 28,800vph common today— balance wheels of antique pocket watches, so it was no surprise this was his starting point from which to let his imagination roam free. What was surprising though is just how radically he reinterpreted tradition by relocating the balance wheel from its more usual position hidden at the back of the movement to the top, majestically floating above the movement… even floating above the dials. This manual wound movement provides a power reserve of 45 hours when fully wound and is composed of 274 parts.
While the location of Legacy Machine N°1’s regulating organ may be considered avant-garde, ‘tradition’ is upheld by the large 14 mm diameter balance wheel with regulating screws specifically developed for MB&F, balance spring with Breguet overcoil and mobile stud holder. Another very special feature of the LM1 movement is the ability to set the two time zones completely independently. The vast majority of dual time zone movements only allow the hours to be independently adjusted, while a rare few offer setting to the half hour. Legacy Machine N°1 allows both hours and minutes of each dial to be set to whatever time the user wishes. The vertical power reserve indicator on LM1 Xia Hang is driven by an ultra-flat differential with ceramic bearings, allowing for a slimmer complication and a more robust and longer-wearing mechanism.
LM1’s power reserve complication was modified to enable Xia Hang’s comma man to seamlessly transition from slumping right over when power is low to sitting up straight at full wind. Xia Hang first created full-size sculptures, which MB&F then scaled down to a height of just 4mm —1/8”— and then developed the articulation required. The head, shoulders, back and chest of ‘Mr. Up’ —as the power reserve indicator in known when wound—, all bend down —thanks to a concealed hinge— towards the horizontal as he becomes tired and Mr. Up becomes Mr. Down. The tiny micro-mechanical sculpture is crafted from aluminum to minimize energy requirements. A very high polish ensures that the little man both catches the light and the eye, as well as remaining faithful to Xia Hang’s original conception.
The rate-keeping of the twin dials is controlled by the same regulator —balance and escapement— so that once set, the two times stay perfectly synchronized with each other. Both the hours and minutes on both dials can be set to any time desired via their respective crowns. Complementing the three-dimensionality of the balance floating in space, the dual white dials with their bright blue gold hands float above the top of the movement. The dials are gently domed with a translucent, high-gloss luster created using a “laque tendue” process in which multiple layers of lacquer are applied and heated, causing them to stretch over the surface of the dials. To ensure aesthetic purity of the dials and their traditional Roman numerals, a sophisticated fixation underneath negates the necessity of visually obtrusive used screws. A fine golden perimeter circumscribing each dial elegantly reinforces their timeless classicism.
The watches are fitted with elegant hand-stitched alligator straps made by renowned Parisian leather good and strap maker Camille Fournet. The 18K red gold model features a dark brown strap while the 18K white gold version features a black one. The straps round up the elegance and refinement of this new timepiece with their gold pin buckles matching the case and their exceptional finishing.
Just as expected from a name like MB&F, the finishing on the robust 18K white or 18K red gold cases —measuring 44 mm in diameter— is exceptional and clearly shows the signs of the superb craftsmanship and the attention to detail that MB&F is known for. The cases are very solid and quite thick measuring 16 mm in thickness with an amazing satin-brushed finish and the most beautiful chamfers at the lugs.
On the wrist, prepare to have one of the most amazing horological creations and get ready to wow anyone asking you for the time. Every time you look at Mr. Up or Mr. Down, it will be a nice reminder of why MB&F is one of the most unique watch companies and why their watches are true horological machines and not just timepieces.
Sticker Price $107,000 USD. For more info on MB&F click here and for Xia Hang here.
Technical Specifications
Three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively for MB&F by Jean-François Mojon /Chronode with aesthetics finishes specified by Kari Voutilainen. Manual winding with single mainspring barrel, power reserve indicator with a little man designed by Chinese artist Xia Hang and a power reserve of 45 hours while beating at a frequency of 18,000 vph.
Functions:
Hours and minutes; completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials;
unique vertical power reserve indicated by a highly-polished little man in aluminum. Left crown at 8 o’clock for setting time of left dial; right crown at 4 o’clock for setting time of right dial and winding.
Case:
Available in 18k red gold or 18k white gold
Dimensions: 44mm wide x 16mm high
Number of components: 65
Sapphire Crystals:
High domed sapphire crystal on top and sapphire crystal on back with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
News: MB&F Presents the Legacy Machine No. 2. The Legacy Continues.
Press Release
Two years ago, MB&F took us back in time, asking us to imagine what MB&F would have created a century ago… the answer was Legacy Machine No.1. An unexpected new line for MB&F, who had accustomed you to futuristic, totally unconventional Horological Machines. The worldwide response was flabbergasting – climaxing in a double win at last year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, where LM1 took both the jury’s Best Men’s Watch and the Public Prize.
Legacy Machine No. 1.
Today, MB&F is asking us to push the time-traveling machine a bit further: adjust the knobs and levers to about 250 years ago. With a bit of luck we would've bumped into some of the greatest watchmakers this planet has seen: Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), Antide Janvier (1751-1835) and Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823). These horological legends of the 18th century are united not only by
their inventive genius, but also by the fact that they have all
constructed clocks and watches with two balances.
Legacy Machine No.2 is once again a tribute to these amazing Horological ancestors. One movement. Two fully independent escapements, with two Legacy-style flying balance wheels floating high above the dial and a planetary differential which transmits the average rates of those balance wheels to a single gear train. Oscillating on high, the exalted double balance wheels of LM2 were inspired by, and pay homage to, one of the rarest mechanisms in the history of watchmaking: the dual regulator. And rarer still, the average rates of Legacy Machine No. 2’s dual regulators are transmitted by a differential to a single gear train, where the majority had two separate movements.
Legacy Machine No.2 in 18K Red Gold.
On display under a domed sapphire crystal cupola, the dial of Legacy Machine No. 2, which is actually the top plate of the exquisitely finished movement, is an object lesson in symmetrical simplicity. Top to bottom: the white stretched lacquer sub dial at 12 o’clock, with its blued gold hour and minute hands, is visually balanced by the large, raised differential at 6 o’clock. Left to right: the two flying balances and their escapements are identical mirror images, right down to the position of the stud holders pinning their balance springs. While superficially Legacy Machine No. 2 may look like a traditional round watch, its three-dimensional architecture offers visual treats on multiple levels. What looks at first glance to be the main dial is actually the top plate of the movement, which has been finely engraved, plated —or blued for the platinum model— and then hand-engraved with Legacy Machine below the differential.
Legacy Machine No. 2 in Platinum.
Slightly raised above the surface is the hour-minute sub dial, its fine gold circumference highlighting the pure white of the stretched lacquer dial, which is created by applying and heating multiple layers of lacquer, causing them to stretch tightly over the surface of the dial. The white contrasts superbly with the bright blued 18k gold hands. The hands are slightly curved to follow the slightly convex surface of the sub dial. To ensure aesthetic purity of the dial and its traditional Roman numerals, a sophisticated fixation underneath negates the necessity of visually obtrusive screws.
The planetary differential also sits proud of the surface, supported by a stunning double-arc mirror-polished bridge inset with three large jewels. The complex differential is the key element in the double regulator system and raising it just above the movements enables the mechanism to be better appreciated.
Suspended above both the sub dial and the differential are the two oscillating bespoke balance wheels. The dual balances feature Breguet over coils, inset with four fully functional timing screws. The two balances are mirror images of each other so that they react differently to different forces. The distance between the balance wheels has been carefully and deliberately calculated to avoid resonance, as this would negatively interfere with regulation.
Those elegant majestically curved arms suspending the flying balances are sculptural works of art in themselves. The elongated triangular cut out section could not be created by the usual method of wire electro erosion, but necessitated the creation of an electrode precisely shaped to the form of the cut out section.
While the levitated oscillating balance wheels of the binary regulators catch and hold the viewer ’s gaze, it is the large planetary differential sitting proud of the dial that is the real heart of Legacy Machine No. 2. In an incredible feat of micro-engineering − and the sheer paucity of timepieces with multiple regulators connected via a differential attests to the enormous difficulty in creating such a complex high-precision mechanism − the differential has three roles:
1. Transferring power to each of the regulators; 2. Receiving the individual timing rates from each balance; and 3. Transmitting the average rate of the two regulators to the gear train, where it finally manifests itself as the displayed time.
The movement of Legacy Machine No. 2 was developed to MB&F’s specifications by award-winning watchmaker Jean-François Mojon —Best Watchmaker at the 2010 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève— and his team at Chronode. Acclaimed independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen ensured that the movement’s aesthetic style was consistent with high-quality traditional timepieces of the 19th century and for specifying the superlative hand-finishing. Immaculate Geneva waves, gold chatons, mirror-polished bevels and bridges designed with deliberate internal bevelled angles —which cannot be finished by machine— showcase the movement’s peerless fine finishing. Consistent with MB&F’s spirit of transparency, the names of the two men responsible for the movement are hand engraved on the back.
Two and a half centuries after three of the world’s greatest watchmakers put two balance wheels into their movements, MB&F celebrates their pioneering works by creating LM2, a timepiece with two balances hovering outside the movement.
Legacy Machine No. 2 is available in 18K red gold, 18K white gold and a limited edition of 18 pieces in platinum .950 that features a striking sky-blue dial.
Legacy Machine No. 2 in 18K White Gold.
Below you will find a video produced by MB&F of the dual balance wheels in action.
For more info on MB&F click here.
