Like the Roman digit from which its name derives, the LMX marks the spot where one generation (of award-winning indie watchmaking) ends...and another begins
At Wristcheck, we fervently believe solidarity with the entire #WatchFam (whether they be makers, marketers, or moves & shakers) is one of the pillars of our community. Often, that means shedding light on the people who make our culture tick; or breaking new releases yet to hit a friendly webstore near you.
Apropos, today we’re taking a ‘first look’ at the new Legacy Machine X (‘LMX’ for short), the latest feat of mechanical sorcery from Max Büsser and Friends. Made to commemorate 10 years of the eponymous collection, the LMX is a wink-and-nod to the OG Legacy Machine — a watch that began life as the answer to a hypothetical query. “What would MB&F have created during the ‘Golden Age’ of horology 100 years ago”?
An ancestry of excellence
As the rock upon which an entire church has been built, it’s unsurprising that the Legacy Machine 1 (‘LM1’) had such an impressive development phase. To elaborate: it was the result of a unique collaboration between Jean-François Mojon and Kari Voutilainen, two individuals who remain certifiably massive in the world of indie watchmaking.
MB&F principally retained Mojon to work on the LM1 movement, and with good reason. Originally trained as a micro-engineer, Mojon spent a decade at IWC in the 90s before striking out to craft a slew of innovative movements. (Some personal favourites include the hydro-fluidic calibre 101 utilised by HYT and the Arceau double moonphase Hermès introduced in 2019.) At the same time, Kari Voutilainen was tasked with working on the watch’s form language and numerous aspects of finishing: the ultimate candidate considering his own brand’s reputation for eye-watering levels of handcraft.
The sum of both watchmakers’ efforts yielded a product which diverged dramatically from what MB&F had done previously, with many of the LM1’s then-risky quirks proving essential to later designs. Büsser explains that the genesis of this release was to revisit “the earliest encounter with the Legacy Machine collection”, invariably meaning lacquered sub-dials capable of tracking two time zones; the all-important ‘flying’ balance wheel; and what the brand refers to as a ‘vertical’ power reserve (more on that shortly).
“Engine, engine, number...10”
Unsurprisingly, the LMX cleverly merges the space between engineering and design. Its movement is the sixth to be developed in-house; and like prior iterations of the Legacy Machine (think the ‘Flying T’ or ‘Thunderdome’), MB&F have chosen to expose certain of the key organs in service of added visual excitement. That means transporting a good chunk of the gear train onto the dial: such as the seconds wheel and escapement bridge (the latter of which worked into the shape of MB&F’s signature ‘battle axe’ logo).
Pitched side-by-side, there’s a clear throughline between the LM1 and its shiny new sibling -- notwithstanding small flourishes like the angled sub-dials or change of crown placement. However, the LMX’s main appeal rests in embellishment: offering a fuller, more strident picture of its decade-long ancestry. To me, that proof of evolution is in the balance wheel: easily one of the Legacy Machine’’s defining features, now bigger and badder than ever. ‘Flying’ in place above the rest of the dial, the new balance bears more in common with what you’ll find in pocket watches. MB&F’s watchmakers enlarged this version to 13.4mm -- a diameter that yields a more precise oscillation rate and better stability for the whole movement.
That evolutionary instinct is also visible in the ‘vertical’ power reserve: a novel means of displaying the watch’s week-long lifeforce that takes the form of a metered gauge. True to its commemorative chops, MB&F brought the vertical reserve back for the LMX, for the first time, in a style that’s fully three-dimensional: imagined as a kind of hemisphere, one half displays the power reserve as the number of days remaining; whereas the other highlights the precise day of the week. By continuing to wind the crown (at 2 o’clock) after having fully wound the movement, wearers can actually rotate the ‘hemisphere’, so that the side of the power reserve facing them displays their preferred style of indication (i.e. Monday-Friday versus number of days remaining).
Specifications
The MB&F LMX will be available in two limited editions: including an 18-piece run in 18k red gold; and a 33-piece run in titanium.
Watch name: MB&F Legacy Machine X 'LMX'
Reference number: LMX
Case size: 44 mm
Thickness: 21.4 mm
Material: 18k 5N+ red gold case limited to 18 pieces; grade 5 titanium case limited to 33 pieces
Crystal: High domed sapphire crystal on top and sapphire crystal on back with anti-reflective coating on both sides
Water-resistance: 3 ATM / 30m / 90 feet
Movement: Three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively by MB&F
Functions: Hours and minutes: completely independent dual time zones displayed on two dials. Unique hemispherical power reserve with choice of weekday or 7-day indication; rotates to adjust the preferred power reserve indication
Winding: Manual winding
Frequency: 18,000bph/2.5Hz
Power reserve: 7 days (168 hours)
Strap: Black hand-stitched alligator strap with 5N+ gold folding buckle for red gold version, and grey hand-stitched alligator strap with titanium folding buckle for titanium edition
For further information on availability and price, visit MB&F online.