MB&F LM FlyingT Malachite

The creative process behind Legacy Machine FlyingT started four years ago, when Maximilian Büsser began thinking about making something inspired by the feminine influences in his life. 

Inspiration came from the combination of seemingly incompatible qualities that characterised the greatest feminine figures in Maximilian Büsser’s life. Elegance was key, but so was an infectious energy that could captivate an entire roomful of people. The lines and composition of Legacy Machine FlyingT epitomise these qualities, being as refined and pure as any other Legacy Machine, but with the dynamism and exuberance of a central flying tourbillon.

The intimate and personal nature of LM FlyingT led to the ultimate placement of the time indication at the 7 o’clock position on the dial plate, with the dial tilted 50° to face the wearer. The message is subtle but clear – that whoever the owners and wearers of Legacy Machine FlyingT may be, their time belongs to them and no one else.

Unlocking the feminine side of MB&F

“The last thing I wanted to do,” says Maximilian Büsser, “was to take a masculine timepiece, resize it, put a different colour on it and call it a ladies’ watch.” Each MB&F creation is drawn together in a complex process that is equal parts original Max Büsser concept, design finesse by Eric Giroud, and mechanical ingenuity by the in-house technical team. Aesthetic and philosophical coherence is essential to the final result, from the adventurous Horological Machine N°5 “On The Road Again” to the high-complication, technically ambitious Legacy Machine Perpetual.

To bring out a different level of refinement for the feminine LM FlyingT, the Legacy Machine case was completely redesigned. Case height and diameter were reduced in order to shift the focus to the highly convex sapphire crystal dome. The lugs were slimmed down, their curves were emphasised, and deep bevels were introduced to create a more elegant profile. Harsh or particularly defined lines have been tempered throughout LM FlyingT, such as in the example of the hour and minute hands, which take on an undulating shape – echoed in the rays of the sun-shaped automatic winding rotor.

Asymmetry is highlighted in the design of LM FlyingT, from the positioning of the time display at 7 o’clock to the ventricular dial-plate aperture that frames the emerging tourbillon. Even the tourbillon cage itself embraces asymmetry, opting for a cantilevered double-arch upper bridge instead of the symmetrical battleaxe which has topped all other MB&F tourbillons.

Woven throughout Legacy Machine FlyingT are subtle references to the aspects of femininity that resonate strongest with Max Büsser, such as the solar motif of the automatic winding rotor and the column construction of the tourbillon, which introduce concepts of life-giving and support.

About the movement

The mechanical antecedents of Legacy Machine FlyingT lie mostly in the Horological Machine collection, namely with the HM6 series and HM7 Aquapod.

In a departure from most modern watch movements, which take a radial and co-planar approach to movement construction, the LM FlyingT engine utilises a vertical and co-axial approach. The cinematic flying tourbillon, which boldly projects beyond the dial-plate of LM FlyingT, is a visually stunning example of the rotating escapement and stands in stark contrast to other flying tourbillons, which usually do not venture past the confines of their surrounding watch dials.

Flying tourbillons, as their name suggests, are anchored only at their base, with no stabilising bridge to restrict lateral motion at the top. This increased need for overall rigidity is what causes the conservative placement of most flying tourbillons within their movements. Legacy Machine FlyingT breaks free of this limiting need for movement security and confidently displays its flying tourbillon in all its glory.

An additional distinct challenge which arose in the construction of LM FlyingT was the shape of the upper tourbillon cage, which creates more mass on one side of the tourbillon than the other. In order to compensate and ensure that the mechanism remains balanced, a counterweight was hidden under the tourbillon carriage, on the opposite side of the upper tourbillon cage.

In order to display the time as precisely as possible on the 50° inclined dial, conical gears were employed to optimally transmit torque from one plane to another, a solution first used in HM6 and subsequently in HM9 Flow.

The 280-component engine of Legacy Machine FlyingT has a power reserve of four days (100 hours), which is among the highest within MB&F, a testament to the growth of in-house expertise and experience.

Technical specifications:

MB&F LM FlyingT Malachite

Case

• Material: 18k white gold and diamonds
• Diameter: 38.5 mm
• Thickness: 20 mm
• Glass: High domed sapphire crystal on top with anti-reflective coating on both sides, sapphire crystal on back.
• Water-resistant to 30 meters (3 ATM)

Diamond set

• 168 stones (120 on the case, 21 on the buckle, 1 on top of the tourbillon cage and 26 for the crowns). About 1.7ct.

Dial and hands

• Malachite dial base plate and time-reading subdial with the white gold hands

Movement

• Three-dimensional vertical architecture, automatic winding, conceived and developed in-house by MB&F
• Central flying 60-second tourbillon
• Frequency: 18,000 vph (2.5 Hz) 
• Three-dimensional sun winding rotor in 18k 5N+ red gold
• Number of parts: 280
• Number of jewels: 30
• Power reserve of 100 hours

Functions/Indications

• Hours and minutes displayed on a 50° vertically titled dial with two serpentine hands.
• Two crowns: winding on left and time-setting on right.

Strap and buckle

• Light gray alligator leather straps available with white gold pin buckle matching the case

MSRP

• CHF 125'000 (excl. taxes)
• EUR 118'000 (excl. taxes)
• USD 145'000 (excl. taxes)

For more information, please visit mbandf.com