Some watches mark an important moment in a brand’s history. Others end up changing its course. For MB&F, the Legacy Machine N°1, unveiled in 2011, undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. It took Maximilian Büsser into territory that appeared far removed from his earliest creations, giving rise to one of the most recognisable collections in contemporary independent watchmaking.
Fifteen years later, that very Machine takes centre stage once again with the new MB&F LM1 EVO. Rather than simply reviving the original architecture, this return rethinks several aspects of the watch, from case proportions and mechanics to the practicalities of everyday wear.
The oversized suspended balance wheel, two fully independent time zones and unmistakable three-dimensional construction remain firmly in place. Other elements, however, have been carefully updated. Together, they reveal just how much MB&F’s approach has evolved since 2011.
THE ORIGINS OF THE LEGACY MACHINE
To understand the significance of the new LM1 EVO, we need to return to the origins of the Legacy Machine collection. When Maximilian Büsser founded MB&F in 2005, he had a clear vision: to establish a creative laboratory bringing together watchmakers, engineers and artisans to produce mechanical objects that challenged the conventions of traditional watchmaking.
The early Horological Machines embodied that vision perfectly. Three-dimensional architectures, shapes inspired by science fiction, aviation and futuristic worlds: watches in which the display of time became part of an altogether unconventional construction.
Then came a question. What kind of watch might Büsser have created if he had been born a century earlier, in 1867 rather than 1967? Without spaceships, fighter jets or science-fiction references, but with pocket watches, Jules Verne and the great technological innovations of the nineteenth century as his sources of inspiration?
The answer arrived in 2011 with Legacy Machine N°1. Its round case appeared closer to classical watchmaking codes, yet the watch carried precisely the same creative spirit as the Horological Machines.
The oversized balance wheel suspended above the movement, the two independent subdials and the theatrical vertical power reserve indicator created a composition unlike anything else. The project also drew on the expertise of Jean-François Mojon, who contributed to the calibre’s development, and Kari Voutilainen, responsible for the movement’s aesthetics and finishing specifications.
Recognition followed quickly. In 2012, LM1 won both the Public Prize and the Best Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. From then on, the Legacy Machines would become one of the pillars of the MB&F universe.
NEW PROPORTIONS, SAME IDENTITY
The first difference with the new MB&F LM1 EVO is its case. The diameter has been reduced from the original 44 mm to 42 mm, with a height of 16.8 mm. But this reduction is part of a much broader transformation: making a watch conceived as an expression of three-dimensional haute horlogerie better suited to regular wear.
The proportions have changed, yet one of the project’s defining qualities remains untouched: the depth of the composition. The highly domed sapphire crystal still makes room for the oversized regulating organ and suspended subdials, preserving the extraordinary sense of volume that sets the Legacy Machines apart.
At centre stage is the familiar 14 mm balance wheel, supported by a redesigned titanium bridge. This time, however, MB&F has introduced a significant technical update: a Straumann double hairspring, comprising two hairsprings mounted in opposing directions.
This configuration helps counteract shifts in the hairsprings’ centre of gravity during oscillation, improving timekeeping consistency in different positions. The oversized balance wheel continues to beat at 18,000 vibrations per hour, maintaining the slow, clearly visible motion that has become one of the collection’s signatures.
That contrast is precisely what makes the new LM1 EVO so compelling: an immediately recognisable architecture that now incorporates substantial mechanical refinements.
TWO FULLY INDEPENDENT TIME ZONES
One of the original LM1’s most distinctive solutions remains unchanged, and it deserves particular attention from a functional perspective. Positioned on either side of the balance wheel, the two subdials display completely independent time zones. Unlike a conventional GMT mechanism, in which the second display is generally adjusted in one-hour increments, each display allows its hours and minutes to be set separately.
This makes it possible to accommodate time zones that differ by 30 or 45 minutes, rather than being restricted to full-hour offsets. It is an unusual feature that makes the mechanism more versatile than the symmetry of the two subdials might initially suggest.
Operation remains intuitive. The crown at 4 o’clock winds the movement and sets the right-hand display, while the crown at 8 o’clock adjusts the time zone on the left. Both are driven by a single movement, without compromising the independence of either display. This freedom of adjustment also allows one subdial to be used to measure elapsed time, while the other continues to show the current time.
A NEW TAKE ON THE POWER RESERVE
While the balance wheel and the two subdials retain much of the original’s identity, one of the most noticeable changes can be found in the lower section of the LM1 EVO. On the 2011 Legacy Machine N°1, the remaining energy was displayed by an unusual vertical indicator rising above the movement, its construction resembling a small sextant. A spectacular solution that became one of the model’s defining features.
For LM1 EVO, MB&F has replaced it with an inclined dial at 6 o’clock, integrated into the lower part of the composition. The new power reserve indicator is easier to read at a glance and introduces a visual language consistent with the other EVO creations. The visual change is accompanied by a significant mechanical upgrade. Power reserve increases from 45 to 60 hours, a 15-hour gain achieved while retaining manual winding and a single barrel.
The movement retains its three-dimensional architecture and exceptional attention to traditional hand-finishing. Polished bevels, sharp internal angles, Geneva waves, hand engravings and gold chatons sit alongside bridges with a dark NAC treatment.
The caseback reveals the same connection to traditional watchmaking that inspired the first Legacy Machine. Less immediately dramatic than the suspended balance wheel, perhaps, but essential to appreciating the quality of the project.
BUILT TO BE WORN
The EVO philosophy is about giving the Legacy Machines a more dynamic dimension, addressing not only their appearance but also movement protection and everyday practicality. Central to this approach is the patented FlexRing shock-absorbing system, an annular dampener positioned between the case and the movement. Its purpose is to provide additional protection against the shocks and stresses of daily wear.
LM1 EVO also offers water resistance to 80 metres, thanks to its re-engineered case construction and two screw-down crowns. A significant achievement for a watch with such an elaborate architecture and dramatically domed sapphire crystal.
Legibility has also received attention, with Super-LumiNova enhanced indices and hands, while the absence of a traditional bezel affords a clearer view of the movement.
Completing the transformation are integrated rubber straps with a quick-change system at both the case and clasp, making it easier to switch between straps. All of these changes serve the same purpose: not to turn LM1 into a conventional sports watch, but to make its complex mechanical architecture more compatible with a less formal way of wearing it.
LM1 EVO: TITANIUM OR ROSE GOLD?
The new MB&F LM1 EVO arrives in two versions. Both share the same mechanical architecture, but each has a distinctly different visual identity. The first features a grade 5 titanium case paired with a rhodium-plated dial plate, two black subdials and blue hands. The cool-toned composition allows the silver-coloured surfaces to highlight the balance wheel and the movement’s architecture. Its list price is CHF 82,000, excluding taxes.
The second interpretation comes in 5N+ rose gold, with a deep green dial plate, black subdials and rose-gold-toned details. This warmer combination brings a different character to the three-dimensional construction. Limited to just 33 pieces, the rose gold edition is priced at CHF 102,000, excluding taxes.
The two versions demonstrate the aesthetic versatility of LM1 EVO: titanium emphasises the project’s technical character, while rose gold offers an interpretation more closely associated with traditional haute horlogerie. In both versions, the finishes and contrasting colours emphasise what continues to make this Machine distinctive: the movement is not concealed beneath a dial, but forms an integral part of the watch’s identity.
EVOLVING WITHOUT LOSING ITS IDENTITY
The first Legacy Machine marked a turning point for MB&F, introducing a design language that would become an integral part of the brand’s identity.
The new LM1 EVO preserves that architecture while bringing more compact proportions, updated mechanics and features designed for a more active lifestyle.
Proof that an iconic design can evolve without losing the qualities that made it stand out in the first place.
By Jacopo Giudici