MB&F – tribute to the grand masters

In the space of six years, MB&F has carved an enviable reputation and its very own niche with its Unidentified Horological Objects. Love it or loathe it, this radical approach to the design and technology of a watch has consistently turned up trumps, not least thanks to the extraordinary creativity of the individuals involved in each project. The concept has proved its pertinence and won over a clientele of eager collectors.

In 2011, Max Büsser and his friends rolled out a second collection, by the name of Legacy Machines, of more readily identifiable watches… meaning their form more closely resembles that of a “conventional” watch. Make a note of those inverted commas: while the Legacy Machines are effectively intended as a tribute to the great master watchmakers of the past, they are very much “machines” in the MB&F sense and as such display the brand’s signature three-dimensional architecture. Legacy Machine 2, revealed this week, is the latest example.

In their forefathers' footsteps

The past is visible in the round case, the finishing and, of course, the nature of the movement which draws on work by three legendary figures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: Ferdinand Berthoud, Abraham-Louis Breguet and Antide Janvier. Three watchmakers who, back in their day, explored with varying degrees of success the concept of a dual regulator, a means of improving chronometric precision by defining an optimal middle ground between the variations in amplitude of two regulating organs. A larger task than one might imagine, even for inventors of this calibre (dare we say). Hence why the idea has remained largely unexploited. In the course of their research, the super-sleuths at MB&F turned up a handful of study pieces produced in the 1930s at the watchmaking school in La Vallée-de-Joux. The rate of their two balances is averaged by a differential. More recently, in 1996, Philippe Dufour conceived his Duality. The Harmonious Oscillator by Rudis Sylva follows the same tack, except that its two balances are mechanically coupled.

To come back to Legacy Machine 2, the two balances with Breguet curve springs sit side by side, spectacularly suspended above the dial from arched bridges. They are connected by a planetary differential which establishes the average of their two completely independent frequencies. Indeed, the distance between the balances is such that there is no resonance between the two. The hours and minutes subdial is stunningly simple yet still introduces a sense of depth through the multiple layers of white stretched lacquer.

"Maximum creativity"

The movement is the brainchild of watchmaker Jean-François Mojon (Chronode). The overall architecture was masterminded by fellow watchmaker Kari Voutilainen who also specified the hand-finishing visible through the back. Accordingly, both their names are engraved on the bridges, on the reverse side. The frequency of the movement has been set at a relatively low 2.5 Hz, essentially for aesthetic reasons so that the owner of a Legacy Machine 2 can admire the two balances as they beat in tandem. Indeed, it would be true to say that the LM2 is as much, if not more, an exercise in style than a quest to advance timekeeping precision. In fact MB&F hasn’t scientifically measured its rate. “We deliberately chose not to. We’ve never intended competing in that particular race. Not that we’re aren’t interested in the technical aspect of the watch. On the contrary, but at MB&F it always has to come with a maximum amount of creativity. This is what defines our watches,” comments Serge Kriknoff, Max Büsser’s longstanding partner in the MB&F adventure.

Alongside Max Büsser, Serge Kriknoff has indeed experienced every stage in the company’s development, from the toughest to the most exhilarating. Which enables him to envisage the future with confidence. “It’s hard to talk about cruising speed at MB&F given that our projects are all very different, although we are far more self-assured now. We have a series of living, breathing products which are doing well. We plough every dime of profit back into the brand, so we can stay independent and do what we want to do. We want to go on working as a small team and are aiming for organic growth in line with that. We have a number of projects in the pipeline, at very different stages of development. We progress at our own pace which, incidentally, is a great way to keep collectors on tenterhooks! By the end of this year we’ll have around 40 points of sale worldwide, which fits perfectly with our goals. I can already reveal that we’ll be presenting two new in-house movements in 2014. In a word, we’re doing great!”

Legacy Machine 2 is proposed as three versions: in white gold, in red gold, and as a limited edition of 18 pieces in platinum.