Haute Complication: MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual

In the world of Haute Horlogerie Maximilian Büsser, Max for friends, is a force of his own. Although best known for the brand that bears his initials, MB&F, he started his career at Jaeger-LeCoultre, followed by Harry Winston. It was there that he created the famous Opus-collection: concept watches developed by the best watchmakers in the world, made in very limited editions.

That same concept is the basis for MB&F, Maximilian Büsser, and Friends. In the case of the Legacy Machine Perpetual, this friend is independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. His contribution is the incredible movement that makes the Legacy Machine Perpetual so unique. Where most perpetual calendars are very classical and have visually not many parts that you can see moving (some even lack a seconds hand) the Legacy Machine Perpetual is different. While it respects the traditional layout of subdials, McDonnell placed the 14mm flying balance wheel above the dial, turning it into the captivating centerpiece of this watch.

While visually impressive, the Legacy Machine Perpetual is far more than just beautiful and complicated; it is also practical.  It was purpose build, meaning that is a perpetual calendar and not a movement on which a perpetual calendar complication was built. This allowed McDonnell to incorporate some innovations, like a patent-pending “mechanical processor.” As part of the 581 components that make up the movement, it ensures that the perpetual calendar is fool-proof. Adjustments to time and date can be made at any point, and with ease, without the risk of damaging the movement.

It is this combination of practical complexity as a mesmerizing design that makes the Legacy Machine Perpetual so unique. While the watch is very innovative and in fact the next step in the development of the perpetual calendar, its finish respects old school craftsmanship. Because the movement is also the dial, the Legacy Machine Perpetual shows off these different types of finishes and allows its owner to admire than by simply looking at the watch on his wrist. The name could have therefore not been more fitting: a machine that pays tribute to the legacy of Haute Horlogerie, and in particular the perpetual calendar, by extending it into the future, to make it indeed a perpetual experience!