Introducing MB&F’s LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions Are Equal Parts Elevated & Avant-Garde

It was all the way back in 2015 when MB&F debuted its first-ever perpetual calendar, the Legacy Machine Perpetual, which arrived with the same heavily domed sapphire and symmetrically placed (and oversized) balance wheel that we’d gotten used to seeing from the watchmaker’s Legacy Machine models.

This remarkable watch was only possible thanks to a technical collaboration between Max Büsser and Northern Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell (former WOSTEP and independent watchmaker), with McDonnell reimagining the classical movement architecture of the perpetual calendar to allow for both a non-central hour and minute hand, as well as the oversized balance wheel to be located at the heart of the dial. 

His mechanical processor innovation not only reconsidered how a perpetual calendar accounts for months of varying lengths, but also allowed the entire movement to be turned on its head, resulting in a fully integrated 581-component calibre that, in true MB&F style, showed off its gears and springs on the dial side.

Now, more than a decade later, during which time we’ve also seen the watch evolve into the genuinely sporty LM Perpetual EVO, MB&F has arrived at another expression in the LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions, set with baguette-cut gemstones for the first time. Sure, there was the five-piece limited edition LM Perpetual Baguette for the 75th Anniversary of Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, but this is the very first time we’ve seen the unmistakable silhouette finished with rubies and two colours of sapphires. 

If you’re already familiar with the LM Perpetual, most of the specs will be familiar. We’ve got white and red gold cases that measure 44mm in diameter and 17.5mm in thickness (most of which, obviously, is taken up by the domed sapphire crystal over the dials), and the same dial layout with the time indicated at 12 o’clock, and the day, month, and date displayed at the remaining cardinal points. Similarly, we’ve got the power reserve at 5 o’clock and the leap year indicator at 7 o’clock.

Where these latest references differ from previous examples is the gemstones set into the bezel, with the white gold cases featuring either blue or purple sapphires, while the red gold case is appropriately set with rubies. The subdials across all three are finished in a glossy black, but where they once again offer their own personalities is in the red-gold hands of the ruby-set reference and the anodised blue and purple hands of the white-gold references, which match their respective bezel sapphires.

The setting of the stones, sourced from Madagascar (blue and purple sapphires), Sri Lanka (blue sapphires), and Mozambique (rubies), was entrusted to the team at STG Creation in Geneva, who set all 48 of the stones required for each watch expert by hand.

The addition of diamonds and both semi-precious and precious gemstones to existing references has become increasingly popular across the industry over the last few years, ranging from the final two Baltic references (set with moissanites for circa €1,110) to Patek Philippe’s Haute Joaillerie Nautilus flyback chronograph Ref. 5990 (around A$3 million to A$4.2 million depending on the stone of your choice). 

Fundamentally, this extra touch of bling is appealing to collectors and enthusiasts alike as a way to slightly differentiate the watch they have in their collection from other examples out in the wild, and watchmakers are more than happy to accommodate. But while some examples out there take a relatively straightforward slap-some-baguettes-on-it approach, it’s great to see MB&F taking the time to colour-match the stones with the hands and the most visually fitting case material.

Brand: MB&F
Model: LM Perpetual Chromatic Edition
Diameter: 44mm
Thickness: 17.5mm
Case Material: White gold (blue and purple sapphire bezel), red gold (ruby bezel)
Dial Colour: Openworked with dark mainplate
Indices: Printed
Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both faces
Lume: None
Water Resistance: 30 metres
Strap/Bracelet: White (white gold) or beige (red gold) hand-stitched alligator strap with gold folding buckle matching case material

Calibre: Bespoke, fully integrated manual-winding perpetual calendar movement developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year, power reserve indicator
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 2.5 Hz
Jewels: 41
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: CHF 228,000 (excluding VAT)
Limited Edition: 8 pieces for each gemstone

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