In its 14-year history, Swiss watchmaker MB&F has surprised us with some seriously original creations, and now the brand is coming out with its first timepiece created specifically for women. Called the Legacy Machine FlyingT, the new wristwatch not only sports some serious bling in an eye-catching 3D design, it also incorporates a flying tourbillon that not only acts as an aesthetic focus, but adds an extra dimension to conventional caliber design.
Women's watches aren't exactly rare in the field of haute chronologie, as a visit to any high-end watch fair like Baselworld can confirm. However, such watches tend to be more on the jewelry side of the equation with an emphasis on looks and bling rather than technical innovation.
That watch glass ceiling has cracked a bit with MB&F releasing its first watch aimed at the well-heeled female demographic. In this case, the LM FlyingT was created by company founder and creative director Maximilian Büsser, who wanted to achieve more than just downsizing a masculine watch.
"I created MB&F to do what I believe in, making three-dimensional sculptural kinetic art pieces that give the time," says Büsser. "I was creating for myself, which is the only way we could have made all these crazy and audacious pieces over the years. But at some point there came a desire to create something for the women in my family. I've been surrounded by their influence all my life, so I gave myself the challenge to do something for them."
The FlyingT certainly stands out in its first impression. Though the 18k white gold case is smaller than comparable MB&F watches, measuring only 38.5 mm x 20 mm, it's dominated by a large sapphire dome encompassing the 60-second flying tourbillon cage that sits like a tower in the center with the diminutive dial resting against it at a 50-degree angle for easy viewing.
The peculiar 3D vertical, 30-jewel caliber was developed in-house and is derived from the HM6 series and HM7 Aquapod. It has a 100-hr power reserve and runs at a leisurely 2.5 Hz (18,000 bph). Among the 280 components is the three-dimensional sun winding rotor in 18k 5N+ red gold, titanium, and platinum that is visible on the reverse.
There's also a distinct sense of asymmetry in the movement thanks to the cantilevered double-arch upper bridge and its use of a vertical architecture rather than the more conventional radial and co-planar approach. Winding and time-setting are achieved by separate crowns.
The white gold case itself has a steeply cambered bezel and slender lugs. These, along with the dial on launch editions, are fully set with diamonds. Meanwhile, the dial at 7 o'clock with blued serpentine hands is run using conical gears that link the vertical and horizontal parts of the movement – an innovation first seen in the HM6.
The LM FlyingT is water resistant to 3 ATM (30 m, 90 ft) and comes in three editions. The Black Lacquer Edition has 168 stones weighing 1.7ct and sells for US$115,000. The Paved Diamonds Edition has 558 stones coming in at 3.5ct and is priced at US$145,000. And the Baguette Diamonds Edition tops the line with 294 diamonds weighing 8.2ct, which will cost you a steep US$315,000.
The video below introduces the MB&F LM FlyingT.
Source: MB&F