MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO
MB&F’s latest timepiece Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO is dedicated to those fine watch connoisseurs who loves an adventurous and active lifestyle. It is the newest edition from the Legacy Machine Perpetual family, which makes use of an extra-ordinary mechanical engine designed by Stephen McDonnell. This award-winning perpetual calendar movement replaces traditional constructions with an innovative mechanical processor.
Featuring a solid zirconium case, the limited edition Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO watch comes with three color versions – Orange, black and blue – based on the color of CVD coating applied to the dial plate.
The LM Perpetual EVO comes in a case of zirconium, a material rarely used in watch making. Zirconium is a lustrous silvery-grey metal with material properties surpassing stainless steel and titanium. Due to its unique characteristics, machining of zirconium is extremely difficult and risky. Previously, this challenging metal was used in MB&F’s HM3 Frog and HM5.
Zirconium’s biocompatibility and hypoallergenic and anti-microbial properties made it the ideal material for the organic curves of MB&F’s favourite amphibian, while its technical appeal and physical properties (lighter than steel, more durable than titanium) were a perfect fit for the motoring-inspired HM5. Following the footsteps of these two creations, the mighty LM Perpetual EVO watch has chosen Zirconium as its armour.
Although the 44mm diameter is unchanged from its 2015 iteration, the new EVO case design features a no-bezel construction, with the domed sapphire crystal fused directly to the case. The increased openness of this design highlights the equilibrium between the legibility of LM Perpetual EVO’s calendar indications and the cinematic play of the engine components — surmounted by the iconic MB&F hovering balance wheel.
This expansive new presentation of the LM Perpetual Engine was no simple design reconfiguration. New geometries for the sapphire crystal had to be calculated, achieving the mechanically opposing aims of maintaining structural strength and decreasing its height-to-diameter ratio. Freeing LM Perpetual EVO from the bezel also necessitated the use of a sophisticated thermal bonding system between the sapphire crystal and the zirconium case.
The previously circular pushers for adjusting the perpetual calendar have been enlarged into double-sprung oblong actuators, boosting the tactile comfort and ease of adjustment. For the first time in any MB&F creation, the LM Perpetual EVO is rated at 80m of water resistance, enabled by its screw-down crown. A small, but essential, detail of implementing a screw-down crown is the débrayage of the winding stem, disengaging the crown from the winding mechanism when it is pushed in and tightened, which eliminates the chance of manually over-winding the mainspring barrel.
An additional new element of the LM Perpetual EVO is the FlexRing: an annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along the vertical and lateral axes. Machined from a single block of stainless steel, the dampener imparts exceptional robustness to the perpetual calendar, a function that is associated with classicism and elegance, but is arguably the most pragmatic and utilitarian of all the high complications.
When Stephen McDonnell set out to redesign the perpetual calendar for MB&F, he proposed a system that rethought the entire mechanical basis of the complication. The LM Perpetual uses a “mechanical processor” consisting of a series of superimposed disks. This revolutionary processor takes the default number of days in the month at 28 — because, logically, all months have at least 28 days — and then adds the extra days as required by each individual month.
This ensures that each month has exactly the right number of days, and removes the possibility of the date jumping incorrectly. An inbuilt safety feature disconnects the quickset pushers during the date changeover, so that even if the pushers are accidentally actuated whilst the date is changing, there is no risk of damage to the movement.
Reinforcing the dynamism and durability of the LM Perpetual EVO is a new dial plate colour — a shade of orange that is as bright as it is difficult to achieve. Dark PVD/CVD coatings are common, with colours that appear along the cooler end of the visible light spectrum becoming more familiar in watch-making.
The shades like Yellow, orange and red are rarely used in PVD/CVD because it has been mastered by a very small number of the most technically advanced specialists, who keep their material compounds and application methods a close professional secret.
The LM Perpetual EVO is the first timepiece to exhibit a bright orange shade of CVD coating. Two other dial-plate colours, black and blue are also available, with each of the three shades produced in a limited series of 15 pieces – celebrating the brand’s 15th anniversary.
Technical details
Model: LEGACY MACHINE PERPETUAL EVO
Editions
Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO is available in three variations of 15 pieces each: Zirconium case with orange CVD dial plate, Zirconium case with blue CVD dial plate and Zirconium case with black PVD dial plate.
Engine
Fully integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring dial-side complication and mechanical processor system architecture with inbuilt safety mechanism. Manual winding with double mainspring barrels. Bespoke 14mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws visible on top of the movement. Superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style; internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings
Galvanic black dials with both SLN numerals and hands(except for the leap year and power reserve)
FlexRing: an annular dampener fitted between case and movement, providing shock protection along the vertical and lateral axes.
Screw down crown
Power reserve: 72 hours
Balance frequency: 18,000bph/ 2.5Hz
Number of components: 581
Number of jewels: 41
Functions/indications
Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indicators
Case
Material: Zirconium
Dimensions: 44 mm x 17.5 mm
Number of components: 70
Water resistance: 80m / 8 ATM / 270 feet
Sapphire crystals
Sapphire crystals on top and display back treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces
Strap & buckle
Rubber strap with titanium folding buckle
