When MB&F unveiled Legacy Machine N°1 in 2011, it marked a striking departure for the independent watchmaker. Where the brand’s Horological Machines were boldly futuristic, LM1 looked to the golden age of 19th-century watchmaking though through MB&F’s unmistakably sculptural, three-dimensional lens. Its exceptional movement, developed with Jean-François Mojon and Kari Voutilainen, soon earned both the Public Prize and Best Men’s Watch at the 2012 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.
Now, 15 years after the Legacy Machine story began, its inaugural model returns with a more robust, versatile character. The LM1 EVO retains the visual drama and mechanical ingenuity of the original, while introducing the technical resilience and everyday usability of MB&F’s EVO platform. Its familiar silhouette is still defined by twin time displays and the extraordinary 14mm balance wheel poised above the movement. This monumental regulating organ now incorporates a Straumann® double hairspring, while the calibre itself has been revised for a 60-hour power reserve. The result is not a retrospective edition, but a confident evolution of an icon designed to move more freely between daily life and adventure.
At the core of LM1 EVO is one of the most elegantly conceived dual-time systems in contemporary haute horlogerie. Rather than linking the two dial displays through a standard GMT arrangement, MB&F allows each to show independently adjustable hours and minutes. This makes the complication especially useful for destinations with half-hour or 45-minute offsets and opens another possibility: one display can track elapsed time while the other continues to show local time.
The balance of the original design remains intact. A crown at 4 o’clock winds the watch and operates the right-hand time display, while a second crown at 8 o’clock controls the display on the left. It is a beautifully ordered arrangement that conceals an impressively sophisticated mechanism.
A New Expression of Power
The clearest visual update appears at 6 o’clock. LM1’s original upright, sextant-inspired power-reserve display has been replaced by a sloping indication that sits naturally within the architecture of the dial. It lends the watch a more dynamic, sporting presence while making the remaining reserve instantly legible. That reserve has grown from 45 to 60 hours. The movement is still manually wound, preserving the tactile pleasure of engaging with the machine by hand, but the added running time offers considerably more ease between winds.
Above it all, the oversized balance wheel continues to command attention. Oscillating at a traditional 2.5 Hz, or 18,000 vibrations per hour, it is held aloft by a newly designed titanium bridge. The addition of two opposing, matched hairsprings is a rare technical refinement: by counteracting variations in the balance’s centre of gravity and reducing lateral friction, the system supports improved precision and consistency in different positions.
The 338-component, 25-jewel calibre is finished to the exacting standards expected of the Legacy Machine collection. Gold chatons, carefully polished bevels, inward angles, Geneva stripes and hand-executed engraving reveal traditional craft at its most expressive. Here, elements ordinarily hidden from view are deliberately placed at centre stage.
Built for a More Active Life
The EVO treatment brings meaningful durability to the highly refined LM1. Its 42mm case is smaller than the original 44mm design and houses MB&F’s patented FlexRing shock-absorption system: an annular dampener positioned between movement and case to provide additional protection from impact. With screw-down crowns and water resistance to 80 metres, this is a Legacy Machine equipped for a less precious existence.
The bezel-free construction gives the domed sapphire crystal a particularly open, panoramic effect, while Super-LumiNova accents enhance legibility in lower light. Darkened movement finishes reinforce the collection’s more contemporary, athletic identity. An integrated rubber strap, interchangeable at both the case and clasp, completes the shift towards adaptability.
LM1 EVO arrives in two distinct executions. The titanium model highlights the material’s lightness and engineered appeal, pairing a rhodium-plated dial plate with black displays and vivid blue hands. For a more opulent proposition, MB&F also presents a 5N+ rose gold version, limited to 33 pieces. Its rich green dial-side surface, black displays and rose-gold-toned detailing create a warmer, more dramatic contrast.
With LM1 EVO, MB&F has not simply revisited a celebrated design. It has reimagined the watch that began its Legacy Machine era for collectors who expect artistry, innovation and the freedom to wear exceptional watchmaking on their own terms.
