To celebrate the iconic LMX, MB&F brings a beautiful new edition featuring a stunning purple dial plate encased in a complementary white gold case. The new MB&F LMX Paris Edition will be exclusively available at the Parisian MB&F LAB on Rue Saint-Honoré and limited to only 15 pieces.
Those familiar with MB&F’s very first Legacy Machine will instinctively know how LMX operates. Two dials of stretched white lacquer, each with its own display of hours and minutes. The dial on the right is set by the crown at the 2 o’clock position, which bears an engraving of the MB&F battle-axe and also winds the movement. The crown at 10 o’clock, engraved with a globe to acknowledge the potential use of a second time zone, sets the time of the left dial.
“If I were to give a name to the LMX Paris Edition, I would undoubtedly call it the ‘LMX Deep Purple’ in reference to the famous 1968 rock group —this piece is definitely rock ’n’ roll!”, says Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion and owner of the MB&F LAB in Paris.
Things to Know About the Watch
Originally launched in 2021 to celebrate 10 years of horological machines, the first versions of the LMX were released as follows: 18 pieces in 18K red gold with black NAC treatment on plates and bridges; 33 pieces in grade 5 titanium with green CVD treatment on plates and bridges; and 33 “Steel & Brass” pieces in 316L stainless steel with a frosted face.
Of particular note is the new bespoke balance wheel, a 13.4 mm behemoth with inertia blocks that marks a departure from the more traditional screwed balances and offers greater accuracy to the watchmaker in regulating the heart of LMX. Other refinements include the polished arms of the straight bridges exposed on the dial plate, manually finished to impart a curved, or bercé, profile on their upper surfaces.
In another nod to the world-first vertical power reserve indicator of Legacy Machine No. 1, LMX builds on this slice of MB&F history, with a completely novel three-dimensional display that showcases the engine’s impressive seven days —168 hours of power reserve. In this evolved display, there is the option to select between two modes of counting down the power reserve. Two markers are positioned on opposite sides of a hemisphere; one framed by an arched scale numbered 1 to 7, another with a scale showing the days of the week.
This complex and completely novel interplay of components is given an additional level of intricacy, by the rotation of the entire power-reserve display itself. This allows wearers to choose their preferred mode of power-reserve indication: by continuing to wind the battle-axe crown even after the power reserve is fully replenished, wearers can adjust the orientation of the indication in order to make the day-of-the-week or numeric scale more visible when LMX is on the wrist.
Like a perfectly balanced X, the engine of LMX is deeply symmetrical —not only dial-side but also as observed through the sapphire case back, revealing the three barrels placed evenly around the center, accentuated by the sunray pattern of the Côtes de Genève finishing. A treat for those who can read the language of watch movements, and who can discern expert intent and refined purpose behind the placement of each component.
The three-dimensional horological movement developed exclusively by MB&F has been improved to feature a new 13.4 mm balance wheel. The movement is composed of 367 parts and 41 jewels in gold chatons with diamond countersinks. The superlative hand finishing throughout the movement respects 19th-century style; internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings; polished arms of the straight bridges exposed on the dial plate, manually finished to a curved “bercé” profile on their upper surfaces.
The new MB&F LMX Paris Edition measures 44 mm in diameter and is delivered on a grey hand-stitched alligator strap with purple lining and equipped with a 5N+ white gold folding buckle. The new MB&F LMX Paris Edition is exclusively available at the Parisian MB&F LAB on Rue Saint-Honoré —which is operated by Chronopassion— and only 15 pieces are available.
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