Innovation for the Swiss watchmaker is coming in seven-year cycles. On the seventh year the Legacy Machine collection was established, the first M.A.D. Gallery opened in Geneva which also opened the door to the MB&F co-creations. After another seven-year cycle, we get to experience an exciting, new direction towards horological evolution. Legacy Machine FlyingT (LM FlyingT), the very first three-dimensional womens timepiece, perfectly embodies MB&F’s approach for artful and inventive masterpieces.
Four years ago was when the creative process behind Legacy Machine FlyingT first took shape. It all started when Maximilian Büsser got to thinking about what he could create inspired by the feminine influences that he had throughout his life.“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.”
FlyingT is characterized by a white gold circular case; a lofty cambered bezel; sleek, extended lugs and an array of diamonds. A raised, opulent, orbicular dome of sapphire crystal ascends from the bezel. Sheltered within the dome is a moderately rounded dial plate thats base is pure black and coated by stretched lacquer as well as layers of luminescent diamonds.
At the core of the LM FlyingT engine, encircled by an opening in the dial plate, is a grand flying tourbillon that oscillates at a rate of 2.5Hz (18,000vph). The tourbillon, which proudly stands above the engine, projects a kinetic, dynamic column that halts right before the peak of the sapphire crystal dome. Atop the upper part of the tourbillon cage lays a sole diamond that revolves simultaneously with the flying tourbillon as it illuminates the dazzling light of the finely cut stone.
The black or white lacquer dial displays the hours and minutes with blued gold serpentine hands. Tilted to a 50° angle, the wearer is the only one capable of reading the time; this demonstrates the familiar conveyance that is brought about from the personal qualities of LM FlyingT. The case back of the watch reveals the automatic winding rotor that has taken the form of a three-dimensional red-gold sun with jutting rays, which offers four days of power reserve.
Legacy Machine FlyingT is brimming with feminine and maternal influences that have made an impact in Maximilian Büsser’s life. States Büsser, “I wanted LM FlyingT to possess the epitome of femininity as reflected by the women in my life, particularly my mother. It had to combine supreme elegance with tremendous vitality. The column-like structure of the flying tourbillon was very important to me as I felt very strongly that women form the pillar of humanity. At the same time, there is another layer of meaning coming in from the sun-shaped rotor, which incorporates the element of life-giving, a source of sustenance which we gravitate towards and around.”
FlyingT is available in three separate editions, all of which are in white gold and set with an array of diamonds. The three editions of FlyingT are as follows: dial plate and case both fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds, dial plate and case both fully set with baguette-cut diamonds and black lacquer dial plate with case set with brilliant-cut diamonds.
Additional specifications of the launch editions in diamond-set, 18k white gold cases include a central flying 60-second tourbillon; a three-dimensional sun winding rotor in 18k 5N+ red gold, titanium and platinum; a raised dome sapphire crystal case with anti-reflective coating on both sides and sapphire crystal on back; two crowns: winding on left and time-setting on right; a dimension of 38.5mm x 20mm; and water resistance up to 30 m / 90’ / 3 atm.
Black Lacquer edition:
168 stones (120 on the case, 21 on the buckle, 1 on top of the tourbillon cage and 26 for the crowns). About 1.7ct.
Paved diamond-set edition:
558 stones (390 on the dial, 120 on the case, 21 on the buckle, 1 on top of the tourbillon cage and 26 for the crowns). About 3.5 ct.
Baguette diamonds edition:
294-baguette diamonds and 3 stones (134-baguette diamonds on the dial, 124-baguette diamonds on the case, 12-baguette diamonds on the buckle, 24-baguette diamonds and 2 stones for the crowns, 1 stone on top of the tourbillon cage). About 8.2 ct.
Images and video courtesy of: MB&F
