MB&F Legacy Machine Flying T Watch

Maximilian Büsser had a vision but that’s nothing new, now MB&F has broken its 14-year-long tradition of masterminding complex, visually arresting men’s watches and taken its first step into feminine territory.   MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT watch, designed especially for women.

The Legacy Machine Flying T is faithful to the brand’s philosophy of 3D ‘spectacle’ and stages a flying tourbillon in the centre of the dial and an intriguing hours and minutes dial perched at an angle at 7 o’clock, all protected under a pronounced sapphire crystal domed. And because it was conceived as a lady’s watch from the get-go, the FlyingT is more compact than elegant than earlier MB&F watches for ladies that were essentially men’s watches set with precious stones.

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. – Maximilian 

Legacy Machine FlyingT launches in three editions: black lacquer dial plate with case set with brilliant-cut diamonds; dial plate and case both fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds; dial plate and case both fully set with baguette-cut diamonds. Each variant has a different number of stones, with wildly different corresponding carat weights. Perhaps this decision was made to hit multiple price-points. 

The case itself, including both the front and back anti-reflective sapphire crystals, contains 17 parts (not counting the diamonds). For symmetry, two functional crowns are included: one at 3 o’clock and one at 9 o’clock. Winding is handled by the crown on the left and time-setting by the crown on the right.

At the centre of the dial either in black lacquer or set with diamonds to match the case – is a one-minute flying tourbillon beating at the relatively sedate frequency of 2.5Hz, or 18,000 beats per hour. The movement of the Legacy Machine Flying T takes solutions from both the HM6 series and the HM7 Aquapod. Unlike most watch movements, the LM Flying T engine uses a vertical layout allowing the flying tourbillon to project boldly beyond the dial plate.

At the 7 o’clock position is a dial of black or white lacquer that displays the hours and minutes with two elegant serpentine hands in blued gold. The dial is inclined at a 50° tilt so that the time can be read only by the wearer.  The view from the back is striking and surprising. Instead of the well used battle axe-style rotor, the FlyingT is fitted with an oscillating weight in the form of a radiant,  in the shape of a three-dimensional red gold sun with sculpted rays, providing LM FlyingT with four days of power reserve.

The “entry-level” MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT Black Lacquer version will retail for $115,000. The Paved version comes in at $145,000. At the top of the tree, the baguette version costs $315,000. Discover Opulent Club on Apple News.