MB&F Legacy Machine 2

One of our favorite indie watches of all time is MB&F’s Legacy Machine (LM) 1. We dived deep into why that timepiece is one of the icons in modern independent watchmaking. Now, we have the pleasure of handling its sibling, the Legacy Machine 2 in titanium with a vivid green dial. 

Launched originally in 2013, the LM2 carries all of the cues of MB&F’s Legacy Machine series. The case is round and the dial is classically styled with Roman numerals. It’s far from the realm of sci-fi aesthetics in the brand’s other line of timepieces, Horological Machines. What separates the LM2 from the first timepiece in the series is the use of complication. The LM2 is a double regulator timepiece, giving a nod to some of the earliest titans in watchmaking that experimented with and produced double regulator clocks and pocket watches. Janvier Antide and A.L. Breguet both saw the value of double regulators for chronometric performance. 

The LM2 features two balance wheels, both mirroring one another on the dial at 3 and 9 o’clock, a single movement, one gear train, and one planetary differential. Here, there is no resonance at play. The two balance wheels beat at their own independent frequencies while the differential, placed in the center of the dial, averages both balances to minimize timekeeping errors. Compared to its earlier sibling, the LM1, the LM2 shows that the only thing better than one balance wheel on the dial  is … two. 

With its bridges and their finish were designed by Kari Voutilainen, the movement is a stunner through the LM2’s exhibition caseback. 241 parts, 44 jewels, 45 hours of power reserve, the symmetrical caliber is beautifully curved bridges and abundant beveling, polishing, and Geneva striping. Limited to 18 pieces, this is another ultra-creative and fun watch from MB&F.