MB&F LM Perpetual Palladium

In independent watchmaking, MB&F is a true spectacle. From the brand’s collaborative creative process to their futuristic design, it seems like every MB&F timepiece pushes horology farther and farther into the future. We were excited to handle one of the original Legacy Machine (LM) Perpetuals in titanium a few years ago, and now we’re back with one of the more recent releases in palladium.

An unusual material in the watch industry, palladium belongs to the family of platinum. In its polished form on the case, palladium appears almost white while being harder and more durable than gold. Combined with the light, aquamarine sunray dial, this timepiece bears all of the emblems of the brand’s innovative genius. After all, there’s an argument to be made that this is the first perpetual calendar created with the collector truly in mind. So what do we mean by that exactly?

With the LM Perpetual, many of the usual reliability and functionality issues with perpetual calendars were solved by the ingenuity of Stephen McDonnell. He did this by constructing a movement that does not rely on the standard long lever system or the 31-day month. Rather, the entirety of this perpetual calendar is based on a stacked gears construction and a 28-day month standard. This set-up effectively isolates the day, date, month, leap year indicators, and prevents each function from a hiccup. This design allows collectors to adjust each function independently. No further need to cycle through a year or month to get where you need and no more pressure to keep your perpetual wound. If that wasn’t enough, no more worries about an accidental catastrophe by adjusting your watch around midnight. The pushers on the LM Perpetual disengage automatically, ensuring no costly accidents occur.

Compared to the LM Perpetual’s earlier model, the LMP palladium also adds double-sprung rectangular pushers for an even more robust tactile experience for its owner. While the highlight of the LM Perpetual is McDonnell’s innovative caliber, MB&F makes no sacrifices to its exceptional design game. The flying balance wheel brings all the open worked elements of the perpetual calendar to life as it remains the signature element of the Legacy Machine collection.

All in all, the LM Perpetual in palladium is outstanding for fusing complexity and pragmatism, a high complication with reliability and ease of use in mind. This is the timepiece for watch collectors that want a perpetual calendar without all the anxiety of ownership.