MB&F Add Flyback Chronographs To Their Latest LM Sequential EVO

When MB&F unveiled the Legacy Machine (LM) Sequential EVO in 2022, it didn’t just introduce another complicated chronograph — it quietly redefined what a chronograph could be.

A twin-chronograph with genuinely usable logic, it felt so obvious in hindsight that one wondered why it hadn’t been done before. Collectors agreed, and the watch was duly awarded the GPHG Aiguille d’Or the same year.

Conceived by Stephen McDonnell — one of the original MB&F Friends and the mind behind the LM Perpetual — the Sequential was never about excess complexity for its own sake. Instead, it offered multiple timing modes that were not only novel, but profoundly practical: simultaneous events, cumulative timing, true lap timing, all executed with mechanical clarity.

Yet from the outset, there was another ambition quietly waiting in the wings: flyback. McDonnell’s original prototype was designed with flyback capability, and the architecture of the Sequential EVO made allowances for it. But with a movement this radical, restraint prevailed. After nine months of prototyping — four of them devoted solely to the flyback system — and six major redesigns, the decision was taken to wait. Releasing it then would have been bold; perhaps reckless.

That patience paid off. In 2024, the LM Sequential Flyback finally arrived, housed in the more classical Legacy Machine case. And now, in 2026, the flyback returns to where many felt it belonged all along: the EVO.

Enter the LM Sequential Flyback EVO, rendered in grade 5 titanium, paired with an aquamarine dial plate, and — for the first time in an EVO Sequential — a tilted time dial, improving legibility and restoring a signature Legacy Machine cue.

At the heart of the Sequential concept lies one of its quiet masterstrokes: internally jewelled vertical clutches. They are the key to running two chronographs without the energy losses that would cripple a conventional system. The flyback demanded even more finesse. Without jewelling, it simply wouldn’t work. Friction had to be reduced to near-zero to prevent the return-to-zero from blocking the system.

McDonnell’s solution was as elegant as it was obsessive: a jewelled roller integrated into the flyback mechanism. No supplier could provide such a component, so for the first prototype, McDonnell made the jewel himself — purely to prove the concept. It remains one of five patented elements within the Sequential calibre.

The EVO treatment brings with it the now-familiar suite of upgrades: 80 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown, integrated rubber strap, and MB&F’s FlexRing shock-absorption system, isolating the movement from impacts. The absence of a traditional bezel opens up the dial beneath a domed sapphire crystal, while darker movement finishes underline the EVO’s more technical, sport-oriented character.

Functionally, the LM Sequential Flyback EVO remains peerless. Two fully independent chronographs, each with its own seconds and minutes displays, can be operated separately or in concert. Add the flyback, and the reset pushers become even more powerful, allowing instantaneous stop–reset–restart while running.

Then there is the Twinverter — the fifth pusher, positioned at 9 o’clock. McDonnell’s “magic button” is what elevates the Sequential beyond any existing wrist chronograph. Acting as a binary switch, it inverts the running state of both chronographs simultaneously: start both, stop both, or swap one for the other. From split timing and cumulative tracking to true lap timing, the logic is intuitive, mechanical, and unlike anything else on the market.

Powering all of this is a movement that simply shouldn’t work — but does. Two chronographs, one escapement, no meaningful loss of amplitude. Thanks to its patented clutch architecture and jewelled flyback system, the Sequential calibre doesn’t just avoid the pitfalls of traditional chronographs — it outperforms them.

For collectors, the LM Sequential Flyback EVO isn’t just another variation. It’s the full realisation of an idea first sketched years ago — executed with patience, discipline, and mechanical conviction.

Technical Specifications:

Legacy Machine Sequential Flyback EVO is released in a titanium edition with an aquamarine dial plate

Engine

Fully integrated dual chronograph flyback system developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, featuring Twinverter switch allowing multiple timing modes.

Manual winding with double mainspring.

72 hours (3 days) power reserve.

Flying balance wheel with regulating screws at 12 o’clock, Breguet overcoil.

Superlative hand finishing; internal bevel angles highlighting handcraft; polished bevels; Geneva waves; hand-made engravings, darkened bridges (NAC finish).

Inclined dial for the hours and minutes

Balance frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vph)

Number of components: 621

Number of jewels: 63

Functions

Inclined time display (hours/minutes) at 6 o’clock.

Left chronograph: seconds displayed at 9 o’clock and minutes at 11 o’clock; start/stop pusher at 10 o’clock and reset/flyback at 8 o’clock.

Right chronograph: seconds displayed at 3 o’clock and minutes at 1 o’clock; start/stop pusher at 2 o’clock and reset/flyback at 4 o’clock.

Twinverter pusher at 9 o’clock: binary switch that inverts the current start/stop status of both chronographs.

Both chronographs are equipped with a flyback function.

Power reserve indication at the back of the movement.

Case