MB&F Go Back To The Future Again With Legacy Machine No.1 EVO

Fifteen years after the watch that launched the Legacy Machine story, MB&F revisits an icon of independent watchmaking, combining its spectacular floating balance wheel and genuinely independent dual time display with the robustness and versatility of the EVO collection.

Some watches mark a moment in a manufacture’s history. Others help define its identity. When MB&F introduced the Legacy Machine N°1 in 2011, it did both.

MB&F has always challenged conventional ideas of what a wristwatch should be. Yet, with LM1, the independent watchmaker approached its vision from a different direction. Inspired by the great horological innovators of the 19th century, it brought classical watchmaking codes into a thoroughly contemporary, three-dimensional composition. The result was a watch that looked to the past while imagining an entirely different mechanical future.

Now, fifteen years after its debut, the original Legacy Machine returns as the LM1 EVO. The essential architecture remains, but the watch has been re-engineered for modern life, with a more compact case, an enhanced movement, increased water resistance and the practical versatility that defines MB&F’s EVO philosophy.

A Machine With Two Perspectives

At first glance, the defining feature of LM1 EVO is impossible to miss: an oversized balance wheel, suspended dramatically above the movement as though floating beneath the domed sapphire crystal.

Measuring 14mm in diameter, this remarkable regulating organ remains the visual centrepiece of the watch. Its exposed construction transforms the normally hidden business of timekeeping into a kinetic spectacle, allowing the wearer to appreciate the rhythm and precision of mechanical watchmaking in motion.

Either side of the balance wheel, two elevated subdials display hours and minutes. But their significance goes beyond the symmetry of the design. Each time display operates independently, allowing two entirely separate time zones to be set without compromise.

This is a particularly thoughtful interpretation of the dual-time complication. Rather than relying on a conventional GMT hand, LM1 EVO provides independent hours and minutes for each location. It can therefore accommodate time differences of 30 or 45 minutes, making it useful for travellers navigating less conventional time-zone offsets.

There is another practical possibility, too. One display can be used to track elapsed time while the other continues to indicate the current time. The watch’s mechanical sophistication is therefore matched by genuine versatility.

Two crowns maintain the clarity of the arrangement. Positioned at 4 and 8 o’clock, they allow each display to be adjusted separately, preserving the visual balance while making the complication intuitive to operate.

The Art Of Keeping Time

The original LM1 was celebrated not simply for its appearance, but for the movement architecture and traditional finishing beneath it. Developed by MB&F with watchmaker Jean-François Mojon, with movement aesthetics and finishing specifications by Kari Voutilainen, the calibre brought classical horological craftsmanship into an unconventional three-dimensional format.

LM1 EVO continues that approach while introducing a significant technical refinement: a Straumann® double hairspring.

This rare configuration employs two matching hairsprings mounted in opposing directions. By counteracting shifts in the regulating system’s centre of gravity and reducing the effects of lateral friction on the balance staff, the arrangement is designed to improve positional accuracy and isochronism.

The balance wheel beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour, or 2.5Hz, maintaining the measured rhythm that suits the watch’s almost theatrical presentation. A redesigned titanium bridge supports the regulating organ, elevating the mechanism into the foreground rather than concealing its complexity behind a conventional dial.

Traditional hand-finishing remains integral to the experience. Gold chatons with polished countersinks, hand-polished bevels, internal angles, Geneva waves and hand-made engravings bring depth and detail to the calibre. Darkened bridges introduce a more contemporary character, reinforcing the contrast between historic craftsmanship and modern engineering.

At MB&F, the movement is never merely a means of displaying the time. It is part of the artwork itself.

Sixty Hours Of Mechanical Freedom

Another important evolution appears at 6 o’clock, where a redesigned, inclined power-reserve indicator replaces the original LM1’s distinctive vertical display.

The change gives the dial-side composition a sportier appearance while making the remaining power easier to read at a glance. More importantly, the manually wound movement now offers a 60-hour power reserve, extending the original model’s 45 hours.

The additional autonomy makes LM1 EVO better suited to everyday wear, while preserving the direct relationship between owner and mechanism that comes with winding a watch by hand. It is a subtle but meaningful improvement, balancing the romance of traditional watchmaking with the expectations of contemporary collectors.

EVO Means More Than A New Case

The EVO concept, introduced by MB&F to bring greater robustness and wearability to selected Legacy Machines, is about more than an aesthetic change.

LM1 EVO is housed in a 42mm case, reduced from the original 44mm, and measures 16.8mm in height. Available in Grade 5 titanium or 5N+ rose gold, the case combines sculptural proportions with engineering intended to make the watch more adaptable to active use.

A patented FlexRing shock-absorbing system sits between the case and movement, providing additional protection against shocks. Screw-down crowns and water resistance to 80 metres further reinforce its practical credentials.

The bezel-free design and high-domed sapphire crystal preserve an uninterrupted view of the three-dimensional movement, while Super-LumiNova-enhanced displays support legibility. An interchangeable rubber strap, changeable at both the case and clasp, completes the transformation.

The result is an interesting contrast. LM1 EVO retains the visual drama and traditional finishing associated with MB&F’s Legacy Machines, yet its protective architecture and versatile construction make it less dependent on formal occasions.

This is not a conventional sports watch, nor does it attempt to be one. Instead, it brings greater freedom to a highly expressive piece of mechanical watchmaking.

Two Editions, Two Distinct Personalities

For 2026, MB&F introduces two interpretations of LM1 EVO, each bringing a different character to the familiar architecture.

The Grade 5 titanium edition adopts a technical, contemporary aesthetic. Its rhodium-plated dial plate provides a bright, silver-toned foundation, contrasted by black displays and blue hands. The lightness of titanium complements the watch’s open architecture, emphasising its precision-engineered character.

The second edition takes a warmer, more luxurious direction. A 5N+ rose gold case frames a deep green dial-side surface, with black displays and rose-gold-toned details providing visual continuity between the case and movement.

Limited to just 33 pieces, the rose gold version offers a more exclusive expression of the design. The green and gold combination lends the three-dimensional composition additional richness without distracting from the spectacular balance wheel at its centre.

Both editions share the same essential mechanical architecture and EVO enhancements, leaving collectors to choose between the technical coolness of titanium and the more traditional warmth of precious metal.

The Legacy Continues

The original Legacy Machine N°1 received both the Public Prize and the Best Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2012. Those accolades recognised a watch that successfully brought the language of traditional horology into an entirely new visual dimension.

LM1 EVO builds on that achievement without simply repeating it. The independent dual time displays, monumental balance wheel and carefully finished movement remain faithful to the original concept, while the longer power reserve, double hairspring, smaller case and EVO protection make the watch more versatile.

There is a broader significance here, too. MB&F has never treated its Legacy Machines as exercises in nostalgia. Instead, they reinterpret the achievements of historic watchmakers through contemporary engineering and an unmistakably sculptural sensibility.

With LM1 EVO, the manufacture demonstrates how that philosophy can evolve without losing its defining character. It remains a celebration of the mechanics that make a watch work, now presented in a form designed to accompany its owner beyond the collector’s cabinet.

Fifteen years on, the original Legacy Machine idea remains as compelling as ever. Its latest evolution is a reminder that the most interesting progress in watchmaking does not always come from adding another complication. Sometimes, it comes from rethinking an icon and making it better suited to the way we live.

Technical Specifications

MB&F Legacy Machine N°1 EVO

• Editions: Grade 5 titanium with rhodium-plated dial plate; 5N+ rose gold with green dial plate, limited to 33 pieces.
• Movement: Manually wound, three-dimensional horological calibre developed by MB&F with Jean-François Mojon; movement aesthetics and finishing specifications by Kari Voutilainen.
• Functions: Two independently adjustable time displays showing hours and minutes; inclined power-reserve indicator.
• Power reserve: 60 hours.
• Regulating system: 14mm balance wheel with Straumann® double hairspring.
• Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5Hz).
• Case: Grade 5 titanium or 5N+ rose gold, with FlexRing shock protection.
• Dimensions: 42mm diameter; 16.8mm height; 52mm lug-to-lug.
• Water resistance: 80 metres / 8 ATM.
• Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal on the front and box sapphire crystal on the back, both with double-sided anti-reflective coating.
• Strap: Interchangeable rubber strap with matching titanium or rose gold folding buckle.

Retail prices of the new LM1 EVOs are:
Titanium edition: CHF 82,000 + VAT (USD 109,000 / EUR 89,000 + taxes)
Rose gold limited edition: CHF 102,000 + VAT (USD 137,000 / EUR 111,000 + taxes)

For more information please visit MB&F