Maximillian Busser and Friends, or as we more familiarly know it, MB&F, is one of the most well-known and avant-garde independent watch brands on the scene today. Known famously for its ethos of collaborating and acknowledging other master watchmakers in the industry, it is helmed by Max Busser who together have created some of the most radical and out-there watch designs.
The brand itself is split into two distinctive segments, the HM series, which stands for Horological Machine and represents the craziest watches they make, and the LM series, which stands for Legacy Machine and represents watches they would’ve created 100 years ago. This is quite a beautiful structure of the brand that signals that it both respects and looks to the past for inspiration while pushing forward into a more futuristic and original design.
The LM101, as denoted, is part of the Legacy Machine series and is the most wearable MB&F by a long margin. Sized at 40mm, it is sized more conservatively than the other 44mm LM’s and for me, sits the best on the wrist. While the LM101 is considered the entry-level MB&F, it is my favorite because of its balance between being simple yet looking crazy at the same time.
This particular example is the LM101 in its most classic form with a beautiful sunburst silver dial and a rose gold case. What makes this piece so distinctive is the MB&F signature that made it so famous in the first place- the huge 14mm floating balance on the front of the watch. With a V-shaped 3D bridge suspending the balance on top of the dial, this is anything but a ‘classical’ watch and I guarantee you will find yourself staring at this watch all day long. A power reserve and time indication lacquered sub dial floats above the silver sunburst dial as well and finishes off the 3D masterpiece.
Flip the watch over and you will see that MB&F didn’t stop at the front. The entire movement is finished to perfection and is one of the best looking in the market. The overall aesthetic design of the movement is so beautiful, with huge spaces between the bridges and large blued screws contrasting with the Geneva-striped bridges. Interestingly, the LM101 movement is the first entirely developed and assembled in-house movement from the brand, with help of course from a long-time friend of the house, Kari Voutilainen.
With independents at the forefront of watch collecting today, there is no doubt that MB&F is one of the pioneers that is leading this trend.
