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 by its ethos of collaborating and acknowledging other master watchmakers in the industry, it is helmed by Max Busser who together has 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 ‘Frost’ and was a limited edition produced by the brand in 2015. They made 18 examples of these in yellow gold, making it incredibly rare and a true ‘limited’ edition. As the name denotes, the technique of frosting takes center stage. Developed by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the late 18th and 19th centuries, it is a method that was widely used as a finishing technique for pocket watches. While today most watches are finished with your typical Geneva stripes, it is very nice to see an alternative on wristwatches.
The dial of this LM101 is beautifully hand-frosted and the way it shimmers and reflects light is really amazing. The dial can look very dark in certain lighting and complete explode with flecks of yellow speckles when the sun shines down. Of course, while its all about the frosting technique, we cannot forget 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 land time indication lacquered sub dial floats above the frosted 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 dial. The entire movement is frosted and in yellow gold as well. The overall aesthetic design of the movement is so beautiful, with huge spaces between the bridges and large blued screws contrasting with the frosted gold. Interestingly, the LM101 movement is the first entirely developed and assembled in-house movement from the brand, with help of course form a long time friend of the house, Kari Voutilainen.
With only 18 pieces produced of this MB&F LM101 ‘Frost’ in yellow gold, this is a truly rare and special watch that you will not see very often.
