BY JOVAN K
Back in 2015, MB&F teamed up with the independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, a collaboration that gave us the LM Perpetual, which still stands out as one of the most ambitious perpetual calendar executions out there. Last year, the brand introduced the first gem-set versions of the LM Perpetual to mark UAE retailer Ahmed Seddiqi’s 75th anniversary, giving the watch a more jewelry-forward presence without losing the technical identity that made it special in the first place. This time around, MB&F decided to bring colored gems into the mix, and it feels like the kind of progression that makes sense for a watch that never treated gem-setting as decoration alone, but as an extension of the design itself.
The case measures a substantial 44mm x 17.5mm and comes in two 18k white gold versions alongside one in red gold, with a mix of brushed and polished finishing. The watches feature bezels set with 48 baguette-cut stones, hand-set at STG Creation in Geneva, with the white gold versions fitted with either blue or purple sapphires sourced from Madagascar and Sri Lanka, while the red gold model opts for Mozambican rubies. Water-resistance is rated to 30 meters.
Beneath the domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides is where the LM Perpetual really separates itself from the crowd. Rather than hiding the perpetual calendar mechanism beneath layers of metal, MB&F leaves the entire complication out in the open above the mainplate, effectively turning the movement into the dial itself. Four suspended black subdials display the day, date, month, and time, while a retrograde leap year indicator sits at 7 o’clock and the power reserve at 4. Hovering above everything is the oversized balance wheel, a signature LM feature that still manages to steal the show. The finishing touch comes in the form of color-matched hands, with blue and purple PVD treatments for the sapphire models and red gold-toned hands for the ruby version.
Powering the watch is the fully integrated manual-winding perpetual calendar movement developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell, which consists of 581 components and 41 jewels, beats at 18,000 vph (2.5Hz), and delivers 72 hours of power reserve from the twin barrels visible through the caseback. More importantly, this is not your typical perpetual calendar. McDonnell built the movement around what he calls a “mechanical processor”, a system that tackles month-length variations very differently from traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms.
Each of the three references is limited to just 8 pieces, so exclusivity is pretty much guaranteed. The watches come fitted with hand-stitched alligator straps paired with matching folding buckles, while pricing lands at CHF 228,000, EUR 248,000, or USD 312,000 before taxes.
Explore more at MB&F
