Space Oddity

The Legacy Machine Split Escapement from MB&F is a curious creation, conjured up in the name of beauty and exploring the depths of horology few have dared venture into. MELAINNE CHIEW speaks to the man behind the machine

- Melainne Chiew

THE MB&F LEGACY Machine collection’s newest intrigue, the Legacy Machine Split Escapement (LMSE), shines the spotlight on a Split Escapement, as its name suggests. It refers to an unusual arrangement of the escapement, balance and escape wheel, where the balance appears to oscillate without any impulse. Horological tradition assumes that the balance assembly, anchor and escape wheel are built as closely to one another as possible. But the Split Escapement challenges convention: The balance wheel and escapement are separated by the dial yet linked by a peculiarly long shaft 11.78mm high and only 0.2mm wide on the tips.

For a brand that started with the vision of futuristic, ultra-modern watches, the Legacy Machines (LM) were an epiphany. Founder Max Büsser recalls the beginnings of MB&F, created in 2005 after he resigned from his managing director role at Harry Winston Timepieces. Determined to do away with classics, he launched the Horological Machines (HM), a series of bizarre timepieces that offer a different take on time. In contrast, the concept of LM was a trip back to the past no one else in Büsser’s team wanted to take. They believed it just wasn’t characteristic of a forward-thinking MB&F.