A sparkling new dial has arrived for an out-of-this-world watch. MB&F’s first women’s timepiece, the Legacy Machine Flying T which first dropped in 2019, now comes in a rich lapis lazuli on the dial plate and tilted subdial (US$138,000 or about RM560,000). Set in an 18-karat white-gold case and surrounded by diamonds, the golden Pyrite flecks of the gemstone add a galactic-looking touch to its already futuristic design. For a vivid splash of contrast, the independent watchmaker added a bright green alligator-leather strap. But despite its space-age aesthetic, Robb Report can confirm that it’s surprisingly elegant on the wrist.
It’s the sixth version to appear since last year. A black dial plate with a white subdial set in 18-karat white gold with a black alligator-leather strap debuted on the initial timepiece with subsequent editions following including dial plates set with baguette or round-cut diamonds and two guilloché dial plate iterations—one in aqua blue set in a platinum case and another in black set in 18-karat red gold, introduced earlier this year. It’s hard to beat the diamond-set dials if you want the ultimate talking piece, but the lapis lazuli and green Legacy Machine Flying T is certainly the most colourful release yet.
Beneath this unique timepiece’s domed sapphire crystal is a flying tourbillon beating at 2.5Hz which rotates with a single large diamond and sits perched above the mechanical “engine” that is built vertically to rise just short of its glass ceiling. The small subdial, which reads the hours and minutes, is tilted at a 50-degree angle so that only the wearer can see the time on their wrist.
Horological fireworks were also applied to the flip side, which features a rotor fashioned in the vein of a Louis XIV-style sun. But it’s not just design for design’s sake. MB&F’s Max Büsser says the sun represents the life-giving power of womanhood and the towering structure of the 280-part movement evokes support. The Flying T was a tribute to his wife and two daughters giving new meaning to his fleet of “Legacy Machines.”
Previously published on Robb Report.
