MB&F LM Perpetual Calendar in Color: Three Gem-Set Watches Redefine the Perpetual Calendar.
MB&F will launch the LM Perpetual Chromatic collection in 2026, featuring three ultra-limited edition watches adorned with baguette-cut rubies and sapphires from the award-winning Legacy Machine Perpetual.
A Rare Encounter with Color
Since 2015, the LM Perpetual watch has become one of the most iconic perpetual calendar watches in contemporary watchmaking. Now, in 2026, MB&F reinterprets this milestone with new colors. Three watches are being released: two in 18K white gold with bezels set with blue or purple sapphires respectively; and another in 18K red gold adorned with Mozambique rubies. Each is a limited edition, making it one of the rarest LM Perpetual watches to date.
Dial: A Stage for Complications
The LM Perpetual watch does not feature a traditional dial. Conversely, the open structure of the movement itself becomes the dial, making the full perpetual calendar function clearly visible from above. The skeletonized sub-dials are supported by hidden lugs, creating the visual effect of the hands floating in mid-air without any visible support. This design is impossible in traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms because the large levers would hinder the proper functioning of any lug-supported sub-dials.
The dial layout is clockwise and curved: the hour and minute hands are at 12 o'clock, with a bezel below the suspended balance wheel; the day of the week is at 3 o'clock; the power reserve indicator is at 4 o'clock; the month is at 6 o'clock; the retrograde leap year indicator is at 7 o'clock; and the date is at 9 o'clock. The PVD-treated hands echo the characteristics of each watch: purple hands correspond to a purple sapphire dial, blue hands to a blue sapphire dial, while the ruby dial is plated with 5N PVD gold, complementing the warm tones of the red gold case. La Montre Hermès SA is responsible for dial production, ensuring its exquisite craftsmanship perfectly complements the brand's unique vision.
Movement: Stephen McDonnell's Mechanical Processor
All three Chromatic special edition watches are powered by a 581-piece integrated movement developed by Northern Irish independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. This movement employs a single, dedicated architecture, without modules or a base movement. This is noteworthy: almost all traditional perpetual calendar watches are simply modules added to existing movements. The LM Perpetual watch, however, is built entirely from scratch, with a single goal.
The breakthrough lies in what MB&F calls the mechanical processor. Traditional perpetual calendars default to 31 days per month and quickly skip extra days at the end of the month, creating numerous risks such as omissions, gear jamming, and damage to mechanical parts during adjustments. McDonnell has revolutionized this logic: the processor defaults to 28 days per month and adds extra days as needed each month. Ultimately, the number of days in each month is exactly correct, without skipping or missing any. Furthermore, a built-in safety mechanism automatically unlocks the quick-set button when the date changes, eliminating a major cause of damage in traditional systems. A dedicated button allows direct year adjustment, eliminating the need to scroll through up to 47 months like a traditional perpetual calendar. The movement features a custom 14mm balance wheel with a traditional regulating screw, oscillating at 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz), and a double barrel providing a 72-hour power reserve.
The entire watch is finished to 19th-century standards: polished chamfers, Geneva stripes, internal chamfers highlighting handcraftsmanship, and patterns hand-engraved by professional engraver Glypto. The escapement is clearly visible through the transparent case back, but what truly captivates is the exquisite finishing of the bridges and plates by teams such as CL Rochat, MBG WATCH DÉCOR, DSMI, and 2B8. The suspended balance wheel is connected to the escapement on the back of the movement via what is possibly the world's longest balance wheel axis, which runs the entire length of the movement.
Case and Gem Setting
The case is 44 mm in diameter and 17.5 mm thick, containing 69 components. Both the crystal and case back are made of sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. It is water-resistant to 30 meters. The case decoration was handled by Termin'hor, while the crown and corrector were produced by Cheval Frères.
The iconic feature of the Chromatic series is its bezel, with 48 baguette-cut gemstones encircling the case, forming a flowing, colorful halo. The baguette cut is one of the most challenging gem-setting techniques in high jewelry and watchmaking. Each baguette gemstone requires precise individual adjustment: the facets must be perfectly flush with adjacent gemstones, and the metal separating each gemstone must be precisely polished to match its specific size. Any deviation in depth or angle will cause irregular refraction of light across the entire row of gemstones. The Geneva-based STG Création SA company completes this process entirely by hand for MB&F, resulting in a uniform colored halo around the bezel without affecting the case diameter. The red ruby version features a 1.95-carat Mozambique ruby; the blue sapphire version uses 1.95-carat Madagascar and Sri Lankan sapphires; and the purple sapphire version is set with a 1.93-carat Madagascar sapphire.
replica MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic
A Triumph of Color
The LM Perpetual Chromatic collection perfectly embodies MB&F's design philosophy: technical excellence, bold visuals, and a harmonious interplay between the gemstones, movement finishing, and skeletonized dial design, rather than a competition for attention. The LM Perpetual collection won the Best Calendar Watch award at the 2016 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), and these new creations continue this exquisite essence. As of press time, the official retail price has been set at CHF 228,000 + VAT (approximately USD 312,000 / €248,000 + taxes). These watches are expected to sell out before most collectors confirm their purchase intentions.
MB&F LM Perpetual Color Edition Technical Specifications
The Legacy Machine Perpetual is available in the following versions:
Platinum 950, blue dial (limited to 25 pieces);
18k red gold case, grey dial (limited to 25 pieces);
18k white gold, purple dial (limited to 25 pieces);
18k white gold, dark grey dial;
Grade 5 titanium, green dial (limited to 50 pieces);
18k yellow gold, blue dial (limited to 25 pieces);
Palladium 950, aquamarine dial (limited to 25 pieces);
Stainless steel, salmon dial;
Stainless steel case, diamond-set bezel (Exclusive to Ahmed Siddiqui - 5) Limited to 8 pieces);
18k rhodium-plated red gold case with a red ruby bezel (limited to 8 pieces);
18k rhodium-plated white gold case with a blue sapphire bezel (limited to 8 pieces);
18k rhodium-plated white gold case with a purple sapphire bezel (limited to 8 pieces).
Engine
Designed by Stephen McDonnell for MB&F, this fully integrated perpetual calendar watch features a dial-side complication and mechanical processor system with an integrated safety mechanism. Manually wound with double barrels. A custom 14mm balance wheel with its traditional regulating screw clearly visible on the top of the movement. The entire watch is meticulously hand-finished, adhering to 19th-century style: internal beveling highlighting craftsmanship; polished beveling; Geneva stripes; hand-engraving.
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Balance Frequency: 18,000 beats/hour / 2.5 Hz
Number of Components: 581
Number of Gems: 41
Functions/Indications
Hour, minute, day of the week, date, month, retrograde leap year, and power reserve indicator
Case
Materials: 18k 5N+ red gold, 18k white gold, 18k 3N yellow gold, 950 platinum, Grade 5 titanium, 950 palladium, or stainless steel.
Size: 44 mm x 17.5 mm
Number of Components: 69
Water Resistance: 30 meters / 90 minutes / 3 ATM
Gemstones (for LM Perpetual Chromatic version)
Ruby: 1.95 carats (Mozambique)
Sapphire: 1.95 carats (Madagascar and Sri Lanka)
Violet Sapphire: 1.93 carats (Madagascar)
Sapphire Crystal
Top is made of sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective coating on both sides of the back. Straps and Clasps
Hand-stitched alligator leather straps in black, grey, brown, blue, or white, paired with gold/platinum/titanium or stainless steel folding clasps that match the case material.
Comments
Post a Comment