When it comes to creating women’s timepieces, most watch brands typically create a smaller version of their popular men’s models, stud it with diamonds and other precious stones, then market it as a watch for their female clientele. Cult watch label MB&F, which retails here at The Hour Glass, has plenty of men’s references to do just that for its first ever ladies timepiece.
But the brand is “woke” enough to design a whole new piece for women from scratch. The first ladies timepiece that the brand recently debuted pays tribute to the women in founder Maximilian Busser’s life — his mother, wife and two daughters — and shows how ladies timepieces should not be cookie cutter. The result is the automatic Legacy Machine FlyingT that strikes the balance between being an elegant and timeless luxury accessory that still boasts the brand’s trademark for sculptural and daring creations.
Clocking in at 38.5mm-wide, the 18K white gold watch is not dainty by any measure and the 20mm-high domed sapphire crystal glass makes the watch an instant scene stealer. Yet, the finishes and proportions of the timepiece — made up of 280 components — still manages to keep everything elegant and looking minimalist.
For one, the dial is made of a subtly curved plate that comes in either a sleek black lacquer finish or a more OTT one with paved diamonds. All of the movement and mechanism of the watch are confined into one column in the centre of this dial. The former is also where you’d find the 60-second flying tourbillon — the namesake “T” in the watch’s name — which regulates the timepiece. Perched at the top of this tourbillon cage is a single large diamond that rotates simultaneously with the flying tourbillon.
Another conversation starter is the watch face that’s tilted at a 50-degree angle at the 7 o’clock position. It’s both a whimsical and thoughtfully discreet touch because only the wearer is able to read the time. If the Legacy Machine FlyingT is a preview of how ladies timepieces at the brand are going to look like, then Busser certainly has us piqued.
