It might seem like every brand is celebrating some sort of anniversary in 2025. Indeed, several of the year’s best releases have been tied to a major anniversary of some kind. Marking its own 20th anniversary, MB&F has already released a several new models but has seen fit to do something else suitably outrageous, and is set to give away ten pieces each of the LM101 Longhorn 20^th Anniversary (pictured above) and M.A.D.1S 20^th Anniversary, new models developed especially for the occasion.

Ten pieces of each watch will be given away following a raffle in October. Registered members of the Tribe, an MB&F owners club, will be entered for a chance to win the LM101, while those who have previously put their name in for a M.A.D. Edition will have a chance to win the M.A.D.1S.

The M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary

Initial thoughts

The concept of deciding allocations of low-volume watches via a lottery system is one that gained acceptance during the heady days of the pandemic; MB&F has been something of a pioneer in this regard. But ordinarily the raffle offers a chance to buy a watch, rather than a complimentary giveaway. In normal circumstances it would be difficult to rationalise a free giveaway like this, since to some extent the luxury industry is held up by the notion of exclusivity born of high prices.

But MB&F is not a typical luxury brand, and has approached the raffle in a sensible way. The limited production of both watches, just 10 pieces of each, will create a different kind of exclusivity and both editions will undoubtedly be highly sought-after on the secondary market.

The giveaway is a generous way to thank both collectors and fans who took a chance on MB&F’s outlandish designs during what we’ll eventually look back on as the brand’s early days. For this reason, the case backs of both models bear the slogan, “Fortune Favours the Bold.”

Raffle details

The raffle for the LM101 is open to Tribe members, which is the term MB&F uses for its customers; existing Tribe members are automatically entered into the raffle.

If you’re an MB&F collector and have not yet registered as a Tribe member, it would be wise to do so as soon as possible. Ten pieces will be given away, and the lucky winners will be invited to collect their prizes in person at the M.A.D. House in Geneva.

The M.A.D.1S will be raffled separately, with automatic registration for anyone who previously entered a raffle for the chance to buy a M.A.D. Edition. The automatic registration means that no action is required; if you’ve entered a raffle for a M.A.D. Edition before, you are automatically registered for the chance to win one of the ten pieces being offered.

Given the obvious commercial value of both watches, especially the LM101, MB&F will retain a bailiff to supervise the raffle to ensure it’s carried out fairly. And registrants won’t have to wait long; both raffles are scheduled for October.

Another Longhorn

The Legacy Machine LM101 was introduced in 2014 and since then has worn a variety of attractive guises. The most compact MB&F model when it was first launched, the LM101 features 40 mm case that looks thinner than its 16 mm thickness would suggest; most of the height is due to the massively domed sapphire crystal that arches over the prominent floating balance wheel.

The movement is first rate, having been designed by Kari Voutilainen to echo the sweeping bridges of historical calibres. Of course, the signature feature is the 14 mm balance wheel suspended above the dial, free-sprung on dual horizontally opposed Straumann hairsprings. A solution originally developed by Andreas Strehler for H. Moser & Cie., the double hairsprings, offset 180 degrees from one another, help equalise the forces on the balance staff, accomplishing much the same thing as an overcoil, but with greater success.

What’s new for the 20th anniversary edition is the Longhorn livery, which has been used sparingly in the past. The first model to establish this archetype was the Legacy Machine LM1 prototype, a one-off creation eventually auctioned for charity in 2021. But the concept was born much earlier, in 2009, when the designers of the LM1 were trying to decide where to drill the holes for the spring bars.

The original LM1 Longhorn prototype.

The Longhorn name itself comes from the long downward-curving lugs, or horns. This feature was paired with a grey sunray dial plate, black sub-dials for the time, and blued hands. The LM1 Longhorn remained obscure until the release of the first formal Longhorn editions earlier this year, which applied this template to the LM Sequential Flyback and LM Perpetual.

This distinct colourway looks just as good, if not better, on the LM101 thanks to its more minimalist design. Just 10 pieces will be made, after which the LM101 Longhorn will be retired.

Still M.A.D.

Compared to the brightly coloured editions launched in the past, the 20th anniversary edition of the M.A.D.1S features the same grey, black, and blue livery established by the Longhorn editions, giving it a more serious and restrained look than previous version. It’s also the first M.A.D. Edition to feature Roman numerals, another nod to the Longhorn template.

Otherwise, it’s a typical M.A.D.1S, which means it uses the La Joux-Perret G101 and a single cylinder for the time display to help reduce thickness to just 15 mm. The La Joux Perret calibre was chosen for its unidirectional winding mass, which spins freely and can be admired on the front of the watch.

Twenty years of friends

True to its name, MB&F celebrates the ‘Friends’ who contributed to the development of each watch. For its 20th anniversary, the brand has also chosen to immortalise its early retailers in a suitably imaginative tableau. The individuals highlighted are noted champions of independent watchmaking and helped give MB&F credibility in key markets long before collectors knew what to make of the brand.   

MB&F has launched 22 different movement platforms since 2005.

Key facts and price

MB&F LM101 Longhorn 20^th Anniversary

Case diameter: 40 mm
Case height: 16 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: LM101 engine
Features: Hours, minutes and power reserve indicator
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Manual wind
Power reserve: 45 hours

Strap: Leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp

Limited edition: 10 pieces
Availability: Not for sale; free to 10 winners of the raffle, chosen from among registered Tribe members

Existing MB&F owners can register as Tribe members here.

MB&F M.A.D.1S 20^th Anniversary

Diameter: 42 mm
Height: 15 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire on the front and mineral glass on the flanks
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: La Joux-Perret G101
Functions: Hours and minutes on single cylinder
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 68 hours

Strap: Leather strap with stainless steel folding clasp

Limited edition: 10 pieces
Availability: Not for sale; free to 10 winners of the raffle, chosen from among previous M.A.D. Edition raffle registrants

Jaeger-LeCoultre has just introduced the Master Control Calendar Limited Edition, the latest addition to a long line of triple calendar watches going back decades. Packaged in the 40 mm Master Control case we’ve become familiar with, this new 500-piece stainless steel limited edition is all about the dial, which features a richly textured silver and grey livery on a “sector” layout.

Despite the classical aesthetic, the Master Control Date is thoroughly modern on the inside with the cal. 866 featuring a silicon escapement that supports a 70-hour power reserve.

Initial thoughts

The triple calendar moon phase has long been a staple of the Jaeger-LeCoultre line-up; Pablo Picasso famously wore one. Add to this lineage the brand’s unique jumping date pointer, which jumps in a wide arc from the 15th to the 16th of the month to avoid confounding the moon phase display, and the result is a watch that manages to be both charming and technically distinctive.

It’s also easily wearable in a 40 mm case, that, while larger than the vintage originals, gives the indicators on the dial plenty of space to breathe.

Of course, the movement is the cal. 866, effectively a cal. 899 with a triple calendar module, which helps keeps the overall package quite sleek at 10.95 mm – on par with many simple time-and-date watches in this category. Upgraded a few years ago with a silicon escapement, the movement now runs for 70 hours when fully wound, adding convenience to wearability.

Naturally the signature detail of this limited edition is the textured dial, which calls to mind the successful trio of sector dial Master Control watches rolled out eight years ago. The Master Control Calendar never got the sector dial treatment, and while this is a new design with an entirely different texture, it would look right at home next to these counterparts.

The limited edition status of the Master Control Calendar results is a lofty price of US$15,300, leaving it vulnerable to criticism on the grounds of value. That said, the triple calendar format is not widely produced, and will have a special appeal with collectors who appreciate the mid-century aesthetic.

A textured dial

Jaeger-LeCoultre is a brand with a great deal of skill when it comes to dial making and has produced an array of richly textured dials in the past. The new Master Control Calendar is a fine addition to to this tradition, featuring concentric rings of grey and silver. The contrasting colours make it feel like a sector dial at arm’s length, but up close it bears the hallmarks of mid-century dress watches from the Vallée de Joux with faceted markers and no-nonsense arabic numerals.

The brand has also given the triple calendar format its own twist with a date jumper, tipped with a red-painted ‘JL” logo, that jumps past the moon phase at midnight on the 15th. This asymmetrical gearing teases at the technical heritage of Jaeger-LeCoultre and ensures that the moon phase and running seconds at six o’clock at never covered up by the date pointer. This clever date mechanism was developed about two decades ago, originally for the Master Tourbillon, to ensure the date pointer never obstructed the view of the then-novel tourbillon cage. In 2020, the Master Control Calendar was updated with this functionality as well.

Inside, the Master Control Calendar features the cal. 866 AA, which represents the latest generation of movements built on the well-known and widely used cal. 899.

A relatively slim 4 Hz platform, this series of movements was endowed with a silicon escapement a few years ago, a change that helped up the power reserve to 70 hours.

The Master Control Calendar’s cal. 866 AA is based on the cal. 899, pictured above

Silicon components come with their own strengths and weaknesses, but here it makes sense. The calendar mechanism of the cal. 866 AA is traditional in its construction, meaning it requires a bit of care to avoid adjustment during the late-night hours.

It’s a modular calibre so the calendar indications are updated by means of pushers in the case, which require a stylus. In this context, the extra power reserve is welcome, since it will reduce the frequency of date-setting.

Key facts and price

Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control Calendar Limited Edition
Ref. Q4148450

Diameter: 40 mm
Height: 10.95 mm
Material: Stainless steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: cal. 866 AA
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month, and moon phase
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 70 hours

Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp

Limited edition: 500 pieces
Availability: At Jaeger-LeCoultre boutiques
Price: US$15,300 excluding taxes

For more, visit Jaeger-lecoultre.com.