MB&F has generated a lot of attention this year with a number of new releases celebrating the brand’s own 20th anniversary. Today MB&F celebrates the 75th anniversary of one of its early champions and long-time retail partners, Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, one of the most influential retailers in the Middle East, best known for organising Dubai Watch Week. To mark the occasion, MB&F has developed two new limited edition models of its groundbreaking perpetual calendar, the Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO, on a sporty rubber strap, and the Legacy Machine Perpetual Baguette Diamonds, which is the first LM Perpetual to feature a gem-set bezel.

Both models wear the typical Legacy Machine (LM) look and feature a vibrant blue colour used once before for another Seddiqi collaboration. Each watch is extremely limited; the titanium EVO will be a limited edition of just seven pieces, while only five pieces will be made of the steel version with its baguette-set bezel.

Initial thoughts

It’s a big year for milestone anniversaries, which is a good thing for watch collectors who are unusually spoiled for choice. That’s especially true for clients of Seddiqi, who can choose between two appealing new variants of one of the most intellectually compelling perpetual calendars on the market.

They say it’s good to have friends in high places, but evidently it’s also good to have friends in dry places. Speaking about MB&F’s long-term relationship with Seddiqi, founder Maximilian Busser noted, “They welcomed me when I was at my most vulnerable, they many times helped me when I was down, and were there to celebrate our greatest achievements together.” In other words, a real partnership. Seddiqi’s foresight and willingness to take risks has no doubt contributed to its enduring success, and that of numerous independent watchmakers over the years.

The watches themselves are not altogether new, being new colourways for existing models. But that doesn’t make them any less appealing. In fact, the vibrant blue colour of the dials, first used five years ago for a collaboration with H. Moser & cie, is among the more appealing options in the MB&F line-up.

As a retailer-specific limited edition, pricing is still under wraps, but they will surely be priced appropriately; with such a small limited edition, it’s possible the buyers are already known.

7 + 5 = 75

Both limited editions start with a strong base: the LM Perpetual. Designed by Stephen McDonnell, the LM Perpetual is remarkable for its mechanical ingenuity, offering quick-set adjustment for all calendar functions via pushers in the case. Even the leap year indicator has its own pusher and can be adjusted independently, making the LM Perpetual arguably the easiest perpetual calendar to set.

What’s more, owners don’t need to worry about when they adjust the calendar; this eliminates a common cause of problems with traditional perpetual calendar designs, which will break if adjusted too late at night or too early in the morning.

Like other LM Perpetuals, the watches are large but not overly so; the large movement makes good use of the 44 mm case and its domed sapphire crystal that encloses the massive balance wheel suspended over the four sub-dials.

The titanium EVO model, shock resistant thanks to the brand’s patented FlexRing damper, is well suited to the Middle Eastern climate with its rubber strap and 80 m water resistance rating.

The dressier steel variant is the more appealing of the pair thanks to its bezel, which is set with 48 baguette-cut diamonds. This is the first time the LM Perpetual has received a gem-set bezel, and with only five pieces being made, it will be immediately recognisable.

Functionally the watches are identical, featuring the same manual-winding slow-beat movement paired with Mr McDonnell’s clever calendar. For many years, collectors grew to favour automatic base movements for perpetual calendars in order to minimise the frequency of having to set the date.

Given the relatively high risk of user-error, this preference made sense until the advent of fool-proof calendars like the LM Perpetual and others like it. In this context, the 72-hour power reserve, indicated with with a discreet pointer at 4:30, is plenty. If the movement runs down, winding and setting is a breeze.

The finishing is done in the typical MB&F house style, which is to say it’s extremely neat and consistent. The industrial-haute horlogerie finishing is attractive, with enough hand-applied flourishes to satisfy all but the most pedantic collectors.

Key Facts and Price

MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO Seddiqi 75th Anniversary

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 17.5 mm
Material: Titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 80 m

Movement: Perpetual calendar movement developed by Stephen McDonnell
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, retrograde leap year, and power reserve indicator
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Rubber strap with titanium folding buckle

Limited edition: 7 pieces
Availability: At Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Price: Upon request

MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual Baguette Diamonds Seddiqi 75th Anniversary

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 17.5 mm
Material: Stainless steel with baguette diamond bezel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Perpetual calendar movement developed by Stephen McDonnell
Functions: Hours, minutes, day, date, retrograde leap year, and power reserve indicator
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Leather with stainless steel folding buckle

Limited edition: 5 pieces
Availability: At Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons
Price: Upon request

For more, visit MBandF.com.