Small Talk MAXIMILIAN BÜSSER

The founder of MB&F on its latest futuristic timekeeping machines

You launched the first Legacy Machine in 2011. At the time, did you predict this watch would still be an icon for the brand ten years on?

I had absolutely no idea. When I created LM1, I had no plans to create LM2 or any of the other models that came later. It was supposed to be a onetime experiment. How can we create an innovative timepiece that’ll also become a classic? Like most life-changing decisions, the Legacy Machine was based on a gut feeling. It wasn’t really thought through.

Which is your favourite Legacy Machine?

I have two: the LM Perpetual because of Stephen Mcdonnell’s genius movement; and the LM Flyingt because it was my first love letter at MB&F.

What was the biggest challenge when designing the first Legacy Machine?

Ensuring that the enormous flying balance wheel, which measures 14 mm in diameter, regulated correctly. This was a steep learning curve.

Why are watch collaborations important to MB&F?

Our ideas are usually groundbreaking for the industry, and we need innovative engineers and watchmakers to transform them into reality. When I started the Legacy Machine project, MB&F was only three years old and couldn’t benefit from a large team of cutting-edge research and development engineers.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

I would love to work with Beat Haldimann. He’s one of the world’s unsung heroes and greatest horological minds.

To celebrate the Legacy Machine’s tenth anniversary, you’ve launched LMX.

This watch is a tribute and thank you to everyone who has accompanied us on this ten-year journey. To celebrate this milestone, I wanted to rework the original LM1 concept. LM1 was the first MB&F flying balance wheel, the first totally independent two timezone indicator and the first vertical power reserve. LMX is LM1, but on steroids.

What do you love about LMX?

It reminds me of the underwater city Atlantis, which I would imagine as a kid. Under a sapphire dome, we’ve created an intricate world, which has a heart beating from inside it.

Which watch are you wearing today?

My LM2 in titanium. It’ll most probably skyrocket on the secondary market once more people begin to understand what MB&F and Legacy Machine stand for.