BIG BOY’S TOY
2012, when Silberstein couldn’t help but make several suggestions on how he would have crafted the then-new LM1.
While the aesthetics of the original LM1 evokes an elegance and sobriety, this new reincarnation is manifestly fun and sharp, and exudes boyish glee. A classic Silberstein touch is the lack of a bezel on the case, like his previous watches. There’s also the engraving of the master’s signature motto in French on the case band at 6 o’clock: “Le vrai bonheur est d’avoir sa passion pour metier”, a paraphrased quote by Gustave Flaubert, which translates as “Making a profession of your passion is true happiness”. In fact, the phrase holds as much meaning to Silberstein as it does to Büsser, for the latter had also left the security of his high-flying CEO post at a reputable brand to realise his entrepreneurial dream. The watch’s case size remains the same at 42.5mm, but the dual subdials are now concave-like small satellite dishes, with hour markers and hands adorned in crayon yellow, red and blue. The flying balance wheel is now suspended by an almost invisible bridge in sapphire crystal, which took two years to perfect given the incredibly tight tolerances required. This is yet another Silberstein legacy, as he created a case in sapphire crystal several years ago. Nothing is predictable about the MB&F LM1 Silberstein, not even the power reserve of the frosted-finish movement. It is given a playful touch and is indicated by a signature Silberstein sculpture: yellow sphere, red cube and blue pyramid. “It was a pleasure to work from such a creative timepiece as the LM1 because the suspended balance and arched bridge made it feel like I was working on the set of a science fiction film,” says Silberstein. Aside from injecting his perspective, style and personality into the watch, there is apparently a philosophical reason behind some design decisions. The concave subdials are meant to welcome the “eternal time” of the universe into the movement, where it is transformed and displayed as two completely independent time zones understood on a human scale. “I resonated with the LM1 because by highlighting the balance—the mechanism that splits time into miniscule increments—it highlights how man converts eternal time into something he can use,” he explains. The LM1 Silberstein is available in titanium, black Pvd-treated titanium or red gold—each in a limited edition of only 12 pieces.
Nothing is predictable about the MB&F LM1 Silberstein, not even the power reserve, indicated by a signature Silberstein sculpture: yellow sphere, red cube and blue pyramid