WATCH & JEWELRY /
WATCH NEWS
December 17, 2015
MB&F's Revolutionary Perpetual Calendar | MB&F
MB&F
A Fundamental Rethink of Basic Design
A Revolutionary Perpetual Calendar (1)
MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends) is a brand founded by watch producer Maximilian Büsser and his circle of friends. It leads the avant-garde in the creation of complex timepieces and automata brimming with artistic playfulness. Its latest model has now arrived in Japan.
Text by SHIBUYA Yasuhito
An Unprecedented Perpetual Calendar
The balance wheel, likely the longest ever in a wristwatch, is connected to the escapement below via an equally innovative arrangement. However, this watch holds another "horologically significant" innovation: it is equipped with a perpetual calendar mechanism based on an entirely new fundamental design.
Designed with 28 Days as the Base, Not 31
Current mechanical wristwatch perpetual calendar mechanisms are designed to account for the varying lengths of months, including leap years every four years, and the 28-day February. They are engineered to function without calendar correction until the year 2100.
The concept of a perpetual calendar, a mechanism requiring no correction, is ancient, with records dating back to 14th-century German texts. The actual development of the perpetual calendar mechanism followed the establishment of the Gregorian calendar, still in use today, by Pope Gregory XIII in the 16th century. Since then, watchmakers across eras and regions have tackled the development of this mechanism, incorporating it into clocks and then pocket watches. Wristwatch versions of the perpetual calendar mechanism emerged in the 20th century, with a Patek Philippe from 1925 considered the world's first.
Furthermore, all previous perpetual calendar mechanisms have been based on the number "31," the number of days in a "long month." In other words, they were designed with gears based on multiples of this number. Adjustments for "short months" with 30 days or February with 28 or 29 days were made by advancing the gears an extra tooth. This approach, however, results in irregular operation of the fundamental gears.
While not solely responsible, perpetual calendar wristwatches with this fundamental structural issue are frequently sent in for maintenance. "That's why I've privately nicknamed perpetual calendar watches 'boomerangs'," comments Maximilian Büsser.
Page02.The Star: An Independent Watchmaker from Belfast
MB&F
A Fundamental Rethink of Basic Design
A Revolutionary Perpetual Calendar (2)
The Star: An Independent Watchmaker from Belfast
Stephen McDonnell, an independent watchmaker based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, who conceived the basic concept for this model, sought to change this fundamental approach that had been followed for centuries. He designed the calendar mechanism with "28" as the initial unit for the number of days in a month. The idea was that for months with more days, the date gears would simply advance accordingly.
"When McDonnell first told me he had an idea for a perpetual calendar model he'd always wanted to develop, I was surprised. But he had been central to the development and production of our very first piece, 'Horological Machine No. 1,' and his genius as a watchmaker was well-known, so we gladly accepted his proposal."
Charris Yadigaroglou, co-owner of MB&F and responsible for marketing and PR, who visited Japan in November to introduce this model, shares the story behind its development.
The result is a mechanism where the gears move precisely one day at a time, with perfect regularity. This has led to the birth of what is likely the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in horological history to simplify the fundamental principles of the perpetual calendar mechanism.
"McDonnell calls this innovative mechanism a 'Mechanical Processor.' It allows for easy adjustment of not only the date but also the leap year, resulting in a perpetual calendar wristwatch with a level of reliability that is in a different dimension from anything before," Yadigaroglou explains with a beaming smile.
Limited Edition of 50 Worldwide
In contrast to the futuristic "Horological Machine" collection, this model is designed with a classic aesthetic, based on the style of 19th-century pocket watches. Production is strictly limited to 50 pieces worldwide: 25 in red gold and 25 in platinum.
For enthusiasts of complex timepieces, this is a groundbreaking perpetual calendar model that should not be missed.
Featuring the World's First, Original Perpetual Calendar Mechanism!
Legacy Machine Perpetual
The world's first watch equipped with a "Mechanical Processor" perpetual calendar mechanism. At the center of the dial, the escapement and regulating organ, also innovative with its two-tiered structure and exposed balance wheel visible through the sapphire crystal, marks the time.
Case: Red gold or platinum, exhibition case back
Diameter: 44mm
Thickness: 17.5mm
Movement: Manual winding, double barrel
Power Reserve: Approx. 72 hours
Vibrations: 18,000 vph
Functions: Day, date, retrograde leap year, power reserve indicator
Strap: Alligator
Water Resistance: 30m
Price: CHF 138,000 (red gold), CHF 168,000 (platinum)
Inquiries
MB&F
http://www.mbandf.com/