My journey through the world of watches has been one of change, excitement and hours spent mesmerised by these small pieces of wearable, mechanical art. While my tastes seem to shift every month, one holds strong and true: my obsession with independent watchmakers and their ability to create physics-breaking, engineering masterpieces and make them look so beautiful. A personal favourite of mine is the MB&F LM (Legacy Machine) Split Escapement EVO.
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Every great watch has a beginning, and the LM Split Escapement came through the MB&F LM Perpetual, designed and created by Irish master watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. There were two crucial criteria when designing the LM Perpetual: to make the watch fool-proof and to create a piece which displayed MB&F’s beautiful signature balance wheel in the centre of the dial. However, there was one issue: no room for the escapement.
Known for his quick thinking, McDonnell had the idea to create the world’s most extended balance staff that would span the entire movement, leaving the balance wheel on its own, on the front of the watch, while the remainder of the escapement and parts would be on the opposite side of the movement; thus providing the name of the Split Escapement.
Because of the unveiling of the LM Perpetual and discussions about other innovations from MB&F, the Split Escapement, stayed under the radar. In 2017, MB&F would change that by creating the LM Split Escapement (LM SE) to implement McDonnell’s fantastic idea fully. The manual winding movement featured 298 hand-finished components driven by double barrels, which provide a 72-hour power reserve and feature a user-friendly, rapid date-changing system to evade any damage to the movement when the user changes the date. But where does the LM Split Escapement EVO fit in all this?
The first versions of the LM Split Escapement were presented in the classic MB&F Legacy Machine cases, but the collection would get a more active/athletic design with the new EVO case to be more friendly towards daily wear and use. The new case design was released in 2020 via the LM Perpetual EVO, which featured 80 meters of water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap, and a bezel-free design. The movement is suspended and protected with the assistance of the world’s first monobloc, shock-absorbing FlexRing system, which dampens vertical and horizontal shocks the watch may face with daily use.
Fast forward to 2022, MB&F would implement two new colour variants to the LM Split Escapement; the first in Grade 5 titanium with an ice blue base plate and slate grey dial, and the second being an exclusive release for the MB&F LAB in Beverly Hills, which featured the Westime Corporate colours of blue and black with a black base plate and blue dial/counters.
The newest addition to the LM Split Escapement EVO family wouldn’t exist without the relationship between Max Büsser and Swiss Prestige (who carries high-end independent brands such as DeBethune, Gruebel Forsey, Arnold & Son, Chronoswiss and many others), as far back as the origins of MB&F. In 2015, Swiss Prestige opened the MB&F M.A.D. Gallery in Taiwan, with Lori Shen (CEO of Swiss Prestige) leading the way. From this partnership and newest addition to the M.A.D. Gallery came success and the stunning 20-piece limited edition of the LM Split Escapement EVO Taipei.
Sophisticated and striking, the LM Split Escapement EVO Taipei features a beautiful Grade 5 titanium case, a black base plate and a stunning green dial with matching open counters. The watch features a choice of two rubber straps, fresh white or dark grey, and integrates seamlessly with the design of the case, creating a fluid and comfortable wearing experience.
The LM Split Escapement EVO Taipei is a fantastic example of a beautiful partnership between people and passion. It is the most beautiful LM Split Escapement EVO variation to date. For more information and to check out the collection for yourself, feel free to check out MB&F.com
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About the Author
Born into a family obsessed with motorsport, Tyler Frederick became enamoured with speed and beautiful cars at a young age. His love of Formula 1–and all things mechanical–eventually lead him to horology. You can follow him on Instagram.
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