Quick summary
- MB&F has introduced three gem-set LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions in white gold or red gold.
- Each 44mm watch uses 48 baguette-cut stones on the bezel, with blue sapphires, purple sapphires or red rubies matched to corresponding hand treatments.
- Production is limited to 8 pieces per version, priced at CHF 228,000, EUR 248,000 or USD 312,000 excluding VAT.
MB&F’s LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions take the brand’s complex Legacy Machine perpetual calendar and frame it with a new ring of colour, using baguette-cut gemstones rather than round brilliant stones for a more structured visual effect.
The trilogy includes two 18k white gold models set with blue or purple sapphires, plus an 18k red gold model set with rubies.
Baguette stones give the LM Perpetual a different kind of presence
The LM Perpetual is already one of MB&F’s most visually exposed watches, with its suspended balance wheel and calendar indications arranged above the movement.
Adding gemstones could have easily pushed it into excess, but the choice of baguette cuts keeps the effect relatively disciplined.
Baguette-cut stones have long, clean edges and fewer facets than more glitter-focused cuts, so the bezel reads almost like a coloured architectural frame around the mechanical display.
Each watch carries 48 hand-set stones, with the gem setting handled in Geneva by STG Creation.
Three colourways with carefully matched details
The blue sapphire version pairs an 18k white gold case with 48 baguette-cut blue sapphires weighing approximately 1.95 carats in total.
The purple sapphire model also uses 18k white gold, with 48 baguette-cut purple sapphires weighing around 1.93 carats.
The warmest execution is the 18k red gold model, set with 48 red rubies weighing approximately 1.95 carats.
MB&F has matched the hands to the mood of each bezel, using blue PVD hands for the blue sapphire watch, purple PVD hands for the purple sapphire watch and 5N PVD hands for the ruby-set red gold model.
All three versions keep the black suspended sub-dials, including the time display at noon.
The McDonnell perpetual calendar remains the main event
The gem setting is new to this family in coloured stones, but the underlying watch remains the LM Perpetual developed with Stephen McDonnell.
Its calibre was a major step for MB&F when it arrived in 2015, not simply because it was complicated, but because it reconsidered how a perpetual calendar could be built.
Instead of adapting a traditional module, the movement is a fully integrated manual-winding perpetual calendar with 581 components and a 72-hour power reserve.
The calendar architecture uses a mechanical processor and a 28-day default system to reduce the vulnerability often associated with conventional perpetual calendars.
From the front, the movement is deliberately on show, with the central 14mm balance wheel floating above the dial in the familiar Legacy Machine style.
The caseback offers the quieter view, revealing the double barrels and the traditional hand-finishing that gives the movement its old-school haute horlogerie character.
MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions specifications
| Model | MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions |
|---|---|
| Case | 44mm diameter, 17.5mm thick |
| Materials | 18k white gold or 18k red gold |
| Gem setting | 48 baguette-cut gemstones on the bezel |
| Gemstone options | Blue sapphires, purple sapphires or red rubies |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides |
| Caseback | Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating |
| Water resistance | 30 metres |
| Movement | Manual-winding integrated perpetual calendar developed for MB&F by Stephen McDonnell |
| Components | 581 components, 41 jewels |
| Frequency | 18,000 vibrations per hour, or 2.5Hz |
| Power reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, day, date, month, retrograde leap year and power reserve indication |
| Strap | Hand-stitched alligator strap with folding buckle matching the case material |
| Limitation | 8 pieces per gemstone version |
| Price | CHF 228,000, EUR 248,000 or USD 312,000 excluding VAT |
These Chromatic Editions suit the collector who already understands the LM Perpetual’s mechanical significance but wants a version with stronger visual identity.
They’re not subtle watches, though they are more controlled than a fully pavé approach would have been.
For MB&F, that balance matters, because the LM Perpetual’s appeal has always been split between invention and spectacle.
Here, the spectacle gets a sharper edge.
FAQ
How many MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions will be made?
MB&F will produce 8 pieces of each gemstone version, making 24 watches across the full trilogy.
What gemstones are used on the LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions?
The collection includes blue baguette-cut sapphires, purple baguette-cut sapphires and red baguette-cut rubies, depending on the version.
What is the case size of the MB&F LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions?
Each model measures 44mm in diameter and 17.5mm thick.
What movement powers these watches?
The watches use MB&F’s fully integrated manual-winding LM Perpetual movement, developed with Stephen McDonnell and built from 581 components.
What is the price of the LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions?
The listed price is CHF 228,000, EUR 248,000 or USD 312,000 excluding VAT.
