MB&F has opened a new Lounge in Manhattan, and the occasion comes with a watch tailored squarely for the city.
The LM101 EVO NYC Edition takes one of the brand’s most compact Legacy Machines and gives it a warm rose gold case, a black architectural dial plate and a discreet caseback engraving tied to the new space.
Limited to 25 pieces, it’s a New York-only release that speaks to both longtime MB&F collectors and those drawn to the more wearable side of the independent watchmaker’s catalogue.
At a glance
- MB&F has introduced the LM101 EVO NYC Edition to mark the opening of its new Manhattan Lounge.
- The 40 mm watch combines an 18K 5N+ rose gold case, black PVD-treated dial plate and the EVO platform’s sportier construction.
- Production is limited to 25 pieces, exclusively through the New York Lounge, priced at CHF 77,000 before taxes or US$105,000 before taxes.
A New York-only Legacy Machine
The LM101 has always occupied a precise place in the MB&F universe.
Introduced in 2014, it distilled the Legacy Machine idea down to the essential theatre of mechanical watchmaking, with time, power reserve and a large suspended balance wheel arranged under a domed sapphire crystal.
It was also a significant technical moment for the brand, as the LM101 carried the first movement conceived entirely by MB&F’s own engineering team.
Kari Voutilainen contributed to the movement architecture and finishing specifications, giving the calibre a level of traditional craft that sits neatly against the model’s deliberately unconventional layout.
The EVO version arrived for MB&F’s 20th anniversary, answering collector interest in a more robust and everyday interpretation of the LM101.
For the NYC Edition, MB&F keeps those practical updates intact while giving the watch a city-specific visual identity.
Rose gold and a suspended balance wheel
The new edition uses a 40 mm case in 18K 5N+ rose gold, a material choice that softens the more technical personality of the EVO case without making it feel formal.
Against it, MB&F sets a black PVD-treated dial plate with a sunray-brushed finish.
That dark surface gives the watch its strongest visual contrast, pushing the floating time display, power reserve indicator and oversized balance wheel forward under the high-domed crystal.
The upper-right subdial handles hours and minutes, while the lower subdial shows the 60-hour power reserve.
The central spectacle remains the 14 mm flying balance wheel, suspended above the movement and beating at 2.5 Hz, or 18,000 vibrations per hour.
Inside is a manually wound calibre made from 233 components with 23 jewels, a single mainspring barrel and a Straumann double hairspring.
The finishing keeps the LM101 firmly in haute horlogerie territory, with polished bevels, Geneva waves, hand engraving, internal angles and NAC-treated bridges visible through the sapphire back.
The EVO case makes the LM101 easier to live with
The appeal of this edition isn’t only its New York engraving or rose gold case.
As an EVO model, it brings the LM101 into a more practical register with 80 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap and Super-LumiNova-enhanced displays.
MB&F’s patented FlexRing shock protection system sits between the movement and case, helping the watch cope with the sort of knocks that come with regular wear.
The case measures 16.5 mm thick, a figure shaped in part by the domed crystal and the height required for the suspended balance wheel.
It’s completed on a black rubber strap with a matching folding buckle, reinforcing the idea that this is one of the more versatile Legacy Machines rather than a safe-bound mechanical sculpture.
A lounge above Madison Avenue
The watch is tied directly to MB&F’s new New York Lounge, located on the fifth floor of the historic Fuller Building at 595 Madison Avenue, overlooking 57th Street.
Rather than a conventional boutique, the space has been conceived as a more relaxed environment for collectors and enthusiasts to experience the brand’s watches alongside mechanical art.
Designed by Voltige Design & Architecture, a long-time MB&F collaborator, the Lounge includes presentation areas, private meeting rooms, office facilities and a comfortable hospitality-focused setting.
It will operate by appointment from Monday to Friday.
Turn the LM101 EVO NYC Edition over and the link becomes explicit, with “MB&F NYC” engraved into the sapphire caseback.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | MB&F |
|---|---|
| Model | LM101 EVO NYC Edition |
| Limited edition | 25 pieces |
| Case size | 40 mm diameter, 16.5 mm height |
| Case material | 18K 5N+ rose gold |
| Dial plate | Black PVD-treated, sunray-brushed finish |
| Movement | Manually wound calibre |
| Components | 233 components, 23 jewels |
| Balance wheel | 14 mm flying balance wheel |
| Frequency | 2.5 Hz, 18,000 vibrations per hour |
| Power reserve | 60 hours |
| Shock protection | Patented FlexRing system |
| Water resistance | 8 ATM, 80 metres, 270 feet |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystals front and back with anti-reflective treatment |
| Strap | Black rubber strap with folding buckle |
| Caseback | Sapphire back engraved “MB&F NYC” |
| Price | CHF 77,000 before taxes, US$105,000 before taxes |
| Availability | Exclusively through the MB&F New York Lounge |
The LM101 EVO NYC Edition is a fitting opening gesture for MB&F in Manhattan, not because it shouts about the city, but because it gives a familiar machine a sharper local accent.
For collectors who already understand the LM101’s place in the brand’s history, the combination of rose gold, EVO engineering and New York-only availability should make this one of the more focused editions in the line.
