Legacy Machine Thunderdome
Overview
The Legacy Machine Thunderdome is a collaboration between MB&F and two legendary watchmakers: Eric Coudray – a legendary innovator from the Vallée de Joux known for his unorthodox, jaw-dropping complications – and Kari Voutilainen, a famed perfectionist and acclaimed pillar of traditional craft based in Môtiers.
Together they created the world’s fastest triple-axis regulating mechanism with 3 axes revolving in record-breaking 8 seconds, 12 seconds and 20 seconds. It also features a unique combination of Potter escapement, hemispherical balance and helical hairspring.
What's so special about this machine?
A tri-axial rotating mechanism, a rare Potter escapement and a guilloché dial plate created by Kari Voutilainen - a true horological feast!
UNPRECEDENTED ESCAPEMENT CONFIGURATION
The LM Thunderdome features a rare Potter escapement which allows for higher rotational speeds but also frees up space; the balance wheel takes a hemispherical form, wrapping around the helical hairspring for an unprecedented configuration of regulating organ in both modern and classical watchmaking.
KARI VOUTILAINEN AESTHETICS
Surrounding the triple-axis rotating escapement is a guilloché dial plate created by Kari Voutilainen. And for the first time in an MB&F creation, Kari Voutilainen has applied his proprietary style of finish onto the ratchet wheels at the back. This technique imparts a serpentine shimmer to the circular surface, catching the light in sigmoid waves.
PROPRIETARY "TRIAX" ROTATING MECHANISM
Integrating a fixed escape wheel within a tri-axial rotating mechanism is something that has never been done before, but LM Thunderdome achieves this. The high-speed rotation consumes energy voraciously, with the innermost structure completing one turn in 8 seconds, the intermediate cage rotating once every 12 seconds, and the outermost cage making one full rotation every 20 seconds.
Machine in action
Somehow, from this chaos of motion, order is extracted.
THE MACHINE
What if you could harness the raw power and spectacle of a thunderbolt within a watch?
Meet the world's fastest triple-axis regulating mechanism.
- Material: launch edition in platinum 950 and The Hour Glass editions in tantalum
- Dimensions: 44mm x 22.2 mm
- Number of components: 20
- Water resistance: 30m / 3ATM / 100ft
- Movement developed for MB&F by Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen.
- Regulating mechanism featuring 3 fast rotation axes revolving at different speeds and on different planes; starting from the centre, respectively 8 seconds, 12 seconds and 20 seconds.
- Manual winding with three mainspring barrels.
- Frequency: 3Hz (21,600bph)
- 413 components / 63 jewels / 45h power reserve
- Hours and minutes displayed on a 58° vertically tilted dial
- Power reserve indicator on the back of the movement
Discover the models available for this collection
Inspiration
Meteorological science tells us that when cold and warm currents meet, all manner of dramatic weather ensues. Storms, freak atmospheric conditions and even tornadoes have been known to follow. So when two very different master watchmakers come together, look out for lightning on the horizon.
MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser says, “One of the many things that makes me incredibly happy about this piece is that we got to bring together two people I adore in this industry; who are incredibly talented, have completely different styles and personalities, and have never had the chance to work with each other”.
MB&F’s only directive to Eric Coudray initially was to “make the craziest, most cinematic three-axis tourbillon ever”. Coudray built something that was entirely new in his experience: a mechanism that goes beyond the tourbillon, the proprietary new MB&F ‘TriAx’. The reverse of the LM Thunderdome engine is equally rewarding. The manual-winding, triple-barrel movement may have been technically conceived by Eric Coudray, but its aesthetics are fully Kari Voutilainen. Smoothly rounded bridges, incorporating sharp hand-bevelled internal angles and mirrored curves suggest a deep, unyielding calm that anchors the turbulent maelstrom on the other side.
