Introducing: The MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT Onyx Edition
A new MB&F release is always reason enough to sit up straight and pay attention. I am all eyes and ears, especially if it combines yellow gold with black onyx. Yes, Fratelli, I am easy to please. All jokes aside, we all know that MB&F is not just about materials and colors. Every watch has a story that makes the brand a joy to follow. MB&F now unveils a new Onyx Edition of the brand’s Legacy Machine FlyingT for the newest release. This model was originally the brand’s first ladies’ watch, but today’s new version is sure to appeal to men and women alike.
I have expressed my great respect for MB&F in previous articles. The creations that Max Büsser and his team of collaborators produce push the boundaries of watchmaking and design every time. I love that about the brand. It doesn’t mean I visually love all the creations that MB&F unveils, but an inspiring story always makes the pieces so much more interesting than their designs might have you think. That curiosity and intrigue were triggered when I saw the new Legacy Machine FlyingT Onyx Edition. It presents a unisex aesthetic that is a joy to behold.
The story of the Legacy Machine FlyingT
The Legacy Machine FlyingT debuted in 2019 as MB&F’s entry into women’s watches. Over the past few years, we have had several versions of it. We covered the LM FlyingT Allegra that MB&F created with Bvlgari in 2021. A year later, the brand released the Tiger Eye version, which Sky wrote about here. She had already asked whether the watch was selling to men or women. Today, we can ask the same question again because the new Onyx version is not set with diamonds and presents an aesthetic that suits both sexes equally well.
We only covered two versions of the watch, but there were more. Two other releases that stand out because of a similar aesthetic to the new Onyx version are the Flying T RG and PT models from 2020. These red gold and platinum variants were not set with diamonds and featured beautiful guilloché dial plates in black and blue, respectively. They were two beautiful executions of this complicated and stylish timepiece.
The details of the Legacy Machine FlyingT Onyx
While the discussion about aesthetics is one thing, let’s not forget that the watch is a technical marvel worth every bit of attention based on its horological merits alone. Let’s take a closer look at the details of this new version. The watch has a 38.5mm yellow gold case and measures 20mm thick due to the dramatically domed sapphire crystal. The case is constructed with 17 components and is water resistant to 3 ATM. As you can see in the pictures, it is graced by two crowns. The left-side crown is for winding the watch, while the one on the right is for setting the time.
The case protects the remarkable FlyingT movement, which features a vertical architecture with a central 60-second flying tourbillon at the top and the train components in a column. Under the domed sapphire crystal, the key visual features giving the watch its name are the black onyx dial plate and the inclined hour-and-minute disc with yellow gold hands and trim. The dramatic effect of using black onyx and yellow gold is stellar. I am a big fan of the color combination. Additionally, the polished finish of the case contrasts nicely with the deep black color of the onyx.
The FlyingT construction contracts nicely with the case and dial
The black onyx plate has what MB&F calls a “ventricular opening” with a gold trim, exposing the flying tourbillon. The hour-and-minute disc I mentioned sits at the 7 o’clock position at a 50° angle. This placement is very deliberate. The first reason is that it will allow only the watch’s wearer to read the time easily. Secondly, the placement commemorates the seven years between the release of the brand’s first Legacy Machine and the first FlyingT.
Sky explained in her article that the Tiger Eye version of the LM FlyingT features a cantilevered double-arch upper bridge topped by a diamond. Most of you will know the double-arched bridge is a signature feature of the Legacy Machine series. As a result of this construction, the elevation is free of constraining bridges, which is why it is called a flying tourbillon. Combining colors and materials with the dramatic crystal displaying the flying tourbillon results in a true work of art.
The spectacular view on the case back
The FlyingT movement consists of 280 parts, including 30 jewels and a hairspring with a Breguet overcoil. It’s also a self-winding caliber that beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and packs an impressive 100-hour power reserve. If you turn the watch around, you’ll see the spectacular three-dimensional sun-shaped rotor constructed of 18K 5N+ red gold, titanium, and platinum.
I like the contrast between the yellow gold case and the red gold rotor. It’s an interesting mix of colors and materials that makes the presence even more dramatic. On top of that, the rotor’s unusual sun shape alone makes it worth turning the watch around to see it in action. That said, the front of the watch most definitely tells the greater part of the brilliant story of this LM FlyingT Onyx Edition.
Final thoughts on the MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT Onyx Edition
I love this new version of the MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT. The gold and black execution makes it an absolute beauty. Furthermore, while it is marketed as a watch inspired by women, the pictures show that this new creation can look equally at home on men’s wrists. You could debate who this impressively technical piece of mechanical wizardry appeals to more.
It does not take anything away from the fact that the combination of a smaller-sized case with the technical watchmaking brilliance of the movement makes this new release one of the most wearable MB&F models out there. However, the 20mm total thickness might be a problem if you prefer to hide a watch under your cuff. Then again, people don’t buy MB&F watches to hide them. This great piece of high horology deserves to be seen.
The watch comes with a calfskin or alligator strap with a list price of CHF 114,000 / €120,000 / US$133,000 before taxes. As always with MB&F, the price does not define the watch. The fascination is in the technical brilliance and the design rather than the price tag. That makes MB&F the special brand that it is.
For more information, visit the official MB&F website. And let us know in the comment section what your thoughts are on the new MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT Onyx Edition.
