MB&F clashed together two powerhouses of the horological upper echelons, Mr Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen. The result? The fastest and largest 3-axis regulator in the history of watchmaking and a stunning new Legacy Machine. Welcome to the Thunderdome.
You know the laws of the Thunderdome: Two men enter, one man leaves. Or in this case: Two men enter, one masterpiece is born. A stunning hand-guillocheGuilloche Guilloche is a decorative technique used in a.o. watchmaking, it is an engraving process that creates intricate patterns on the dials and other parts of the watch. It is done by using a rose engine, a specialized lathe with a variety of interchangeable cam-driven patterns. The patterns are created by the movement of the machine's cutting tool over the surface of the metal. Guilloche is considered to be a traditional and labor-intensive technique, it requires a high level of skill and experience to produce good consistent results. [Learn More] dial outshined only by.. well have a look:
That Mechanical marvel you’re looking at is what they call the Thunderdome’s engine, or the TriAx. In a world where TourbillonTourbillon A tourbillon is a complication in a mechanical watch that is designed to improve the accuracy of the watch by compensating for the effects of gravity on the balance wheel and escapement. It consists of a rotating cage that holds the balance wheel and escapement, which rotates on its own axis once per minute. This rotation helps to average out the positional errors caused by gravity, making the watch more accurate [Learn More]’s have almost oversaturated the market, MB&F decided to do something different. A first and unique tourbillon design.
Controlling the rate at which energy escapes from the barrelBarrel
The barrel is a cylindrical container that holds the mainspring. The barrel is connected to the winding mechanism. The winding mechanism rotates the barrel, which in turn winds the mainspring.
[Learn More]
is the unusual Potter escapementEscapement
The escapement is a mechanism in a mechanical watch movement that regulates the release of energy from the mainspring and keeps the watch ticking at a steady rate. The escapement is made up of two main components: the escape wheel and the pallet fork. The escapement is responsible for the ticking sound of the watch, and it ensures that the watch runs at a consistent rate. As the escape wheel rotates forward, it locks and unlocks with the pallet fork, allowing a small amount of energy from the mainspring to be released. This causes the balance wheel to oscillate and the watch to 'tick'.
[Learn More], which utilises a fixed escape wheelEscape wheel
The escape wheel is part of the escapement mechanism. As the mainspring unwinds, it turns the going train gears and rotates the escape wheel. As the escape wheel rotates, it pushes the pallet, which releases a small amount of energy to the balance wheel at regular intervals. This causes the balance wheel to oscillate back and forth, which in turn drives the timekeeping functions of the watch.
[More Info] in place of the mobile escape wheels seen in virtually every type of modern rotating escapement. Integrating a fixed escape wheel within a tri-axial rotating
mechanism is something that has never been done before.
The overal design maximizes the ‘view’ and lays bare as much as possible of the mechanism for anyone and everyone to admire in full glory. Worth noticing as well is the unusually shaped helical hairspringHairspring The hairspring is a thin spring in a mechanical watch movement that is connected to the balance wheel. The balance wheel oscillates back and forth at a consistent rate, and the hairspring helps regulate these oscillations. The hairspring works by applying a restoring force to the balance wheel, which helps to keep the balance wheel oscillating at a consistent rate. The hairspring is also known as a balance spring. [Learn More].
While the face of the watch is positively mind-blowing, the back is nothing to scoff at either.
The LM Thunderdome is launched in two very limited editions at:
– 33 pieces in platinum 950, with a light-blue guilloché dial plate;
– 10 pieces in tantalum for retail group The Hour Glass.
Pricing starts at USD 288.000,00
More info right here