LM101 EVO NYC Edition: MB&F Marks Manhattan in Rose Gold

Key Highlights

• Limited to 25 pieces, produced exclusively for the MB&F Lounge in New York
• 5N+ rose gold case (40.0mm diameter, 16.5mm height) paired with a black PVD sunray-brushed dial plate
• In-house MB&F manual-winding movement with finishing specifications by Kari Voutilainen
• Bespoke 14mm flying balance wheel with Straumann double hairspring at 18,000bph
• 60-hour power reserve, up from 45 hours in the original LM101
• Water resistance to 80 metres via screw-down crown and FlexRing shock absorber
• Caseback engraved “MB&F NYC” as a permanent tribute to the Manhattan Lounge opening
• MB&F Lounge located at 595 Madison Avenue, Fuller Building, New York, by appointment

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A Refined Overview

The LM101 EVO NYC Edition is not a cosmetic exercise. It is a precisely calibrated event piece, produced in an edition of 25 to mark the opening of MB&F’s first directly-managed retail space in Manhattan. The rose gold and black colourway sets it apart from the titanium salmon and titanium peacock green editions introduced earlier in 2025, while the technical architecture remains identical across all three variants. Founded in 2005 by Maximilian Büsser after his tenure as Managing Director at Harry Winston, MB&F has spent two decades building a North American collector base through authorised retailers. The New York Lounge at 595 Madison Avenue formalises that relationship on its own terms.

The Fuller Building, designed by Walker & Gillette and completed in 1929, supplies an appropriate setting. Its Art Deco facade of black granite and architectural sculpture by Elie Nadelman frames the MB&F Lounge on the fifth floor, where Voltige Design & Architecture have translated the spatial language of the M.A.D.Galleries into a living-room environment filled with natural light, warm wood finishes and mechanical art. The space operates by appointment, Monday to Friday.

Case, Finishing & The EVO Architecture

The 40.0mm case is machined in 5N+ rose gold and integrates MB&F’s patented FlexRing shock absorber between case and movement. At 16.5mm in height, the proportions carry the three-dimensional movement architecture without sacrificing wrist presence. A screw-down crown and 80-metre water resistance complete the EVO specification, giving the NYC Edition the same everyday credentials as its titanium counterparts.

The black PVD-treated dial plate with a sunray-brushed finish intensifies the depth already inherent in the LM101’s architecture. Two black subdials, framed by finely circled borders and hovering above the plate, read hours/minutes and power reserve respectively. Up close, the contrast between the lacquered black surface and the warm rose gold of the case walls is deliberate and clean. The bezel-free design, shared across all EVO models, leaves only a high-domed sapphire crystal between the wearer and the movement, with anti-reflective coating on both surfaces. On the caseback, a box sapphire crystal and the engraving “MB&F NYC” serve as the edition’s sole commemorative marker — quiet, specific, permanent.

Movement & Materials Engineering

The calibre is a three-dimensional manual-winding movement developed entirely in-house by MB&F, with movement aesthetics and finishing specifications directed by Kari Voutilainen. The bespoke 14mm balance wheel floats visibly above the movement, regulated by a Straumann double hairspring and oscillating at 18,000bph (2.5Hz). Four traditional regulating screws are retained — a conscious reference to 19th-century watchmaking practice within an otherwise contemporary kinetic structure.

The power reserve has been extended to 60 hours from the original LM101’s 45, driven by a single slipping mainspring barrel. Hand-finishing throughout follows the superlative standards Voutilainen codified: internal bevel angles, polished bevels, Geneva waves, hand-made engravings and NAC black bridges. Gold chatons with polished countersinks seat the 23 jewels. The movement counts 233 components in total. For collectors in the GCC who already follow the LM Sequential Flyback EVO lineage, the NYC Edition represents the same engineering discipline applied to the most pared-back of all Legacy Machine expressions.

Edition Context & Collector Relevance

The Legacy Machine 101 first appeared in 2014 as MB&F’s smallest and thinnest Legacy Machine, and over the following decade it accumulated iterations across white, rose and yellow gold, platinum, palladium and stainless steel. The EVO version, long requested by the collector community, arrived only in 2025 as part of MB&F’s 20th-anniversary programme. The NYC Edition is the third LM101 EVO produced and the first in a precious metal case.

An edition of 25 pieces, exclusive to a single boutique, will not reach secondary-market volumes that dilute its significance. For GCC collectors who engage with MB&F through the brand’s authorised network — which includes partners across Beverly Hills, Silicon Valley, Las Vegas and Florida — the NYC Edition is most directly accessible through the Manhattan Lounge itself. Requests are accepted at [email protected]. The strap is a black rubber with a matching titanium folding buckle, keeping the configuration consistent with the broader EVO range despite the step up in case material.

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