MB&F LM Split Escapement x Eddy Jaquet

In 2011, when Eddy Jaquet started engraving for MB&F, his activity was modest: inscribing the names of grasp watchmakers Kari Voutilainen and Jean-François Mojon on the primary Legacy Machine calibres. While his work was impeccable, it barely scratched the floor of his immense expertise. As MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser remarked, “Having Eddy Jaquet engrave names on actions was like taking part in ‘Für Elise’ on a Stradivarius violin – you couldn’t think about a extra modest use of such an incredible reward.” It was clear that Jaquet’s skills deserved a grander stage.

That alternative got here when Jaquet expressed his need to do extra. What started as an preliminary dialog shortly changed into an formidable collaboration. Together, MB&F and Jaquet launched into creating eight distinctive timepieces that delivered to life the works of Nineteenth-century creator Jules Verne, engraved in intricate element on the Legacy Machine Split Escapement. This sequence, together with items just like the award-winning ‘Around the World in Eighty Days,’ was so nicely acquired that each one eight have been snapped up instantly, and the ultimate watch was delivered to its proprietor in 2022.

Much just like the Jules Verne sequence, Jaquet’s engravings for these items aren’t primarily based on pre-existing illustrations. Instead, they’re utterly unique designs that emerge from his private interpretation of the tales. After studying the books and drawing inspiration from quite a lot of sources, together with movies and comedian books, Jaquet crafted intricate scenes for every bit, permitting these timeless novels to be reimagined by the artwork of horology.

Engraving on the Legacy Machine Split Escapement poses its personal set of challenges. The watch’s dial, which additionally serves because the motion’s baseplate, has various thicknesses that have to be thought of whereas engraving. Some sections are as skinny as 0.35mm, requiring a very gentle contact, whereas others present extra depth for detailed work. Jaquet meticulously plans his engravings to keep away from puncturing the dial. The date and power-reserve subdials have been redesigned with openwork, permitting for a wider canvas. The bezel was slimmed down, and the case dimensions have been adjusted, necessitating the creation of a brand new, flatter sapphire crystal dome.

Each watch on this new sequence is housed in a stainless-steel case, paired with black subdials on a white gold baseplate. The mixture superbly frames Jaquet’s engravings, whereas sustaining the magnificence and performance that MB&F is understood for. Along with every timepiece, collectors obtain an unique signed sketch by Jaquet and a Loupe System X6 macro lens, providing them a deeper glimpse into the engravings and including a brand new dimension to the possession expertise.

Jaquet approached every engraving as a scene from the novels that had private that means to him. For The Jungle Book, Jaquet selected to depict Mowgli nestled within the paws of Rama, with Bagheera, Baloo, Raksha, and Shere Khan surrounding them. This scene captures the essence of the story’s characters, bringing them to life on a miniature scale. For Treasure Island, Jaquet primarily based the engraving on a short, two-sentence passage the place Jim Hawkins leaps from a ship to flee pirates. This small second turns into a strong focus on the dial, illustrating the stress and journey of the novel.

Despite the tiny measurement of the watch dial—simply 40mm in diameter—Jaquet engraves with the identical degree of element as he would on a bigger canvas. Each character, every scene is engraved with exact strokes that create a story in miniature. Some components are so small that they will solely be appreciated by a magnifying glass, such because the tally marks on a wood cross in Robinson Crusoe, marking the times handed on the abandoned island. The engravings on the LM Split Escapement watches aren’t merely two-dimensional.

Jaquet makes use of quite a lot of strategies to carry texture and depth to his scenes. The means he engraves the metallic—whether or not with polished or matte finishes, or with particular software instructions—creates contrasts that change as the sunshine hits the floor, enhancing the visible influence of the designs. Moving the watch reveals new particulars, making the viewing expertise dynamic and fascinating.

Jaquet additionally makes use of the subdials and different parts of the watch motion so as to add to the storytelling. For occasion, in Robinson Crusoe, one of many subdials doubles as a telescope lens, by which Crusoe and his companion, Friday, observe a distant ship. This second sequence of LM Split Escapement ‘Eddy Jaquet’ items gives collectors a multi-layered expertise. From a distance, the watches are admired for his or her general aesthetic and design. Up shut, the finely detailed engravings reveal themselves, and with the assistance of a loupe, the total intricacy of Jaquet’s work involves gentle. It’s a journey akin to studying a ebook: beginning with the quilt, then delving into the finer particulars, and at last immersing oneself utterly on the planet of the story.