MB&F Caliber LM Thunderdome Watch Movement

Mbf Lm Thunderdome Triple Axis Tourbillon Caliber

Manufacturer	MB&F
Caliber Number	LM-Thunderdome
Type	Manual wind
Jewels	63
Number of Parts	413
Power Reserve	45 hours
Vibrations Per Hour	21,600 bph (3Hz)
Functions	Hours, minutes (on a vertically tilted dial), power reserve indicator on the back
Features	Bespoke hemispherical 10mm balance wheel with traditional regulating screws and helical hairspring, superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th-century style, bevelled internal angles, polished bevels, Geneva waves, hand-made engravings
Country of Manufacture	Switzerland
Known Models	LM Thunderdome (platinum or tantalum)

The MB&F LM Thunderdome triple-axis tourbillon watch was announced December 3, 2019. There are limited edition two versions of this timepiece: 33 pieces in platinum; 10 pieces in tantalum.

Some of the topics covered in this caliber listing:

World’s Fastest Triple-Axis Tourbillon:

The movement in the LM Thunderdome is the world’s fastest triple-axis tourbillon.

“Regulating mechanism featuring 3 fast rotation axes revolving at different speeds and on different planes. The rotation
speeds of the axes starting from the centre are respectively 8 seconds, 12 seconds and 20 seconds. The combined weight
of the multi-axis mechanism is nearly 1g.” -MB&F

Caliber Number:

As seen with the innovative designs in their timepieces, it’s clear that MB&F doesn’t color within the lines, they are independent in every sense of the word. This even carries over into the way they designate their calibers. Unlike most brands that use a numbering system, MB&F calls this caliber by the same name of the watch itself. Here is an official explanation in the brand’s own words:

“We never really have any calibre number as every new Machine as its own new movement – and therefore, we give the name of the Machine to the new calibre. For example, this watch is called LM Thunderdome, so the name of the calibre would be LM Thunderdome.. it will never be used in anything else than a LM Thunderdome.” -source: email correspondence

Partnership Project:

The LM Thunderdome’s movement was developed for MB&F by Eric Coudray and Kari Voutilainen.

“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 complication – and Kari Voutilainen – a famed perfectionist and acclaimed pillar of traditional craft based in Môtiers.” –source

Maximilian Büsser (Owner and Creative Director of MB&F) explains the history of this partnership in detail in this video.