MB&F Split Escapement Gets the EVO Treatment

MB&F’s sporty EVO collection of watches officially welcomes a third member today with the new LM Split Escapement EVO. The watch joins the extreme LM Perpetual EVO and LM Sequential EVO, and becomes the entry point of the collection, which is conceived for an active lifestyle, according to the brand. It might be the least complicated EVO to date, but it’s still far from simple, and we’ll go ahead and declare it the most legible of the bunch, making it a perfect adventure companion alongside the likes of a Seiko SKX, or Rolex Explorer. Almost. 

The EVO watches from MB&F get more than just a sleek rubber strap to keep up with an active lifestyle. There’s a trick component on the inside called the “FlexRing” system that effectively suspends the movement, and dampens any incoming shocks to the watch. The system is all the more appropriate here as this is no ordinary movement. As the name Split Escapement implies, the balance is lofted above the dial rather dramatically, and is split from the escape wheel and palette fork, which reside under the dial. They are connected via balance staff that travels a good deal longer than it’s otherwise accustomed to.

The Split Escapement was first introduced within the Legacy Machine collection back in 2017, and it’s a feature utilized in the LM Perpetual as well. The balance is suspended over the center of the dial, with date and power reserve complications offset, and a large sub-dial for the hour and minute display. Each sub-dial is lifted off the dial, further emphasizing the sense of depth underneath the massive balance bridge. 

The base dial is light blue with a vortex shaped sunburst texture, and each of the dials are rendered in black, befitting of the sport watch status being bestowed upon the model for the first time. A boutique exclusive also exists with the reverse colorway, taking the theme a step further still. The 44mm case is constructed from grade 5 titanium, and the short curved lugs make for an overall comfortable presence on the wrist given its size. 

The manually wound movement gets 72 hours of reserve, and each of its 298 components are visible through an exhibition caseback. Oh, and it’s finished rather beautifully to boot. At $80,000, it had better be. That also makes it not quite the G-Shock replacement you may have been hoping for from MB&F, but hey, at least they developed a legit solution to actually put up with the rigors of real world activities, and hopefully encourage more time on the wrist of their lucky owners. MB&F.