MB& F Enlists Ename Artist Gabriel Colliard to the LM101
Traditional craftsmanship applied to rugged surfaces.
MB& F has unveiled the LM101 Gabriel Colliard, featuring a dial crafted by independent tooth enamel artist Gabriel Colliard while using *cloisonné* (cell-enamel) technique. The gathering comprises three jungle-themed designs-each limited to eight pieces-that infusion the classic LM101 with attractive color, while further cementing the collection’s role as being a platform for individual artistic manifestation.
MB& F’s decision to commission Gabriel Colliard is reminiscent of often the support Philippe Stern when extended to enamel performers like Suzanne Rohr within a period when commercial need the craft was reduced. While the market is far more powerful today, a collaboration together with MB& F remains an excellent opportunity for any artist.
Mr. Colliard’s record includes formal training in piece of art and fine arts throughout Argentina. He later shifted to Switzerland, honed his or her enameling skills in Limoges, and spent time from Patek Philippe before setting up his own independent studio.
As for MB& F, the actual Legacy Machine collection provides increasingly served as a fabric for artists-most notably the particular engraver Eddy Jaquet, who also created bespoke decorations for any LM Split Escapement with 2020 and 2024.
While the tropical displays created by Mr. Colliard-much just like the engravings by Mr. Jaquet-are original works, the " jungle" motif draws after a mid-century tradition connected with enamel dials, which were furnished by firms like Stern Frères to brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Omega.
Though some sort of tropical landscape might seem such as an arbitrary choice for a see dial, it represents certainly one of nature’s most vivid shade palettes, making it an ideal subject matter for showcasing the full variety of enamel colors. Often the enduring appeal of this style is also evident in modern day pieces, such as Louis Vuitton’s " Escale en Amazonie" pocket watch.
Notably, Mr. Colliard has been invited to create his own authentic compositions, rather than simply replicating designs from the historical fashion magazines of Stern Frères. This specific philosophy of creative flexibility, combined with the artist’s signature to each dial, reinforces the artsy originality of every piece.
This seemingly basic detail reflects the demands of latest collectors and a growing understanding for timepieces as art works. While enamel artists have been once largely anonymous, lovers today are increasingly ready to pay a premium for signed works-whether it be a dial authorized by Anita Porchet or even a watch case crafted by simply Jean-Pierre Hagmann.
While incorporating high-end enameling into existing watch types is not entirely new, typically the exceptional level of craftsmanship plus the seamless integration of the teeth enamel work with the movement get this endeavor truly remarkable. Mr. Colliard expects to complete roughly one dial per month, and therefore MB& F will likely supply these timepieces over the course of another two years.
Offered the exquisite watchmaking in addition to enameling involved, the price is fairly reasonable-especially within the highly aggressive market for independent observe brands. More than a decade after it is debut, the LM101 movements remains a quintessential sort of architectural haute horlogerie, which usually further justifies its large positioning.
Any Walled Garden
Each and every dial begins as a attracting, which Mr. Colliard results in fine gold wire, manually folding the strands to summarize animals, plants, and scenery. These wires form often the *cloisons*-or " partitions" -from which the *cloisonné* enameling approach derives its name. In the done piece, the outlines of such gold wires remain evidently visible, serving to separate adjoining colors.
The cake you produced cells are filled with quickly ground colored enamel, which can be then fired in a kiln at temperatures reaching 800°C. The firing process will cause the enamel to burn and fuse into a easy, uniform, glass-like surface.
This procedure is recurring for every layer of color-a highly meticulous process, since each firing carries the unwelcome possibility various complications, ranging from the actual bursting of air pockets to the darkening of colors. Mr. Colliard skillfully combines transparent, semi-opaque, and opaque enamels, incorporating a variety of shades within just each primary color. The ultimate appearance of the work depends on the thickness of the enameled surface layers, the texture of the root metal, and the firing course of action. Achieving sufficient distinction in between similar hues-ensuring that the different compositional elements remain certainly defined-requires years of accumulated knowledge.
Departing from your traditional designs of the mid-20th century, these three timepieces each center on a single prominent color while revealing a new rich, multi-layered palette. The actual red dial depicts a set of macaws in flight, where gradation of red and orange are usually complemented by lighter highlights and the golden outlines associated with feathers.
The particular blue-themed dial features a goof nestled among foliage as well as fruit, while the green model centers on a crocodile having its jaws agape, poised to be able to snap at the power reserve signal.
This attractive artistry extends to the case backside, where the ratchet wheel in the mainspring barrel is also over with *cloisonné* (cell-enamel) work. Mr.. Colliard crafts these parts in tandem with the dials to guarantee color consistency across the front and back of this timepiece.
Historically, these kinds of decorative techniques were hardly ever applied to the movements regarding enameled watches; however , increasingly more00 high-end timepieces are now taking on this approach. Voutilainen was a young pioneer of this trend, and also Renaud Tixier is another company that incorporates enamel work with its ratchet wheels.
Rugged Terrain
Enameling generally benefits from substantial, uninterrupted surfaces. This helps describe why brands like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin typically favor minimalist, time-only, or center-seconds layouts for enameled dials: fewer apertures provide more space for adornment, preserve the structural ethics of the dial, and lessen the number of vulnerable edges susceptible to damage during the firing practice.
The LM101 presents a far more complex arrangement. The design is interrupted by means of at least eight apertures, even though the suspended balance wheel along with the dial-side escapement further imprecise parts of the imagery. It truly is impractical to create an exact look-alike of a historical dial; the pet and botanical motifs has to be custom-designed to accommodate the specific buildings of the movement.
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The movement and its dial layout will feel familiar. While the overall functionality remains unrevised from a decade ago, the particular movement itself has been sophisticated to ensure it stays contemporary-notably through the inclusion of an overcoil Straumann hairspring and a prolonged 60-hour power reserve, a 33% increase from when the program first debuted.
MB& F LM101 by Gabriel Colliard
Monkey : Blue
Macaw ~ Red
Crocodile , Green
Case diameter: 40 mm;
Case thickness: 16. 55 mm;
Material: Platinum;
Crystal: Sapphire crystal;
Water resistance: 30 feets
Movement: LM101
Functions: Hours, minutes, power reserve indicator
Regularity: 18, 000 vibrations each hour (2. 5 Hz)
Winding: Manual-winding
Reserve of power: 60 hours
Strap: Alligator leather straps with a stainless steel folding buckle
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