Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry has partnered with MB&F to introduce an exclusive series of their acclaimed Legacy Machine Perpetual EVO timepieces. This limited collection of 18 timepieces, each priced at £208,000, represents a significant milestone as the first precious metal iteration of MB&F’s popular EVO sports model.
The partnership between Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry and MB&F underscores the strong relationship between the Silicon Valley-based jeweller and MB&F’s Founder and Creative Director, Maximilian Büsser. This collaboration marks a significant evolution in the EVO line, which has previously been crafted in materials such as zirconium and titanium.
A Marriage of Precious Metal and Technical Innovation
The MB&F LM Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley Edition marks a pivotal moment in the watchmaker’s history, featuring an 18-karat rose gold case,a first for the EVO sports model line. Each timepiece showcases a striking blue dial plate complemented by the wearer’s choice of white or blue rubber strap.
The exclusive nature of this release is further emphasised by a specially designed rose gold case back bearing the limited-edition designation.
The collaboration comes at an auspicious time, as it precedes the anticipated opening of Northern California’s first MB&F LAB at The Villa Menlo Park, scheduled for early 2025. This new retail concept will be part of an innovative mixed-use development spearheaded by Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry.
The EVO line’s evolution began in 2020 with the first LM Perpetual EVO pieces in zirconium, followed by subsequent releases including a titanium edition with a green CVD dial-plate, which was replaced in February 2024 by an ice blue dial-plate.
This Silicon Valley Edition represents the latest chapter in the EVO’s storied history, bringing precious metals to the collection for the first time.
Technical Mastery Meets Aesthetic Excellence
The 44mm timepiece represents a remarkable feat of horological engineering, featuring the GPHG award-winning perpetual calendar movement developed by Stephen McDonnell.
Jared Silver, President of Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, provided insight into the design process: “We were happy to be able to provide some design input. Along with the colour scheme, small changes were made like updating the hands to rose gold. We enhanced the legibility while maintaining the beautiful symmetry of the watch.”
The watch’s innovative design extends beyond its aesthetic appeal. The case features a bezel-free construction, with the domed sapphire crystal directly fused to the case body. This engineering achievement required complex calculations to maintain structural integrity while reducing the height-to-diameter ratio.
The process involved sophisticated thermal bonding between the sapphire crystal and the case, representing a significant technical advancement in watchmaking.
The perpetual calendar complications have been thoughtfully enhanced for user interaction, with the previously circular pushers enlarged into double-sprung oblong actuators. This modification significantly improves both tactile comfort and ease of adjustment.
Additionally, the timepiece boasts an impressive 80m water resistance rating, enabled by its screw-down crown,a feature that includes a sophisticated débrayage system for the winding stem to prevent accidental overwinding.
Revolutionary Engineering and Practical Innovation
At the heart of this timepiece lies the groundbreaking FlexRing system,an annular dampener machined from a single block of stainless steel. This sophisticated shock-absorption mechanism provides protection along both vertical and lateral axes, ensuring the perpetual calendar’s reliability in active daily wear.
The FlexRing represents a crucial innovation in protecting the delicate perpetual calendar mechanism, traditionally associated with more classical, less robust timepieces.
The perpetual calendar mechanism itself represents a complete reimagining of traditional complications. McDonnell’s innovative design utilises a “mechanical processor” comprising superimposed disks, which takes the baseline month length as 28 days and adds additional days as required.
This ingenious system eliminates the possibility of incorrect date jumps and includes built-in safety features to protect the movement during date changes. The design fundamentally rethinks the mechanical basis of the complication, resulting in a more reliable and user-friendly perpetual calendar system.
Since its introduction in 2015, the Legacy Machine Perpetual has maintained its position at the apex of MB&F’s watchmaking expertise, combining prestige, tradition, and innovation in unprecedented ways.
The mechanical processor’s revolutionary approach to calendar complications has set new standards in the industry, demonstrating that even classical complications can be reimagined and improved through innovative engineering.
The Silicon Valley Connection
The timepiece’s debut coincides with significant developments at The Villa Menlo Park, a ~35,000-square-foot cultural hub in the heart of Silicon Valley. This carefully curated space will house various luxury watch boutiques, including Northern California’s first MB&F LAB concept store, alongside other prestigious brands such as H. Moser & Cie and Greubel Forsey.
Located at 500 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, California, The Villa Menlo Park has been designed as a comprehensive luxury destination spanning three floors of elevated indoor-outdoor space. The development features not only high-end retail destinations but also includes the Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry flagship store, a private high jewellery salon, and corporate offices.
The ground floor will be anchored by Elan, a new Med-Indian dining concept by Michelin-acclaimed Chef Srijinth Gopinathan and restaurateur Ayesha Thapar, creating a truly immersive luxury experience.
Legacy of Excellence
Stephen Silver’s journey from gemologist to luxury timepiece purveyor spans four decades of expertise in the fine jewellery industry. Following his geology studies at San Diego State University and earning a Graduate Gemologist degree from GIA, Silver established an estate jewellery firm specializing in antiques and precious stones in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he gained access to some of history’s most important coloured gems.
Throughout his career, Silver has handled numerous historically significant pieces, including the famous Cullinan Blue Diamond necklace, which he later donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
His expertise in diamond cutting and jewellery design was further demonstrated in 2017 with the Pink Promise Diamond, which he recut and improved, achieving a record price per carat at auction. The company’s evolution into a vertically integrated operation with international reach reflects the same attention to detail and innovation that characterises this latest MB&F collaboration.
Looking to the Future
With only a limited number of pieces remaining available for pre-sale, the LM Perpetual EVO Silicon Valley Edition represents more than just a timepiece,it symbolises the convergence of Swiss watchmaking tradition with Silicon Valley’s spirit of innovation.
As Jared Silver notes, “I think this is one of the most attractive versions of the LM Perpetual EVO yet released. It will also be highly collectable over time as it is the first EVO MB&F made with a precious metal.”
This exclusive release not only celebrates the upcoming opening of the MB&F LAB but also reinforces Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry’s position as a leading purveyor of exceptional timepieces in the Silicon Valley region.
The development of The Villa Menlo Park, created in collaboration with late real estate mogul John Arrillaga, Sr., and featuring interiors by James Mansour of Mansour Design, further cements the company’s commitment to creating not just a retail space, but a cultural destination that celebrates craftsmanship and innovation.
