I admire the jungle-dial LM101 more than I'd want to wear it

The green crocodile trying to eat the power-reserve indicator is very funny, and I mean that as a compliment. I like watches that do something strange for a reason. The MB&F LM101 Gabriel Colliard has an enormous amount of skill and personality in it, but I also think the jungle artwork competes with a watch that already has a lot going on. My personal rating is 88 out of 120 bezel clicks.

There are three versions: Macaw Red, Monkey Blue and Crocodile Green, with eight pieces of each. They share the platinum LM101 platform and its raised balance. SJX's November 10 introduction establishes the current release; the original brand announcement date remains less clear because the official page was unavailable during this check. These are source-based impressions, and I haven't handled one.

The animals have to work around the mechanism

The cloisonné enamel scenes were made by Gabriel Colliard. Thin gold wires outline the different areas, which are filled and fired to build the colored image. SJX describes the difficulty of arranging the scenes around the LM101's openings and exposed mechanism. Looking at the photographs, I can understand why the layout would require considerably more planning than painting an uninterrupted disc.

The red watch has macaws, the blue has a monkey and the green has the crocodile. I prefer the green because the animal has such a specific relationship with the little reserve display. It feels like someone enjoyed figuring that out. The decoration also continues onto the ratchet wheel on the back, with the enamel matched to the dial.

I still find my eye bouncing between the artwork, the small time display and the big suspended balance. I love being able to see a mechanism, but here I'd probably want more uninterrupted space around the enamel. Someone who already loves the LM101's layout may react completely differently. For me, the case has to carry two very strong visual ideas at once.

A tall platinum watch

The case is 40 mm across and 16.55 mm tall, with sapphire over the raised mechanism. That height would be a serious consideration for me. The hand-wound movement has a stated 60-hour reserve and runs at 18,000 vibrations per hour. Water resistance is 30 meters, and the reported strap is alligator with a steel folding clasp.

SJX lists US$131,000 excluding taxes, checked November 12. That is a reported dollar price, not a current checkout or allocation confirmation. The price chart uses that stated amount and keeps the tax qualification. Availability through MB&F retailers and MAD Galleries does not tell me which of the 24 watches can still be ordered.

I'd want to see the balance moving over the enamel in ordinary light. That interaction might make the dial feel much more coherent than a still photograph does, or it might confirm that I prefer a quieter LM101.