Few things can proudly claim to have originated as an effort to express gratitude. M.A.D.Editions began as a side project to express gratitude to those MB&F supporters who have significantly contributed to the brand's success because not everyone could afford a high-priced MB&F timepiece, including Maximilian Büsser, the founder of MB&F.

Maximilian had the concept for a competing watch brand with a lower price point about two decades prior to the launch of MB&F. The concept was a little crazy, and he wasn't able to get enough money to get it started because he was understandably preoccupied with MB&F at the time. Nevertheless, the notion never completely left his head and continued to bubble there until 2014. After several months of effort, Max made the decision to again put the M.A.D.1 prototype on hold. This decision was made in 2020, during the start of the COVID pandemic, when the MB&F team spent numerous hours in Zoom sessions coming up with fresh project ideas.

The MB&F team refined and completed the design between 2020 and mid-2021, investing in the production of a small number of pieces. The watch would be as innovative as everything else MB&F had produced, but at a considerably lower cost. To keep the price reasonable, the engineering, intricacy, and finishing would obviously not be on par with MB&F's Horological and Legacy Machines, therefore, it could not legitimately bear the MB&F brand. The team decided on M.A.D. Editions to connect the watch to the M.A.D. Galleries of the company's mechanical art realm.

Never was the M.A.D.1 "launched." It was simply offered to the suppliers and collectors of MB&F in June 2021 via a brief email and a few images. Neither the brand's website nor its social media pages made any mention of it. However, one straightforward email triggered a media frenzy unlike anything MB&F has ever experienced.

The price of CHF 1,900 + tax (about $2,000) from MB&F, whose clocks vary from about $60,000 to $500,000, seemed inconceivable. The project was not meant to be a business at the time because it was only made as a way to express gratitude to everyone who had assisted in the creation of MB&F. As a result, the price did not accurately reflect the true value of the watch.

Initial, MB&F's network of suppliers, or "Friends," as the company refers to them, who have been working on their timepieces since 2005, were presented with this initial edition of M.A.D.1 watches, which can be recognised by their blue accents. From dial and hand makers to those who create the brand's casings, escapements, movement components, and sapphire crystals, as well as to the photographers, authors, designers, and other artists who have contributed to the voyage.

The second category consisted of the registered members of "The Tribe," the MB&F owners' club, who were collectors and customers who had backed the company's Horological and Legacy Machines from the start. In any case, the team would subsequently conclude that Tribe members should always have access to future M.A.D. Editions because, without them, MB&F would simply not exist.

This letter of gratitude to MB&F's suppliers and collectors might have ended there, but in the age of social media and chat rooms, it only took a few days for the news to spread. Once they had their M.A.D.1, the Friends and Tribe members began to share their new timepiece with the world, sparking a worldwide craze for watches. After a few hectic weeks, the MB&F team realised it would be difficult to restrict the project to current suppliers and collectors; instead, it would have to think about making M.A.D. Editions available to a larger audience.

Why the frenzy?

The M.A.D.1 was designed with the same level of inventiveness as an MB&F Machine, but with an extra limitation that, in some ways, is even more difficult to meet: a reasonable price point. Since creating a movement from scratch would have been prohibitively costly, it was necessary to alter an established base calibre. The Miyota 821A movement was picked from a small pool of probable candidates because of its unidirectional winding system, which is necessary for the winding rotor, a crucial component of the M.A.D.1 design, to rotate quickly and easily.

With the mechanism housed upside-down, the case structure and time display were especially inventive. This allowed the watchmakers to insert the specially developed triple-blade titanium and tungsten rotor on the dial side of the watch—a feature common to many MB&F watches. Another tribute to the beloved lateral displays found on many MB&F Machines was the placement of the rotating hours and minutes on aluminium cylinders that were visible on the case band.

The M.A.D.1 was upgraded with blue touches and ample Super-LumiNova, including surrounding the rotor, for hours of spinning entertainment in the dark. It was housed in a 42-mm stainless steel casing with huge parts in mineral glass and sapphire crystal.

The small but incredibly talented team of engineers and watchmakers at MB&F produces about 400 watches annually. The M.A.D.1 required fewer modifications to the base movement than their normal projects, but they still had to install the hour and minute cylinders and the bigger rotor, enclose the watch, and perform the final testing.

It was simply impossible to imagine assembling hundreds or thousands of M.A.D.1 clocks without risking the brand's main line of business. After significant internal discussion, it was agreed to address the astounding demand for more M.A.D.1 watches, but to do so gradually and fairly.

M.A.D.1 RED: the first edition accessible to the public

The M.A.D.1 RED, with its eye-catching cherry red design, was introduced to the public in March 2022. A smaller bezel and a more conventional round winding crown, as opposed to the previous model's key-like crown, were also among its unique characteristics. The price was increased to CHF 2,900 + tax (about $3,100) following a more thorough examination of the real expenses related to creating, producing, and maintaining M.A.D. Editions.

The team produced 1,500 M.A.D.1 REDs in its initial production run. Those who had previously taken the trouble to email the brand, clearly indicating their interest in buying a potential future edition, were given precedence in order to maintain things as equal as possible. For the remaining pieces, a raffle was launched on the brand's online store, where interested parties may sign up for a free lottery ticket and enter to win the chance to buy one of the still-available pieces. The MB&F team believed that perhaps a few thousand enthusiasts would attend the raffle. There were 19,000 after the list had been thoroughly cleaned to remove duplicate entries and bot registrations. The M.A.D.1 REDs were distributed between March and December 2022 to the lucky winners, who were selected at random in a lottery conducted under the watchful eye of a bailiff.

The M.A.D.1 RED received an incredible prize at the prestigious GPHG/Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, which honoured the finest watch under CHF 3,500 for the year.

When MB&F realised there was a demand-supply imbalance, they took the decision to produce a second batch of M.A.D.1 REDs, which were once again made accessible through a raffle in February 2023. This time, almost 22,000 people took part in the lottery, and the happy winners quickly claimed the 1,500 available tickets.

The raffle system

The M.A.D.1 allocation strategy has been the topic of many hours of internal discussion within MB&F. The team believed that clients were highly frustrated by the standard methods, such as drops, interminable lines at retail establishments, or never-ending waiting lists. Raffles were deemed to be the most equitable method since they provide everyone with an equal opportunity and adequate registration time (raffle registrations are available for around two weeks).

No system is flawless, and raffles may not completely weed out those unsavoury persons wanting to flip timepieces for money, but they continue to be the most objective way for those who are sincere about getting an M.A.D.1. Additionally, they provide enough time for the registration lists to be cleaned, removing the inevitable repeated entries and bots; the team normally spends approximately a week cleaning the list as thoroughly as possible once registrations are closed prior to the random drawings. The drawings are conducted under the bailiff's watchful eye.

M.A.D.1 GREEN

In September 2023, the M.A.D.1 GREEN will join M.A.D.Editions' vibrant line, after the M.A.D.1 RED and the original M.A.D.1 Blue ("Friends and Tribe Edition"). With this new option of vibrant mint green, fans and collectors who haven't been able to purchase their own M.A.D.1 yet will have another opportunity to be chosen and join owners of the blue and red versions, with a little bit of luck.

Watch enthusiasts may sign up for a ticket on the M.A.D. Gallery e-shop to participate in the standard M.A.D. Editions raffle in order to purchase one of the new batch's 1,500 pieces in the green colorway. Registration for the raffle will begin on September 12 and remain available for two weeks. After the list has been sorted and cleaned, the tickets will be drawn (as usual, under the supervision of a bailiff), and the lucky winners will be selected at random. Deliveries are anticipated to take place between October 2023 and April 2024, and results will be made public in early October.