Another M.A.D.1 Edition, Another Colour

MB&F is renowned for creating some amazing and otherworldly timepieces, in other words, you can simply say that the watches are Mechanical Art Devices (M.A.D….see what I did there!).

Considering the complication, innovation and workmanship of the MB&F timepieces, the watches tend to be on the higher end of the price point or luxury scale. This does mean that it is not accessible to everyone, and as it would have it, MB&F Founder Maximilian Busser created the M.A.D.1 project or M.A.D. Editions that involved producing more accessible and affordable (of course, this is relative to each individual) timepieces.

The first release was M.A.D.1 Blue (released in 2021), which was released via email to the suppliers of MB&F (These are the ‘Friends’ in MB&F). The suppliers were sent a few pictures along with the price tag of $2000 (Approximately AED 7350) with the option to buy it. Later, the watch was released to the MB&F’s ‘Tribe’ (which is the owner’s group) who were invited to buy one. This initial release was to test the market and get a sense of the perception of this model.

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In March 2022, M.A.D.1 RED was released to the public and this started the fanfare; 1500 pieces were available at CHF 2900 (Approximately AED 11,640) and buyers were selected through a raffle system. So, if you were lucky, you could be a part of a high-end watchmaking brand (that makes 300 pieces only per year) through this project.

Fast-forward to September 2023 and M.A.D.1 launched the GREEN version, to be precise, Mint Green colour. While this is not limited, the first batch consists of 1500 pieces and the raffle started on 12th September and went on for 2 weeks.

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Now let’s look at this piece of art – The timepiece comes with an inverted Miyota 821A automatic movement with the winding titanium and tungsten rotor at the top which would turn into a fidget-spinner if you shook the watch. The time is displayed in a lateral system, which is great for viewing time while driving a car or riding a bike; something MB&F uses in many of its pieces such as the HM3, HM4, and HM5 among others. The hours and minutes are showcased using revolving aluminium alloy rings that have engraved numbers and strong super-luminova. The movement offers 60 hours of power reserve, and the watch has a water resistance of 30m/3ATM.

The whole dial is encased in a stainless-steel structure with a sapphire crystal on the top and mineral crystal in the main section. This is 42mm in size, which is ideal for most wrists, however, it is quite thick at 18.8mm but expected considering the construction of the watch. Regardless, it does sit well on the wrist as you can see in the pictures below:

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The whole piece is finished with a black calf-skin leather strap that has a racer-style design, mint green stitching to match the dial colour and a stainless-steel folding buckle. Overall, this is a watch to be added to any collection considering the style, ingenuity, brand recognition and worthiness for the buck. Of course, one cannot deny the obsession you will have with the ever-spinning rotor (something every owner will continue to play with) which is also a conversation starter. Personally, the RED was my favourite, but as I keep seeing the pictures of the GREEN one, it does seem that I might be inclined towards that colour. What colour do you prefer and would you put your name down for the next raffle?