I had the chance to see this rare piece a few days ago, having had the opportunity to spend some time with one of MB&F's famous Friends, the founder of Loupe System.  After examining the MAD Edition 1 from every angle, I thought that Max Büsser really had it all figured out, especially the psychology of his clientele.

We tend to forget this when we see the successes of today, but creating a brand as audacious as this, whether it be through the pieces proposed or in its way of proceeding, was far from being obvious in 2005. I think that the project-based approach, which involves new Friends each time, has enabled Max Büsser to retain all the energy, dynamism, creativity and boldness of the beginning, more than 15 years later. MB&F has now become a brand that counts in the collector's watch segment without falling into the autopilot syndrome of certain established brands.



No matter how many reasons for success are given, in the end it is the customers who decide the fate of a company. And Max Büsser has been able to count on committed collectors since the HM1, who have also acted as influencers in later years. When you are a small company, every customer counts and Max Büsser has never forgotten that. This is the reason for the MAD Edition 1: to thank all the people who, at one time or another, have contributed to the success and continuity of MB&F by offering an affordable watch (the price is CHF 1,900 excluding tax).


Affordable watch does not mean cheap watch... especially in such an objective of expression of gratitude. The MAD Edition 1 obviously does not have the same watchmaking content, the same finishing, the same finesse as an MB&F watch and this is logical. We are absolutely not in the same price segment and it would not make any sense from the point of view of the brand's conduct. On the other hand, it totally shares the same spirit as a Horological Machine: the MAD Edition 1 is fun, exciting, surprising, it offers an alternative time display and plunges us into the "Goldorak" atmosphere that had inspired Max so much since the HM1.


Let's remember the HM1... its central tourbillon, its exploded displays, its volume... and its Astero Axe winding masst! This winding mass allowed us to discover the impact of this culture in Max Büsser's creative approach. 16 years later, the MAD Edition 1 pays tribute to this rotor. The rotor now has 3 blades with luminescent segments (Goldorak (the French name of Grendizer) would have loved to have such a weapon!) and above all, its size is oversized as it is much larger than the diameter of the movement. When we put the MAD Edition 1 on our wrists, we are in fact wearing an imposing Astero Axe in quasi-permanent revolution. The time reading becomes almost anecdotal, being on the caseside of the watch. But since the watch is very well designed and takes advantage of the interaction with its owner... by moving the wrist to read the time, we create the imbalance that makes the rotor move. In other words, we think we are Actarus setting Goldorak in motion (without the pilot seat that turns on itself!).


What is very surprising for a watch of this price is the coherence of the whole and the absence of concessions from the aesthetic point of view. For example, the X-shaped base that supports the central part of the steel case and defines the lugs is complex and allows the watch to be held effectively on the wrist. The size of the watch is admittedly imposing. It is not so much its diameter that reinforces this feeling but its volume. This cylindrical design gives a lot of presence. The size of the lugs and the huge rotor also contribute to this feeling. An amusing detail, like a wink to traditional watchmaking: the crown is similar to a pocket watch hook.