Back in 2021, MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser created a new brand called M.A.D.Editions as a way to thank the friends and family of MB&F. The idea of a parallel brand that could operate at a lower price point was something that had been in Büsser’s mind for a couple of decades, although it wasn’t until 2021 that the concept came to fruition. Even the least expensive MB&F watches cost tens of thousands of dollars, and many of the friends and family of the brand (the “F” in the MB&F name) were unable to own their own products. Consequently, Büsser wanted to create a way to thank these individuals who make his company possible. The result of this was the M.A.D.1 BLUE, which was a limited-edition timepiece that was exclusively offered to friends and family, and not available to the general public. Due to the incredibly warm reception and overwhelming demand for this original model, the brand created a red version the following year in 2022, and now for 2023, M.A.D.Editions has unveiled a third watch, known as the M.A.D.1 GREEN, which takes this same core concept and gives it a vibrant green colorway.
In terms of its overall design and functionality, the new M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.1 GREEN is essentially the green version of the M.A.D.1 RED watch from last year, which means that it features the same 42mm case that consists of a large sapphire cylinder sandwiched between a stainless steel bezel and a base plate that forms the claw-shaped lugs. Similar to its M.A.D.1 predecessors, the crown is located on the side of the case at 12 o’clock, the lugs are fitted with a strap made from calf leather and rubber (with a very nice deployant clasp), and water resistance for the M.A.D.1 GREEN comes in at 30 meters to protect against incidental contact. Aside from the new colorway, the watch itself is virtually the same as its direct predecessor; however, this is ultimately a very good thing because only about 10% of the people who entered the lottery for a chance to buy the previous red version were actually able to add one to their collections.
What makes these M.A.D.Editions watches special is that their movements are inverted inside their cases. When looking at the face of the watch, you actually see the reverse side of the movement, with its large blade-shaped rotor crafted from titanium and tungsten with luminous accents taking center stage. Additionally, rather than displaying the time with a set of hands, two anodized aluminum discs are used to represent the hours and minutes. With that in mind, because the movement is invented, the front side sits against the wrist, and so the anodized aluminum discs actually display the time on the 6 o’clock side of the watch, with the current values for the hours and minutes visible through the clear sapphire crystal that forms the walls of the case. A similar style of stacked discs can be found on a number of other MB&F timepieces, and while it undeniably offers a rather unconventional way of displaying the time, adjusting to this new orientation is a relatively swift process and the large spaces between the numerals makes it fairly easy to approximate the intermediate values.
Just like its red predecessor, the new M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.1 GREEN is powered by the Miyota 821A automatic movement, which runs at a frequency of 21,600vph (3 Hz) while offering users a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. While the Miyota 821A itself is a rather common design and one of the Japanese movement manufacturer’s entry-level offerings, the use of this movement is a major contributing factor when it comes to allowing M.A.D.Editions to realize its significantly more accessible price point. Additionally, between its custom rotor and anodized aluminum discs, it’s easy to look past the rather inauspicious nature of the base movement itself, and due to the fact that the Miyota 821A features a unidirectional winding system, the rotor spins freely in the opposite direction to create a highly dynamic appearance that is slightly reminiscent of a fidget spinner gyrating inside the case. The numerals on the green anodized discs are finished with Super-LumiNova to offer easy access to the time in low-light conditions, and each of the three blades on the rotor also includes a luminous strip to highlight its motion in the dark.
The demand for M.A.D.Editions watches is exponentially greater than the number of examples that the brand is able to produce, and just like the previous red version from last year, allocation for the new M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.1 GREEN will be determined by a lottery. Collectors who are interested in purchasing the watch will have between September 12th and September 26th, 2023 to enter their names in the drawing, and those who are randomly selected will have the option to purchase one of the 1,500 available examples at its official retail price of CHF 2,900 (or about $3,200 USD, at the time of writing). While M.A.D.Editions watches are not technically MB&F pieces, they do represent a chance to own one of Maximilian Büsser’s creations for a fraction of the price of what it takes to acquire one of his flagship brand’s products. Additionally, beyond the hype and the high premiums that accompany M.A.D.Editions watches on the secondary market, these timepieces are also simply pure fun to have on the wrist, and the new M.A.D.1 GREEN represents another opportunity for collectors to get their hands on one of these unusual and elusive wristwatches. For more information on the M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.1 GREEN watch, please visit the MB&F M.A.D. Gallery website.
