In 2021, Max Büsser wanted to say a big thank you to the Friends (suppliers) and Tribe (collectors) of his brand, MB&F, in the best way he knew how — by creating a watch. Not just any watch but a piece that maintained the wildly creative design approach of MB&F at an affordable price point. So, the M.A.D.1 watch was born, exclusively available to MB&F suppliers and collectors. Eventually, the M.A.D.EDITIONS series expanded to include models such as the M.A.D.1 Green, made available to the public by way of a raffle. Now, just ahead of Geneva Watch Days 2024, the fifth edition has been announced: the M.A.D.EDITIONS M.A.D.1S watch, a slimmer, single-cylinder, Swiss movement-equipped iteration.
The “S” in M.A.D.1S denotes a slimmer case, clocking in at 15mm, 20% thinner than the 18.8mm thickness of previous models. This was achieved thanks to the use of a single cylinder rather than two. However, this does mean that the minute-scale cylinder was sacrificed and only the hour display remains. The diameter of the 316L stainless steel case remains at 42mm, as does the 30m water resistance rating.
Another big change with the new M.A.D.1S model is the use of a Swiss-made movement (a first for the M.A.D.EDITIONS) rather than a Japanese Miyota. The Swiss movement is the automatic La Joux-Perret Caliber G101, which operates at 28,800 beats per hour, features uni-directional winding and supplies 60 hours of power reserve. As always, the traditional top face of the watch displays the custom spinning rotor while the time is read from the case side. The lugs have been reworked to accommodate the slimmer movement and case.
M.A.D.EDITIONS has released two iterations of the M.A.D.1S watch: the purple one is reserved for Friends and Tribe whereas the ice-blue edition is available to the public through a raffle. Both versions come fitted with a leather strap with dial-matching stitching and a stainless steel folding buckle. Past raffle participants will get double the entries and all entries will require credit card pre-authorization to avoid multiple entries and other nefarious activities. There’s always quite the frenzy when MB&F announces a new M.A.D.Edition and this thinner variant with a Swiss movement will likely be even more appealing; I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of entries for this lottery will well surpass past ones. Despite the updates, the price of the new M.A.D.1S watch remains the same at CHF 2,900 + VAT. The raffle is now open and runs until Monday, September 2nd at midnight. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
