The Modifier’s Series: MAD Paris are radical, edgy and utterly subversive

Fergus Nash

Let’s all just close our eyes for a moment and imagine the perfect watch. It would surely need to be something versatile, simple, but with plenty of well-finished details that will brighten your mood with every glance at the dial. A bit of history wouldn’t go astray either, knowing that, while trends may come and go, your watch will remain a timeless classic. That’s what an old-fashioned horology nut would say anyway. Whereas MAD Paris know that the true perfect watch is whatever the client thinks looks cool. Halving water resistance, destroying the original warranty … there is no cost too big to get in the way of their bold visualisations and that’s ignoring the actual dollar value. 

Having established themselves as a leading name in luxury timepiece modifying from 2007, MAD aren’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. Let’s take a look at five pieces which typify the daring designers.

Rolex Daytona

They say when you want to fit in, wear black. What they neglect to mention is that adding hot pink detailing and a ring of pink sapphires will stand out from a mile away. A matte carbon-black coated case and textured dial stand as a solidly crafted and utilitarian backdrop for the attack of colour bursting from the hands and bezel. They even went out of their way to blacken the would-be luminous paint on the now-dark indices. The neon contrast instantly evokes scenes of a night out on the Las Vegas strip, and the remarkably stock sub-dials remind the viewer of the Daytona’s sporty soul. Some parts of the caliber 4130 within have been given the tinting treatment too, which can be viewed via the generous display caseback.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 33mm

While this 33mm Royal Oak may not be suited to a typical male celebrity wrist, it’s hard to imagine anyone appreciative of artisanal craftsmanship turning their nose up at the captivating display of engraving here. Symmetrical floral patterns creep and swirl all the way around the steel case and extend down the integrated bracelet, each segment a work of art in its own right. While the brutalist design of Gérald Genta’s most legendary watch was conceived to insult the prettiness and prestige of traditional haute horology, MAD’s modification cannot be labelled as anything other than truly beautiful. It’s a wonderfully creative way of making a watch glint and shimmer from far away without totally encrusting it in diamonds.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 39mm

If you could call any of MAD Paris’ offerings subtle, this 39mm Royal Oak would be one of the few contenders. The complete transformation of the dial leaves you wondering how much of the original is truly left, as the iconic waffle is cast aside for a textured gun-metal black dial which captures the spirit of a military instrument or pilot’s gauge. The orange highlights further this tool-watch aesthetic, as does the removal of all indices and dial information other than the orange-covered AP logo, chronograph sub-dials, date window, and ‘MAD CUSTOM’ badge of honour. The slightly contrasting shades of charcoal-grey in the case and bezel is also a nice touch, even adding some differentiation between the push-buttons and their guards.

Rolex Daytona

Skeletonised Daytonas are certainly popular in the modification world, but rarely are they as elegant and regal as this. Not only has the dial been opened up to show the mass of whirring springs, gears and jewels, but what remains has been gorgeously engraved with natural floral imagery. The swirling of gold and steel grants the piece an air of mystery, and legibility be damned when the effect is this stunning. The blackened sub-dial rings have been left mostly intact, so that in conjunction with the stock tachymeter, some function of the original watch remains. The engraving is carried over onto the sides of the case and the bracelet, proving that this Daytona is no less than a sculpture on the wrist. The rotor weight of the caliber 4130 movement has also been hollowed out in leafy detail, then gold-filled to complete the opulent affair.

Rolex Milgauss

If MAD Paris cared what the majority of watch enthusiasts thought, they never would have made this. With a level of tackiness more commonly seen on greeting card shelves, MAD Paris constructed this custom Milgauss in collaboration with now-defunct Parisian fashion boutique Colette in 2016. While this watch features an entirely bead-blasted case and bracelet, certainly within the spirit of the Milgauss’ tool-focused origins, the only memory of its face remains in the blue-painted lightning bolt seconds hand. As if made purely to infuriate the masses, the flippant quote on the dial even neglects to place a question mark after the ‘Who cares’, and the felt-tip style of the fallen numerals don’t match with the relatively refined cursive-style script. While many may dream about taking a hammer to it, there is no question that MAD’s defiance of acceptability is what marks them out as one of the world’s best modifiers.