Hands-on with the new M.A.D.2: What is M.A.D.Editions, it’s MB&F origins, and how can I get one?
Zach Blass“Don’t bore us, get to the chorus” is the go-to mantra of our Creative Director Marcus Flack, and in this instance I am inclined to heed his advice. For a proper in-depth history lesson of what the M.A.D.Editions brand is, you can check out our newly uploaded video below or refer to my previous coverage of the M.A.D.1 and M.A.D.1S. The short of it is that M.A.D.Editions will be familiar to anyone who is a superfan of MB&F and its founder Max Büsser. MB&F’s high-end watches are understandably very expensive due to their intricacies and boundary-pushing designs. This is great news for those who can afford them, but for the rest of us, M.A.D.Editions made a Max Büsser watch vastly more approachable. The demand was clear from the outset, and upon the first release to the public, it was clear that demand would always exceed production. This ushered in a raffle system to democratise access to a watch designed by Max Büsser and his friends (which is what the “&F” stands for) that costs under CHF 3,000. Speaking with Büsser, as each iteration of the M.A.D.1 was launched, we were told that eventually a M.A.D.2 would be made, but that the wheel and driver’s seat would be handed over to a friend of the brand. For the newly unveiled M.A.D.2, that friend is celebrated watch designer Eric Giroud.
The M.A.D.1 was a very eye-catching design. Its unconventional 42mm diameter and 20mm thickness gave it a bold presence, along with atypical twists like its 12 o’clock crown. But what really caught the eye was the dial, or the lack thereof, strictly serving to exhibit the inverted movement, with time relegated to discs within the caseband. The M.A.D1S slimmed down some 20%, reducing to a single disc, as at-a-glance time-telling was never really the point.
Giroud’s M.A.D.2, however, brings back some conventional sensibilities, the time indicated on the dial side, and the watch’s dimensions far more wearable with a stainless steel case 42mm in diameter and 12.3mm thick. Giroud’s muse for the design of the M.A.D.2 was his passion for the clubbing scene of the 1990s, often visiting a club in Lausanne named MAD. Yes, it really is an amazing coincidence. Clearly it was fate for him to design a M.A.D.Editions watch.
“While others might have been lurking around cold offices, Eric was tearing it up on dancefloors, living the 1990s club scene. Nights at the legendary MAD (Moulin à Danses) and Dolce Vita clubs in Lausanne, surrounded by creatives, musicians, actors and artists, shaped his aesthetic,” M.A.D.Editions explains. “Friends called him ‘Erico.’ He hung out with Sébastien and Stephan Kohler – DJs who hit international fame with their track At Night. Early house music boomed, Mandrax spun vinyl on the famous Technics SL- 1200 Mark 2, and there was a palpable sense of freedom. The ’90s were electric, a time when change was in the air, especially in music. This is the world that inspired the M.A.D.2 – a watch born from the heartbeat of a bygone rave era.”
This explains all the visual cues of the M.A.D.2’s design, including a jumping hour and trailing minutes display evocative of turntables, a green dial base decorated to look like a vinyl record, and a winding rotor that mimics the aesthetic of the stroboscopic band seen on the Technics SL-1200. For those concerned that the familiar lume light show of M.A.D.1 is no more, you’ll be glad to know this signature has been maintained – the dial numerals and the dots on the rotor are filled to the brim with lume.
Like the M.A.D.1S, the M.A.D.2 has a 64-hour automatic La Joux-Perret G101 calibre as its base, paired with an MB&F-designed, bi-directional jumping hour and trailing minutes module. The openworked rotor allows for a view of the calibre beneath, with attractive striping on its bridges. The rotor is signed “M.A.D. EDITION ERIC GIROUD”, joined by the message “IT’S A MAD WORLD.”
I will always appreciate the M.A.D.1 that started it all, but the M.A.D.2 is really the first M.A.D.Editions watch that can be comfortably worn daily. Though it is more conventionally sized and with a more “normal” time indication, Giroud did a fantastic job of incorporating artistry and visual distinction befitting of a watch bearing the M.A.D.Editions name. For those who dismissed the M.A.D.1 as a hockey puck people were only interested in because Max Büsser designed it, the M.A.D.2 is far less likely to draw such criticism. I believe this is an excellent execution, and hope that, like the M.A.D.1, more iterations are on the way. After all, it’s unlikely that all the raffle entrants will walk away with the allocation they have their fingers crossed for.
M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.2 Green pricing and availability
The M.A.D.Editions M.A.D.2 public raffle opens on April 1 at 2:00 P.M. Swiss time and will stay live for an entire week on the page linked here. Once it closes, they will draw the winners, and you’ll hear from them a few days later. Price: CHF 2,900 (exc. VAT, ~US$3,300)
| Brand | M.A.D.Editions |
| Model | M.A.D.2 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12.3mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Green |
| Strap and bracelet | Green leather strap, steel folding buckle |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G101, MB&F jumping hour module, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 64 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes |
| Availability | By raffle, end of March |
| Price | CHF 2,900 (exc. VAT) |