Introducing It's Back – The M.A.D.1 Returns, This Time In Green

The first M.A.D.1 never officially launched. In an icy blue, the first release was just sent casually in an email to the "Friends" that help supply MB&F (where the "F" is for friends who do things together – like make watches), with a few pictures and a $2,000 price tag. Suddenly, watches from the Max Büsser mind space, usually a world of $60,000 to $500,000+ watches, were available to people who helped make them happen. Later, members of MB&F's owner's group, "The Tribe," were invited to buy one as well. It was fun but still out of reach. Then, in March 2022, the M.A.D.1 Red launched, and the world went wild.

With only 1,500 pieces available at a 2,900 CHF price point, people desperately entered their names to be considered for a M.A.D.1 associated with a company that only makes around 300 of their main line watches a year. The brand had to filter through those entries for around a week to eliminate the bots and scammers and try to keep things as equitable as possible. They even hired a bailiff to supervise the drawing. While the M.A.D.1 is not an MB&F creation (the brand won the Challenge Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève of 2022, and in February 2023, they did it all again), it does capture a similar charm and shares the founder's perspective on unconventional watch design. 

Now, the M.A.D.1 is back for a third time, this time in a green colorway with a black minute dial and still the same wildly spinning top rotor blade and super-charged SuperLuminova. The movement is a heavily modified Miyota 8315. The time is read from the side, so you turn your wrist and look for the arrow pointing to the hours and minutes. And yet again, there are 1,500 produced in this first round – with the potential for more – with the same price tag of 2,900 CHF plus tax.

There are certain watches that have left me with a lot of FOMO. It's even worse when they're more affordable – like the clamor for a Ming release when my budget is just not ready. The M.A.D.1 was one of the most hotly in-demand releases in 2022 – there were 19,000 legitimate entries into a raffle for only 1,500 watches. It's no wonder – this is likely the only time the average watch lover would get a shot at a watch from the mind of Max Büsser and not have to pay close to six figures for it. 

If you want to know a bit more about the M.A.D.1 you should check out Cole Pennington's "A Week on the Wrist." It's no small watch – okay, that's putting it lightly – and it's not super practical or super legible, but it's a lot of fun. Especially when you get your wrist roll juuuuust right and the rotor on top goes spinning, spinning, spinning. It's the perfect fidget spinner for a watch lover.

With that in mind, I had to have one. And I didn't win the raffle the first time (or the second, which got 22,000 entries). But when I saw the press release for this new "Sprite"-esque color combination (one that's much more wearable than the bright red), the first thing I thought of was a quote from Jim Carrey in 1994's Dumb and Dumber. 

"So you're telling me there's a chance."

Yes, there is a chance. You can enter the raffle starting today and have two weeks to get your name in. If, at first, you don't win, don't lose hope. If people win and don't pay up, you could get extra lucky in a later drawing. Plus, this is only the first release of this color and there could be more. Good luck!

Brand: M.A.D. Editions
Model: M.A.D.1 Green

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 18.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Green
Indexes: Engraved into a rotating display ring
Lume: Super-LumiNova, and loads of it
Water Resistance: This isn't the kind of watch where that matters
Strap/Bracelet: Strap

Caliber: Based on a Miyota 8315, but reworked significantly by Büsser's workshop
Functions: Hours, minutes
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Jewels: 21
Additional Details: The triple-blade winding rotor is made from titanium and tungsten.

Price: CHF 2,900

Availability: Lottery system, open starting September 12th and continuing for two weeks
Limited Edition: Not formally limited – 1,500 pieces in this first batch with a potential for more

For more info and to enter the raffle, click here.