Before the end of 2021, Max Büsser did the unthinkable releasing a watch priced at CHF 1,900 Swiss Francs —approximately $2,000 USD. Reserved for his friends and what MB&F likes to call The Tribe —the select group of clients that have purchased MB&F watches in the past. The M.A.D. 1 Friends Edition looks a lot like an MB&F but is not one. Between the finishes, the engine and the craftsmanship, the M.A.D. 1 is just a fun watch that Max Büsser launched because he can. And you know what? We love that.

Things to Know About the Watch

The M.A.D. 1 Friends Edition is a 42 mm highly polished stainless steel watch fueled by the design cues of MB&F. With an unconventional time indication —time is read at 6 o’clock via a sapphire crystal opening—, a battle axe-shaped oscillating weight —with luminescent material— that takes the center stage at the top of the watch, and an uber cool look, the M.A.D. 1 sold out immediately and is now trading for crazy money.

A blue ring indicates the hours and a black ring the minutes with the use of a pointer at 6 o’clock. While telling time requires some mental adjustment and familiarity with the time indication, what the M.A.D. 1 does very well is conveying that you can’t have it unless you’re part of the select click formed by friends of the brand and clients. The numerals are filled with super bright luminescent material that allow for impressive time telling in complete darkness.

While we had no time to activate the lume and take a picture of it, we can tell you that it is a real spectacle in all the sense of the word, especially when the oscillating is spinning around and it’s dark. The case is highly polished with a satin-brushed case back. While the finishing is very basic, this still looks like a much more expensive timepiece.

The watch is delivered with a black and a white perforating driving calf strap that is secured by a deployant clasp. Ultimately this is a driver’s watch that allows you to read the time while your hand is on a steering wheel without the need to take it off and turn the watch around towards you.

Turning the watch over reveals a cool case back with an x-grip shape that looks like four claws gripping the watch from underneath. Powering the watch is a simple but reliable automatic Japanese Miyota 821 A movement with a power reserve of 42 hours. With its unidirectional winding system, it allows the rotor to spin at very high speed contributing to the spectacle under low light conditions.

Today, the M.A.D. 1 Friends Edition is already trading in excess of $30K USD, yes it is not a typo. On the wrist, while this is not one of MB&F’s horological machines, it is a super cool watch that reminds you whether you are an insider or an outsider of Max Büsser's very select click. If you find one of these highly exclusive rare birds, make sure you grab it. With the current watch market situation, we foresee that this watch will continue to go up in price.

Hopefully, Max will continue the M.A.D. series and the upcoming watches become available to a larger audience.

For more info on MB&F and the M.A.D. Gallery click here.