16 years ago, Maximilian Büsser created the first community of enthusiasts directly or indirectly involved in the birth of a brand. Furthermore, MB&F was perhaps the first example of modern crowdfunding in watchmaking, naturally at the highest level.
At the time, Max explained to me how he had found the funds to create a haute horlogerie brand from scratch, relying on talented suppliers, including some of the best independent watchmakers. Who had already collaborated with him through Harry Winston's Opus projects, of which he was CEO. Once the project was finalised, he went to present it to the big clients with whom he had forged close, even friendly, relationships during his years at the top of the American House.
With his charisma and, of course, the concreteness of the project, Büsser managed to sell the first MB&F watch when he still only had a prototype of the movement. "Most of you don't know that when I founded MB&F 16 years ago, I had created a second watch brand in parallel, which retailed at around $4,000. It was called Green Dog, and although the product was really good, I never found the funds to launch it. And... in hindsight, that's probably a very good thing,' Büsser now recounts in a video released last week.
This is the best introduction to announce that, under the impetus of the 'tidal wave' of demand that has swamped the brand, a new M.A.D. 1 will be launched early in 2022 at the earliest: the approximately €2,000 watch created under the M.A.D. Edition label for MB&F's suppliers and 'tribe', never officially put on sale to the public, but which has appeared on the Instagrams of all mechanical watch lovers. It will be a slightly modified version, but accessible to a much larger number of enthusiasts. It seems that Maximilian Büsser has hit the jackpot once again. And he is preparing to expand his 'tribe' with a watch that, on the basis of a simple Myota calibre, contains a high degree of creativity.
There is something for everyone to learn.
Dody Giussani
