Yes, it’s that time again – a M.A.D. 1 Edition raffle. The first limited edition (999 pieces) M.AD. Editions piece, and their first non horology partnership with a person that might be surprising, but an industry (fashion) that perhaps is not.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac may not be a household name to younger generations, but to Gen-X and older, his name brings with it decades of high profile, designs that would surprise and sometimes push boundaries, and of a designer who was no wallflower. Best known for fashion, he has into other visual arts, and although his name may no longer be synonymous with fashion, hie broader work is still being exhibited worldwide.

Now he brings his touch to the M.A.D.1, with the ‘Time to Love’, and once again, the genesis of an MB&F creation is in Maximilian Büsser’s youth, when he was a de Castelbajac fan. The origins may be in his youth, but the manner of the connection is very much 2020s, made through social media.

Like its three predecessors in the series, the M.A.D. 1 ‘Time to Love’ is in a 42mm titanium case. The hours and minutes are displayed on the side of the case courtesy of revolving hour and minute cylinders that are engraved and have Super-LumiNova.

As you may be familiar with already, the movement is the automatic Miyota 821A which has been flipped upside down, with a unidirectional triple-blade titanium and tungsten dial side rotor. For this new model, the rotor has three colours (red, blue and yellow) with which de Castelbajac’s is associated lacquered onto the blades, with green on the case-side hour disc. MB&F note that the rotor for this new model is slightly different, with one blade marginally heavier than the other two, to assist spinning.

A quote from de Castelbajac appears on the dial’s base – “Ce trésor rare et précieux, c’est ta vie. Le temps vole de ses ailes blanches. Tu es le gardien de ton temps”. The numbers of the hour and minute rings are in his own handwriting (yes this is the third time we have covered a new release with ‘handwriting’ on the dial so far this year), and the crown features an engraving of an angel talking to the moon, which is a recurring motif of his. The leather strap is embroidered with the name of the watch, ‘Time to Love’, and each watch comes with a black strap and a white strap.

The M.A.D.1 ‘Time to Love’ will be limited to 999 pieces, with a price of CHF 3,200 (excluding taxes). Half of them will be allocated to members of the MB&F Tribe and Friends on a first come, first served basis. The others will be available to the general public using the same raffle system as for the previous M.A.D. 1 editions.

The raffle is now open and ends on April 17, 2024. The watches will be delivered between April and September 2024.

You can register for the raffle at this link.

[Photo credit: MB&F]

Categories: Limited Editions, MB&F, Watch Profile, watches, Women's watches