In 2025, MB&F celebrates an extraordinary milestone — 20 years of redefining what it means to make a watch. What began as one man’s audacious dream has evolved into one of the most influential forces in independent horology.
The story of Maximilian Büsser & Friends (MB&F) is not just about watches; it’s about creativity, collaboration, and a little bit of glorious madness.
The Beginning: One Man and a Crazy Idea
The journey started in 2005 with Maximilian Büsser, then a rising star in luxury watchmaking. Leaving behind a comfortable corporate career at Harry Winston, he set out to create something wildly unconventional — timepieces that blurred the line between mechanics and art. All he had was a sketch and a dream.
A handful of visionary retailers took a leap of faith on this unknown brand: The Hour Glass (Singapore), Westime (Los Angeles), Ahmed Seddiqi (Dubai), Ghadah (Kuwait), and Chronopassion (Paris). They prepaid for a watch that didn’t yet exist — and in doing so, became MB&F’s first “Friends.” Their trust helped spark a revolution in independent watchmaking.
Rewriting the Rules of Watchmaking
At a time when independent brands were barely visible, MB&F challenged conventions. Büsser had already disrupted the industry through the Harry Winston Opus series, which brought together luxury houses and independent artisans. But MB&F took this idea further — creating kinetic sculptures that told time while celebrating unrestrained imagination.
The brand’s philosophy became its mantra: “A creative adult is a child who survived.” Each creation would embody that childlike wonder, built with uncompromising craftsmanship and an openness to collaboration rarely seen in the industry.
Twenty Years of Mechanical Insanity
From its modest beginnings, MB&F has grown into a collective of 70 people, hundreds of collaborators, and an astonishing 22 in-house calibres. Across two decades, the brand has produced around 4,500 timepieces across four main collections: Horological Machines, Legacy Machines, Performance Art, and Special Projects.
Every Machine pushed the limits of what was possible. From the HM1’s four-barrel engine to the LM1’s flying balance wheel, the brand continually reinvented watchmaking.
The LM Perpetual introduced a revolutionary mechanical processor, the LM Thunderdome broke speed records with its triple-axis escapement, and the HM10 Bulldog turned power reserve into a set of mechanical “jaws.”
The LM Sequential’s Twinverter switch — allowing simultaneous, independent, or alternating chronograph timing — even won the 2022 GPHG Aiguille d’Or, watchmaking’s highest honour.
Stephen McDonnell: The Architect of Ingenuity
Behind many of these mechanical marvels stands Stephen McDonnell, the Northern Irish watchmaker who helped craft MB&F’s earliest calibres.
His re-engineering of the perpetual calendar complication for the LM Perpetual made it far more reliable and user-friendly — a true milestone in modern horology. He later masterminded the LM Sequential and Sequential Flyback, cementing his legacy as one of the great innovators of our time.
Friends Front and Centre
While most brands guarded their suppliers’ names, MB&F proudly celebrated them. The “F” in MB&F has always stood for Friends — the watchmakers, designers, engineers, and artists behind each creation. This open-credit approach not only honoured collaboration but also shaped the brand’s DNA of respect and transparency.
Design visionary Eric Giroud has co-created MB&F’s Machines since day one, alongside a roster of legendary “Friends”: Kari Voutilainen, Peter Speake, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, Eric Coudray, Stepan Sarpaneva, and many more.
From Outsourcing to Hybrid Craftsmanship
MB&F began as a lean structure, outsourcing most of its research and production to its network of Friends.
Today, it operates a hybrid model, with an in-house R&D team of eight engineers and a machining workshop that produces the majority of its cases and components — all while keeping collaboration at its heart.
Art, Collaboration, and Performance
MB&F’s collaborative DNA birthed an entire genre: Performance Art. The first piece — a unique HM2 with artist Sage Vaughn — debuted in 2009 for Only Watch. Soon after came the JwlryMachine, an owl-inspired high-jewellery watch made with Boucheron.
Over the years, collaborations expanded to artists like Alain Silberstein, James Thompson (Black Badger), Huang Hankang, Xia Hang, and jewellers like Emmanuel Tarpin.
And then came the clocks. In partnership with L’Epée 1839, MB&F reimagined traditional table clocks as futuristic sculptures — rockets, spiders, jellyfish, and robots. The brand later created music boxes with Reuge, pens with Caran d’Ache, and magnifying “rocket loupes,” turning functional objects into collectable kinetic art.
Building a Tribe
MB&F’s ethos of connection led to the creation of The Tribe, a global community of collectors who share a passion for mechanical art.
Registered owners receive exclusive access to events, previews, and the coveted M.A.D.Editions — a tangible symbol of belonging to the MB&F universe.
M.A.D.Editions: The Watch That Shouldn’t Exist
Launched initially as a thank-you gift to Friends during the pandemic, M.A.D.Editions became an instant sensation.
The first M.A.D.1 watches — offered at a fraction of MB&F’s usual prices — sold out immediately, with tens of thousands registering interest. It was Max’s “crazy idea” to create something more democratic, and it worked.
The M.A.D.2, launched in 2025, continued that spirit of accessibility without sacrificing the brand’s playful DNA.
Spaces for Mechanical Art
In 2011, MB&F opened the first M.A.D.Gallery in Geneva — an art space dedicated to mechanical creativity.
The concept has since expanded worldwide, with M.A.D.Galleries and MB&F Labs featuring kinetic installations, futuristic interiors, and the iconic blue viewing lenses that flip the world upside down — just like MB&F flips watchmaking itself.
Looking Ahead
As MB&F enters its third decade, the journey shows no sign of slowing. A new creative voice, Maximilian Maertens, once an intern and now co-lead designer, will debut his first co-signed watch with Büsser in 2026.
Meanwhile, Chanel’s minority 25% investment, announced in 2024, provides long-term stability while preserving MB&F’s creative independence.
Because at MB&F, it has never just been about telling the time. It’s about telling a story — one tick, one Friend, one dream at a time.
