In the world of haute horlogerie, where tradition often dictates design and Swiss precision meets centuries-old craftsmanship, a revolutionary collaboration has emerged that challenges everything we thought we knew about watchmaking aesthetics. The M.A.D.Editions X Yinka Ilori M.A.D.1S 'Grow Your Dreams' collection doesn't just tell time, it tells a story of cultural fusion, artistic vision, and the boundless power of dreaming without limits. Three limited editions of 400 pieces each delivered with an interchangeable mismatched colored strap and a white strap: ‘Water’ with a blue rotor, and a pistachio and light blue strap; ‘Nature’ with a green rotor, and a pink and red strap;‘and lastly, ‘Sun’ with a yellow rotor, and a yellow and green strap. The 'Sun', 'Nature', and 'Water' editions don't just represent Ilori's color palette—they embody his belief that dreams, like trees, require patience, nurturing, and time to flourish.
A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything
Sometimes the most extraordinary partnerships begin with the simplest moments. Picture this: Maximilian Büsser, the visionary behind MB&F and M.A.D.Editions, relaxing during a summer 2023 holiday, casually flipping through magazines. In that moment of serendipity, he stumbled upon the vibrant world of Yinka Ilori MBE—a British-Nigerian multidisciplinary artist whose work transforms the mundane into the magical through explosive color and joy-infused design.
What happened next reads like a fairy tale for the design world. Within six days of that magazine discovery, Ilori was in Geneva, stepping into the M.A.D.Editions universe to explore an entirely new canvas: the wristwatch. This wasn't just a business meeting—it was the beginning of a creative journey that would challenge both artists to push beyond their comfort zones and create something unprecedented in horological history. Yinka Ilori's artistic philosophy centers on one powerful mantra: "Grow Your Dreams." For an artist who has transformed everything from London playgrounds to McLaren supercars into canvases of optimism, the watch represented both the ultimate challenge and the perfect metaphor. Here was an object that lives intimately with its wearer, something both deeply personal and publicly visible—exactly the kind of paradox that fascinates Ilori.
Things to Know About the Watch
What makes this collaboration truly remarkable isn't just the visual impact—though the mismatched rubber straps and anodized titanium rotors certainly command attention. It's the seamless marriage of technical innovation with artistic expression housed within a purposeful 42 mm stainless steel case that measures 15 mm in height—dimensions that strike an ideal balance between presence and wearability.
The introduction of HyCeram—a high-tech liquid ceramic that's precision-machined into grooves within the bezel and finished with hand-polishing—represents a first for M.A.D.Editions, pushing manufacturing boundaries to realize Ilori's colorful vision. Protected by mineral glass and sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both faces, the watch maintains 30-meter water resistance while showcasing its vibrant mechanical theater.
At the heart of each timepiece beats the Swiss-made Manufacture LaJoux-Perret G101 movement, a sophisticated calibre featuring a rotating hours cylinder with SuperLumiNova numerals and an impressive 68-hour power reserve. The movement beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph with 24 jewels, ensuring both precision and reliability. The team spent months reimagining the automatic winding rotor, making it slimmer while maintaining its signature performance, then meticulously milling each titanium blade with Ilori's tree motif before anodizing it to achieve the three distinct colorways: yellow for 'Sun', green for 'Nature', and blue for 'Water'.
Each watch pulses with SuperLumiNova accents that illuminate Ilori's motto in the dark, creating an intimate dialogue between wearer and timepiece that extends beyond daylight hours. The stamped wave patterns on the aluminum baseplate create a mesmerizing 3D effect beneath the movement, while the leaf-detailed rubber straps—each watch comes with both a mismatched colorway strap and an interchangeable white option—ensure that every element tells part of the larger story.
As Ilori himself reflects on the process: "You have to be patient and harvest a watch. There are similarities between our universes... there's something very private and public about a watch. Everyone sees it, but it's you who has that connection with it."
With only 400 pieces of each colorway available worldwide, these timepieces will undoubtedly become coveted collectibles. But more importantly, they represent a new paradigm in watch collecting—one where cultural storytelling, artistic vision, and personal expression take their rightful place alongside complications and craftsmanship. As with previous M.A.D.Editions, a portion of the ‘Grow Your Dreams’ pieces will go to the Tribe—MB&F owners—and Friends—suppliers—on a first come, first served basis. The rest will be offered to the public via a raffle, giving access to purchasing the M.A.D.1S Grow Your Dreams. The raffle opens Tuesday, September 2nd and closes Monday, September 8th. Registration is free.
The M.A.D.1S 'Grow Your Dreams' collection doesn't just ask us to reconsider what a luxury watch can be—it demands that we dream bigger, think bolder, and wear our aspirations with pride. In a world that too often tells us to scale back our dreams, this collaboration stands as a vibrant reminder that the most beautiful growth happens when we refuse to be contained by convention.
Sticker Price CHF 3,200—approx USD 4,000.
The link to the raffle registration page is:
