In three weeks, MB&F will greet us again during our week at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, in the middle of the brand’s most prolific stretch in its 20-year history. The SP One launched an entirely new collection. The Longhorn editions revisited the brand's origins in stainless steel. The HM11 got the Art Deco treatment. The M.A.D. Gallery celebrated its 15th anniversary. And twenty watches were given away—not sold, given—to the community that made it all possible. Whatever Max Büsser and his team unveil at Palexpo on April 14, it will arrive with momentum that few independents can match.
But before the novelties land, it's worth remembering where they come from. In 2023, during Watches and Wonders, WCL was invited to the M.A.D. House in Carouge—MB&F's headquarters and atelier, nested inside a historical home built in the 1800s. What we found was not a factory floor. It was a 120-year-old house where eight watchmakers assemble every MB&F watch from the first component to final quality control, surrounded by kinetic art, GPHG trophies, and one of the last clocks by the legendary Jean Kazes. From sketches to CAD to 3D-printed case prototypes to timing and regulation — it all happens under one roof.
This is the space behind the machines. Here is what we saw.
The Visit
While I was in Geneva attending Watches and Wonders 2023 at the end of March, MB&F invited me to visit their new headquarters and atelier. The newly opened space is called the MB&F M.A.D. House, and it was beyond a pleasant surprise and an honor to be there. While their previous headquarters were located in Old Town Geneva as part of their MB&F M.A.D. Gallery, the new MB&F M.A.D. House is located in the municipality of Carouge, about 15 minutes away from the M.A.D Gallery.
Nested inside a historical home built in the 1800s and an exquisite example of architecture, now about 120 years old, it took about two years for Max Büsser and his team to find this incredible and unique space.
As soon as I walked in, I was blown away that MB&F had taken over this space and spent over a year and a half on the necessary renovations before moving in at the end of 2022. What used to be a family home is now the home of Max Büsser and Friends, still a family home where some incredible watches are designed and finished from top to bottom.
Exquisitely decorated with modern furniture, objects from the M.A.D. Gallery, their prizes from the GPHG, and one of the last incredible clocks by renowned clockmaker Jean Kazes at the bottom of the M.A.D. House’s staircase. Jean Kazes is world-renowned for clocks at the entrance of the Patek Philippe manufacture and at the Geneva train station, among other places. Considering that MB&F are curators of kinetic art and their timepieces are kinetic sculptures for the wrist, every corner of the space has been filled with incredible pieces of art, including some of their iconic clocks, such as the Medusa clock.
Situated in what used to be the dining room of this incredible house, at the time of our visit in 2023, eight watchmakers worked from top to bottom to create MB&F watches. As I walked around the space, I was still fascinated by the decor and the eclectic mix of modern and antique design throughout.
Within the MB&F M.A.D. House, all operations related to watchmaking are conducted. These operations include sketches, CAD design, 3D printing of cases to evaluate proportions, an inspection of every component that will go into the watch, color palette selection, assembly, timing, regulation, and quality control. In this new home, also all post-sales service is performed including servicing for timepieces that have not even been purchased brand new directly through MB&F.
And at the very top level is where Max Büsser’s office is located. As I was expecting from such a genius in the watch world, his office is not a corner office —as most would’ve expected— but a quiet simple space where the making happens when he is creating their kinetic sculptures for the wrist. Exquisitely decorated with a small living area at the end of the room, this space is as Zen as it gets.
Lastly, as good as MB&F is with their watches, so are they with their hospitality and the desserts. How could I not mention that this was the best bite-size lemon merengue pie I’ve ever had in my life. An incredible new space for MB&F and an extremely enjoyable visit to one of our favorite independent watchmakers.
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