M.A.D. 3 VINCENT CALABRESE: A WANDERING HOUR FINDS A NEW HOME

The M.A.D. 3 began with an idea that feels particularly natural for M.A.D. Editions: bring the work of Vincent Calabrese into its world. Calabrese has spent more than five decades questioning conventional approaches to mechanical watchmaking, developing complications that favour curiosity and movement over established formulas. His wandering-hours concept, first associated with the Baladin, offered precisely the kind of unconventional mechanical thinking that M.A.D. Editions has consistently sought to explore.

The resulting M.A.D. 3 Vincent Calabrese is not intended as a replica of the original Baladin, nor as a conventional vintage reissue. Instead, M.A.D. Editions has taken the underlying idea of Calabrese’s complication and reconstructed it for a new generation. The result is a watch that carries the character of its original inspiration while belonging unmistakably to the M.A.D. Editions universe.

At the centre of the watch is a deceptively simple observation. Calabrese disliked the abruptness of conventional jumping-hour displays, in which one hour disappears, and the next appears almost instantaneously. His answer was to make the transition itself visible. Rather than having the hour change in a single movement, the indication travels progressively across the display, while the minutes continue their normal progression.

It is this gradual movement that gives the M.A.D. 3 its distinctive personality. Time does not simply change; the transition becomes part of what the wearer observes. The hours appear to wander, creating a display that is both mechanical and almost theatrical without sacrificing its fundamental purpose.

Recreating that idea, however, proved considerably more demanding than simply adapting an existing mechanism. Calabrese’s original constructions were highly artisanal, shaped by experimentation and inventive mechanical solutions that were not necessarily suited to larger-scale production. M.A.D. Editions therefore developed its wandering-hours module from the ground up, retaining the progressive character of Calabrese’s system while re-engineering it for contemporary production.

The technical foundation is a Swiss-made Manufacture La Joux-Perret G111 automatic movement, combined with a bi-directional jumping-hour and trailing-minutes module developed by MB&F. The movement operates at 4Hz, has 24 jewels, and offers a 55-hour power reserve. The watch is housed in a 40mm stainless-steel case measuring 12.7mm in height, with sapphire crystals protecting both sides. Water resistance is rated at 30 metres.

Visually, the M.A.D. 3 takes a similarly considered approach. Its case was designed by Eric Giroud, a longtime Friend of MB&F, and retains elements associated with the broader M.A.D. Editions aesthetic while moving into a different visual territory. The result is less a literal interpretation of the Baladin than a conversation between its mechanical philosophy and the expressive design language that has come to define M.A.D. Editions.

That distinction matters because M.A.D. Editions was never conceived simply as a lower-priced extension of MB&F. The idea emerged from Maximilian Büsser’s desire to create something mechanically imaginative at a more accessible level, particularly for friends and family who could not afford the high prices associated with MB&F’s Horological and Legacy Machines. The concept resurfaced in 2014, was developed further from 2020 to 2021, and eventually became the M.A.D. 1, presented in June 2021.

Since then, M.A.D. Editions has developed into its own creative platform. Rather than following a single, rigid visual formula, the label has approached each creation as a new story. Its M.A.D. 1 watches explored colourful, sculptural forms, while the M.A.D. 2 introduced a different design language through Eric Giroud. The M.A.D. 3 continues that approach by bringing an established but unconventional watchmaking idea into a new context.

The philosophy also connects naturally with Calabrese himself. A co-founder of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, he has long occupied an unusual position within modern watchmaking: neither interested in simply following tradition nor in rejecting it for the sake of novelty. His work instead asks what else a mechanical watch might do, and how familiar indications can be reconsidered.

That spirit mirrors the broader heritage of MB&F. Founded in 2005 in Geneva by Maximilian Büsser, MB&F describes itself as a horological concept laboratory built around collaborations between Büsser and the watchmakers, designers and artists whose work he admires. Its first Horological Machine arrived in 2007, establishing the three-dimensional, kinetic approach that would become central to the company. In 2011, MB&F opened its first M.A.D. Gallery in Geneva, creating a space devoted not only to its own Machines but also to mechanical and kinetic art.

That gallery concept remains relevant to M.A.D. Editions. The current official M.A.D. Gallery locations are in Geneva and Dubai, with the Geneva gallery at 11 Rue Verdaine and the Dubai gallery at The Dubai Mall’s Fashion Avenue. MB&F also operates other Labs and authorised retail partners internationally, but these are distinct from the M.A.D. Gallery format.

For those following the M.A.D. 3 today, the release is being allocated through M.A.D. Editions’ raffle system rather than conventional retail drops or endless waiting lists. The current official raffle is open until 7 September 2026 at 3 pm CEST, with the M.A.D. 3 priced at CHF 2,900 excluding VAT. Delivery is scheduled between October 2026 and April 2027, subject to the terms outlined by M.A.D. Editions.

The raffle approach is itself part of the label’s wider philosophy. M.A.D. Editions has argued that a randomised allocation gives interested enthusiasts a fair opportunity to participate, rather than rewarding those able to queue immediately or navigate conventional limited-edition releases. It is a fitting mechanism for a collection whose premise has always been to open the door to a broader community of mechanical-watch enthusiasts.

Ultimately, the M.A.D. 3 Vincent Calabrese is compelling because it does not attempt to make its unusual mechanism conventional. Instead, it preserves the central curiosity of Calabrese’s original idea while allowing MB&F and M.A.D. Editions to reinterpret it through contemporary engineering and design. The wandering hour becomes a small study in how differently time can be represented when a watchmaker chooses not to accept the obvious solution.

In that sense, the M.A.D. 3 feels less like a return to the past than an acknowledgement of where independent mechanical watchmaking can lead when convention is treated as a starting point rather than a boundary.