M.A.D.1 ‘Time to Love’: a collaboration with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

For the new M.A.D.1 ‘Time to Love’, M.A.D. Editions collaborated with French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Price € 3,200 + VAT

MB&F's label M.A.D. Editions unveiled the M.A.D.1 ‘Time to Love’, limited to 999 pieces and created with the legendary French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. This marks M.A.D. Editions' first collaboration with an external creator.

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, often referred to as JCDC, is a renowned French fashion designer celebrated for his avant-garde and unconventional approach to fashion. With a career spanning over five decades, Castelbajac has consistently pushed the boundaries of traditional design, blending elements of art and pop culture into his creations. He is renowned for his bold use of colours, playful patterns, and innovative techniques. Beyond his work in clothing design, Castelbajac has collaborated with numerous brands and artists, leaving a mark on the worlds of fashion, art, and design.

Maximilian Büsser, the founder of MB&F and a fan of JCDC since the 1980s, initially approached the designer with the idea of collaborating on an MB&F Horological Machine. However, they soon shifted their focus to the M.A.D.1 watch, which they deemed as the ideal canvas for JCDC's creative vision. 

JCDC has infused his signature colour palette of red, blue, and yellow into the design of the M.A.D.1 rotor, adding his unique touch to the spinning mechanism. The rotor, meticulously engineered with one wing slightly heavier for optimal performance, showcases these vibrant hues in lacquer. 

Additionally, vivid green accents the hour disc, evoking nostalgic childhood memories close to Castelbajac's heart. The dial base bears a French quote by the artist: “Ce trésor rare et précieux, c’est ta vie. Le temps vole de ses ailes blanches. Tu es le gardien de ton temps”, which translates into English as: “This rare and precious treasure is your life. Time flies with its white wings. You are the guardian of your time”.

Handwritten numbers adorn the two lateral rotating cylinders for the hours and minutes, while the crown features an engraving of an angel conversing with the moon, a recurring motif in his artistic repertoire.

Similar to previous M.A.D.1 editions, this model features a stainless steel case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 18.8 mm in thickness and is water resistant up to a pressure of 3 ATM (approximately 30 metres / 100 feet).

The movement - a modified 3 Hz (21,600 vph) 821A Miyota - is encased upside-down, allowing the watchmakers to place the specially-developed triple-blade, titanium and tungsten rotor on the dial side of the watch. The autonomy is 60 hours. 

The strap is crafted in leather and is embroidered with the name of the watch, ‘Time to Love’, and each timepiece comes with two straps – one in black and the other in white.

The ‘Time to Love’ name expresses the philosophy of the artist who uses his work to spread love, peace and spirituality. He says: “My relationship with time is unique. I am often “before or after hours”: before in my vision, after in my satisfaction. But when it’s time to love, I am always on time."

The M.A.D.1 ‘Time to Love’ will be limited to 999 pieces, which is a first, as previous editions were not limited, just produced in batches that were made available via raffles. Retail price is CHF 3,200 + VAT.

As numbers will be more restricted than before, half will be made available for the MB&F Tribe (registered collectors of MB&F pieces) and Friends (suppliers) on a first come, first served basis. The rest will be available to the general public using a raffle system as used in the past, to ensure fair distribution to those interested in acquiring a ‘Time to Love’. Deliveries will take place from April to September 2024. More details are available at shop.madgallery.ch