M.A.D.Editions introduces the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese, the third chapter in the project created by MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser.
The new watch pays tribute to independent watchmaker Vincent Calabrese and reinterprets his Baladin concept, a poetic take on the jumping hour in which the hour indication moves progressively across the dial.
At 82, Vincent Calabrese remains one of the more unconventional figures in contemporary watchmaking. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has consistently approached mechanical watchmaking from outside established conventions, developing more than 40 patents and creating mechanisms ranging from wandering hours to tourbillons.
He co-founded the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) with Svend Andersen in 1985, with both later receiving the Special Jury Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2023, and designed the Golden Bridge movement for Corum, among many other projects.
The M.A.D.3 follows the M.A.D.1, originally conceived by Büsser and subsequently developed into the M.A.D.Editions project, and the M.A.D.2, created with designer Eric Giroud. The M.A.D.1S, introduced in 2024, further developed the original concept with a slimmer case and a Swiss La Joux-Perret movement, while retaining the project’s characteristic approach to accessible independent watchmaking.
The M.A.D.3 takes the concept in a different direction by placing the work of another independent creator at its centre.
The connection between Büsser and Calabrese predates M.A.D.Editions. The two have known each other for years and had discussed possible collaborations on several occasions. The M.A.D.3 eventually emerged from a conversation between them around two years ago, when the idea of bringing Calabrese’s Baladin into the M.A.D.Editions universe finally took shape.
The original Baladin was born from Calabrese’s dissatisfaction with the abrupt transition of a conventional jumping-hour display. Instead of allowing the hour indication to change instantaneously, he developed a mechanism in which the hour moves progressively while the minutes continue to advance normally.
The result is an indication that makes the passage from one hour to the next visible on the dial.
A Baladin model by Vincent Calabrese dating back to the 2000s - Courtesy of Christie's
For the M.A.D.3, the intention was not to reproduce the original Baladin but to preserve the principle behind it while adapting the mechanism to a contemporary watch and to the production requirements of M.A.D.Editions.
The technical team therefore redeveloped the wandering-hour module from the ground up, focusing on energy transmission, reliability and long-term stability while retaining the progressive movement that defines Calabrese’s concept.
The resulting automatic movement is based on the Swiss-made Manufacture La Joux-Perret G111 calibre, with a specially developed bi-directional jumping-hour and trailing-minutes module.
The movement measures 4.45 mm in height, operates at 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, and contains 24 jewels. Its power reserve is 55 hours.
The technical work also included tighter tolerances, improved amplitude control and a redesigned module intended to support the production requirements of the M.A.D.3 while preserving the visual smoothness of the original mechanism.
The progressive hour display is the central mechanical feature. Rather than appearing as a conventional digital jumping hour, the indication moves across the display as the hour changes, giving the transition a continuous visual quality.
The complication is integrated into a movement measuring 25.6 mm in diameter, or 11½ lignes, and is designed to operate within the dimensions of the new case.
The movement can also be observed from the reverse of the watch. Openings in the automatic rotor progressively reveal a sentence as it turns: “Il est assez aisé de plaire aux autres, bien plus ardu d’être fier de soi”, or “It is fairly easy to please others, far more difficult to be proud of oneself.”
The phrase was selected as a discreet reference to Calabrese’s independent approach to watchmaking.
The case, designed by Eric Giroud, measures 40 mm in diameter and 12.7 mm in height, with a lug-to-lug distance of 43.7 mm and 21 mm lug width.
It is made from 316L stainless steel and combines a layered construction with floating lugs and domed sapphire crystals on both sides.
The upper sapphire crystal is treated with anti-reflective coating on both faces, while the lower crystal receives anti-reflective treatment on its inner face.
Water resistance is rated to 3 ATM, or 30 metres / 100 feet.
The design retains elements of the visual language established by M.A.D.Editions while adapting them to the character of Calabrese’s work. The architecture is deliberately layered, with the display built around several overlapping elements.
A bombé sapphire minute ring and transparent components allow Super-LumiNova to be integrated into the construction, creating different levels of depth and changing the appearance of the display according to the light.
Colour is another important element. The two launch editions are distinguished by deep blue and sunny raspberry tones, inspired by colours found in Calabrese’s own work.
The Blue edition is paired with a leather strap and stainless-steel folding buckle, while the Pink edition follows the same general configuration.
The two colours also determine how the watches will be distributed.
The Blue M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese will be offered through the M.A.D.Editions raffle system, while the Pink edition will be reserved for M.A.D.Editions Tribe Members and Friends.
The Blue edition raffle opens on September 1 and remains open for one week, until September 7.
The retail price remains consistent with the positioning established by previous M.A.D.Editions releases at CHF 2,900 plus VAT.
At this level, the M.A.D.3 continues the project’s original intention of presenting unusual mechanical ideas at a considerably lower price than the independent high horology pieces with which Büsser and Calabrese are otherwise associated. mbandf.com
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