The MB&F LM101 Longhorn & M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary Pieces… That Will Be Offered!

In 2005, a man with a vision created a brand that would become one of the greatest successes of the independent watchmaking scene. Max Büsser, coming from Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston, decided to fly solo and gave life to something unique, something that went beyond traditions, a horological concept laboratory, a venture inviting friends to collaborate in the creative process; MB&F. With dozens of watches, clocks and music machines materialised, but also over 20 remarkable calibres that form the base of the Horological and Legacy Machines, MB&F has grown drastically, something that would not have been possible without what the brand names “The Tribe” or its community of owners. In order to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the brand is about to send a fantastic thank-you note: 20 very special timepieces to be won, with the brand’s compliments (yes, you read that right).

While we will come back to the topic of the 20th anniversary of MB&F later this year, we have to show you something rather special today. There is now a chance to win one of two special anniversary edition timepieces. The important word being here “win” and not having the possibility to participate in a raffle to potentially buy a watch (as is the case, for instance, for the M.A.D.Editions models). No, MB&F will offer, free of charge, 20 watches to its community, an invitation that extends not only to the brand’s Tribe members – owners of MB&F Machines (HM, LM and other horological objects) – but also to the thousands of watch enthusiasts who have participated in the M.A.D.Editions raffles over the years, often without success.

In total, 20 watches will be raffled. 10 of them are based on a special edition MB&F watch, the 10 others are using the M.A.D.1S as a base, with several distinct elements giving it uniqueness. Both editions are made of stainless steel – classic for M.A.D.Editions, less for MB&F – paired with a silver, black and blue colour scheme, just like the LM Sequential Flyback and LM Perpetual Longhorn Editions that were launched as an anniversary celebration earlier this year.

The LM101 Longhorn

The LM101 Longhorn 20th Anniversary Edition is based on one of MB&F’s smallest and slimmest creations, with its 40mm case here made of brushed and polished stainless steel. Despite its more compact size, the LM101 retained everything that made the LM1 and LM2 so fascinating, including the three-dimensional, hand-finished movement, created with independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. As you might have guessed from the name, the LM101 focuses on the fundamentals of mechanical watchmaking, with the all-important signature “flying” balance wheel in full display (equipped, like all LM101 since 2021 or the recent LM101 EVO, with a Straumann double hairspring by Precision Engineering), next to the power reserve indicator and the display of the time.

The LM101 Longhorn is named after its particularly long lugs, which can now be called horns, a feature that was first introduced in a unique piece sold for charity in 2021. It retains the subtle elements of previous Longhorn models, such as a sunburst rhodium-plated dial plate, black sub-dials, and distinctive blue hands. The back reveals the splendid movement and reads “Fortune Favours the Bold.”

The 10 LM101 Longhorn 20th Anniversary pieces will be raffled through a first draw, automatically including all registered Tribe members who have entered their MB&F pieces (collectors should register with The Tribe to make sure they are included). Details will be shared with owners directly, and the 10 lucky winners will be invited to Geneva to collect their new Machine directly from the MB&F M.A.D.House.

The M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary

Simultaneously, MB&F wanted to open this token of appreciation to a much wider community, which also has great importance in the brand’s recent history, the thousands of watch enthusiasts who have registered for M.A.D.Editions raffles over the years. And even though the watches made under the name M.A.D.Editions are playing in a different field and price segment; this community has been extremely beneficial to the aura of MB&F. What was created in 2021, as a small-scale experiment to thank MB&F’s Friends and Tribe members, has now grown to a horological phenomenon and a parallel brand to MB&F. Several special editions have followed, a reworked and slimmer version as well as a brand new model, the M.A.D.2.

The 20th Anniversary edition is based on the M.A.D.1S, the latest iteration of the M.A.D.1 series, featuring a slimmer case and lugs, a single cylinder and a Swiss Made LaJoux-Perret G101 base movement. Visually, this M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary relies on the same cues as the LM101 Longhorn. Roman numerals now replace the classic numerals on the hours and minutes cylinder, and the colour combination is the same too, using a silver, black and a new blue ring under its bezel, subtly matching the blued hands of the LM101 Longhorn. The watch also wears the same light brown leather strap, bringing a touch of elegance unknown to the brand until now. The caseback also reads “Fortune Favours the Bold.”

The M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary will be offered to 10 lucky fans, selected amongst the thousands of watch aficionados who have registered for the raffles over the years. Their names will automatically be entered into a draw for one of the 10 M.A.D.1S 20th Anniversary pieces. Both raffles will take place in October and will be supervised by a bailiff to ensure fairness.

For now, there’s nothing to buy, nothing to do if you’re interested… If you’re part of The Tribe or have registered in the past for one of the M.A.D.Editions’ raffle, just be a bit patient and cross fingers… Who knows, maybe a good surprise will be delivered. In the meantime, we can wish the brand a nice 20th anniversary and be amazed by the idea of gifting such handsome watches.

More details at mbandf.com.