With the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese, M.A.D.Editions opens the third chapter of its story by involving one of the most unconventional figures in independent watchmaking. Following Maximilian Büsser with the M.A.D.1 and Eric Giroud with the M.A.D.2, the spotlight now turns to Vincent Calabrese, who brings to the project a reinterpretation of his celebrated Baladin and his distinctive approach to wandering hours.
The result is probably the most traditional M.A.D.Editions watch in terms of form to date, yet beneath its seemingly more conventional appearance lies a decidedly unconventional way of displaying time. Calabrese’s original system has been reinterpreted through a new module developed by MB&F and paired with the automatic La Joux-Perret G111 calibre, all housed in a 40 mm 316L stainless steel case.
WHO IS VINCENT CALABRESE?
Born in Naples and having moved to Switzerland as a teenager, Vincent Calabrese is one of the figures who helped shape the emergence and development of modern independent watchmaking. Over more than fifty years, he has built a career around continuously challenging the conventions of traditional watchmaking, going so far as to describe himself as “l’enquiquineur de l’horlogerie” – roughly, “the troublemaker of watchmaking”.
In 1985, together with Svend Andersen, he founded the AHCI – Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, at a time when independent watchmaking had yet to take on the significance it has today. Throughout his career, he has developed more than forty patents, working on tourbillons, wandering hours and numerous unconventional mechanical systems. Among his best-known creations is the Corum Golden Bridge, whose distinctive linear architecture has become one of the most recognisable in modern watchmaking.
It is precisely this attitude that created a natural connection with Maximilian Büsser. The two have known each other for years and had previously discussed possible collaborations. The idea for the M.A.D.3 finally emerged over lunch around two years ago: to bring one of Calabrese’s most interesting concepts into the M.A.D.Editions universe.
FROM THE BALADIN TO THE M.A.D.3
The starting point for the M.A.D.3 is the Baladin, born from Calabrese’s desire to rethink the traditional concept of the jumping hour. For the watchmaker, the problem was precisely the jump itself. The instantaneous transition from one hour to the next felt too abrupt and disconnected from the actual perception of time passing. Calabrese therefore imagined a display in which this transition would become visible and progressive.
Instead of changing instantaneously, the hours move slowly across the dial while the minutes continue to progress normally. It is a solution that initially feels unusual to read but becomes intuitive after only a few moments, transforming the passage of time into something visible and fluid.
With the M.A.D.3, however, the objective was not simply to create a re-edition of the Baladin. Calabrese’s original mechanisms were highly artisanal constructions and difficult to reproduce in larger quantities while guaranteeing reliability and consistency. The system was therefore reworked while preserving the fundamental element of the original idea: the smooth, progressive movement of the hour indication.
M.A.D.3: 40 MM STAINLESS STEEL CASE AND LAYERED DIAL
The case of the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese was designed by Eric Giroud, a long-standing Friend of MB&F and the designer behind the M.A.D.2. Made from 316L stainless steel, it measures 40 mm in diameter, 12.7 mm thick and 43.7 mm lug-to-lug, with a lug width of 21 mm. These relatively compact dimensions also mark a change of direction compared with the more extreme forms seen on previous M.A.D.Editions watches.
Several characteristic elements of the project remain, including the suspended lugs, the multi-layered architecture and domed sapphire crystals on both the front and case back. The upper crystal features anti-reflective treatment on both sides, while the lower crystal is treated on the inner surface. Water resistance is rated to 30 metres / 3 ATM.
Particular attention has been paid to the construction of the dial. The peripheral minute ring is made from domed sapphire, while Super-LumiNova is integrated beneath some of the transparent elements. The layered construction of the discs and the interplay of light enhance the depth of the display, placing the progressive movement of the hour indication at the centre of the composition.
Two colour configurations have been chosen for the launch: an intense blue and a raspberry pink version, with both colours directly inspired by some of Vincent Calabrese’s own creations.
THE LA JOUX-PERRET G111 CALIBRE OF THE M.A.D.3
At the heart of the M.A.D.3 is the Swiss Made automatic La Joux-Perret G111 calibre, specifically optimised to work with the bidirectional module developed by MB&F. The movement has a diameter of 25.6 mm and a thickness of 4.45 mm, operates at a frequency of 4 Hz – 28,800 vibrations per hour, uses 24 jewels and provides a 55-hour power reserve, with automatic winding.
The main challenge was making the system compatible with larger production volumes. The base calibre was therefore optimised with tighter tolerances and improved amplitude control, allowing it to manage the complication’s energy requirements more efficiently while ensuring a more stable power reserve.
At the same time, the entire wandering-hour module was redesigned with a focus on reliability, energy transmission and long-term stability, without sacrificing the visual fluidity that characterised the Baladin.
Turn the watch over and, through the openings in the rotor, a phrase gradually reveals itself: “Il est assez aisé de plaire aux autres, bien plus ardu d’être fier de soi” – “It is quite easy to please others, but much harder to be proud of oneself” – chosen to capture the spirit of Vincent Calabrese. The M.A.D.3 is completed by a leather strap with a stainless steel folding buckle.
M.A.D.3 BLUE AND PINK: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
At launch, the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese is offered in two different configurations. The pink version is reserved for The Tribe, MB&F owners, and the brand’s Friends, while the M.A.D.3 Blue is available to the public through the raffle system used by M.A.D.Editions.
The raffle for the blue model will remain open until September 7, 2026, at 3:00 PM CEST. A total of 1,500 watches will be randomly allocated on September 8, under the supervision of a judicial officer. Each person may submit only one application, and there will be neither a waiting list nor a second draw.
The M.A.D.3 is priced at CHF 2,900 excluding taxes, with international shipping included. Any local taxes and import duties remain the responsibility of the buyer, with deliveries scheduled between October 2026 and April 2027.
M.A.D.EDITIONS CHANGES ONCE AGAIN
With the M.A.D.3, the direction M.A.D.Editions is taking becomes increasingly clear. The project originally began almost as a gesture of thanks from Maximilian Büsser to the people who had contributed to and supported MB&F’s journey, before gradually opening up to a much broader community.
With the M.A.D.2 by Eric Giroud, however, it became clear that the objective was not to build a traditional collection in which every model shares the same aesthetic language. M.A.D.Editions increasingly resembles a kind of publishing house for watchmaking, where each new project gives a different author the opportunity to express their own idea of what a watch can be.
And this is probably the most interesting way to interpret the M.A.D.3. Aesthetically, it may appear less radical than the M.A.D.1 and M.A.D.2, but this time the true protagonist is not the shape of the case. It is a mechanical idea born many years ago from Vincent Calabrese’s desire to represent something seemingly as simple as the transition from one hour to the next in a different way.
Rather than a nostalgic re-edition of the Baladin, the M.A.D.3 becomes a way of bringing its spirit into a contemporary project accessible to a wider audience. An approach perhaps best summed up by Calabrese himself: “Don’t stay on the highway. Take your own road.”
By Jacopo Giudici